Looking for advice, please.

[bsfast]

Hello, I have a 4 month old cherry head red-footed tortoise and I am stressing out about keeping the humidity and and temperature ‘just right’. In his hide, I have an electronic thermometer that reads 75-80 degrees and 80-100% humidity all of the time but I cant seem to get the hide to stay at a consistent 80 degrees. Directly above where he sleeps I have two dial-type readers that show 90 degrees and aprox 70% humidity. Do you think this is sufficient? I have a ceramic heat bulb directly above his hide on the cooler side and a regular heat lamp on the hotter basking side. That side the temp is closer to 90-95 degrees. When the UVA/UVB bulb is on during the day, the temps/ humidity in his hide stays closer to the ideal I was told of 80 and 80. But at night the cooler end does go to about 75. Is this too low for my baby? This is my first time owning a tortoise so I want to make sure I get it right. I have done so much reading about pyramiding and shell rot, I am totally stressing out now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Maggie3fan]

I do not keep Redfoots. But, you cannot keep up the humidity and temp gradients with an open top habitat. He is a forest floor type of tortoise so low light is better than being bombed with bright UVB light (I think). Anyway UVB rays cannot go thru screen. I'm sure you will get better advice from our Redfoot experts, but I wanted to let you know you are not being ignored...lol

 

[Yvonne G]

You would do better to remove the screen top and replace it with a sheet of perspex. Cut holes to fit the lights. The small holes in the screen filter out the UVB. Also, turn that cuttle bone over so the soft side is available to the baby.

 

[bsfast]

Thank you for your feedback. I have covered the top with tin foil (cut out holes for the lights) and the temp & humidity is already rising! I will definitely look into a plexiglass cover. Where is the best pace to test ambient temperature? The hide is now at 82° 95% humidity and basking area is now up to 95 65% humidity. Is 95 too hot? I think the baby would move away from the heat if he was too hot

 

[bsfast]

I do not keep Redfoots. But, you cannot keep up the humidity and temp gradients with an open top habitat. He is a forest floor type of tortoise so low light is better than being bombed with bright UVB light (I think). Anyway UVB rays cannot go thru screen. I'm sure you will get better advice from our Redfoot experts, but I wanted to let you know you are not being ignored...lol
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I do not keep Redfoots. But, you cannot keep up the humidity and temp gradients with an open top habitat. He is a forest floor type of tortoise so low light is better than being bombed with bright UVB light (I think). Anyway UVB rays cannot go thru screen. I'm sure you will get better advice from our Redfoot experts, but I wanted to let you know you are not being ignored...lol

Thank you for you advice. I will have to change the lid.

 

[Jon G.]

Your habitat is beautiful and looks adequate for your hatchling/juvenile to me as it is (for now, a larger habitat will be required as the tortoise grows). It looks like your substrate holds moisture well, you have a couple of different humidity hides and plants, and what I think is a misting nozzle. Although a totally enclosed habitat is good for holding in humidity I think there are other alternatives using partially open or open design (like yours) that will accomplish the goal for providing the humidity required. This is easier done for the smaller habitats required for hatchlings/juveniles, and the smallest tortoise species.

I subscribe to the opinion that tortoises are good at seeking out the microclimate that they need/want at any given time (i.e. combination of temperature/humidity/light) and as long as they have access to it in some part of the enclosure they will do fine. They also seem to enjoy the variation. My leopard tortoise hatchlings (groups of up to 10 in a tub) typically bask for a while, make a mad dash for the food as soon as it is put in, bask some more, crash in the humidity hide for a good part of the day, and then may just roam around and be goofballs. Because you already have a screened lid for your enclosure, retrofitting a clear acrylic or polycarbonate top may not be too much trouble or affect the aesthetics or ease of maintenance of your environment. I'm just expressing my opinion that creating a nice looking environment that is easy to maintain and where you can observe your captive tortoise roaming around in the habitat is a large part of the enjoyment for me and I suspect a lot of other tortoise owners.

I am a control systems engineer by education/experience (self-proclaimed nerd/dork) and designed and maintained a stacked closed humidity-controlled enclosure for adult red-footed tortoises many years ago. It worked fine and the tortoises liked it but due to the size/depth and front access of the design, it was harder to view and access the tortoises and somewhat cumbersome to maintain/clean. I actually have an old retired patent on a system that controls, temperature, humidity, and photo-period (#5,799,614 Comprehensive Reptilian Environment Control System, 9/1/1998) so was a strong advocate for enclosed systems for a while but over time I have migrated to open top systems that are much more practical for raising hatchlings. I now have only leopard tortoises and because we transplanted to FL a few years ago have the ultimate open top enclosure ( i.e. our backyard) Ha! ?

I would be very interested to see photos of other's indoor enclosed habitats large enough for adult red-footed or leopard tortoises all year round. Other forum readers, please post photos of your enclosed (or not) habitats so the rest of us can benefit from your designs and experience.

 

[bsfast]

Your habitat is beautiful and looks adequate for your hatchling/juvenile to me as it is (for now, a larger habitat will be required as the tortoise grows). It looks like your substrate holds moisture well, you have a couple of different humidity hides and plants, and what I think is a misting nozzle. Although a totally enclosed habitat is good for holding in humidity I think there are other alternatives using partially open or open design (like yours) that will accomplish the goal for providing the humidity required. This is easier done for the smaller habitats required for hatchlings/juveniles, and the smallest tortoise species.

I subscribe to the opinion that tortoises are good at seeking out the microclimate that they need/want at any given time (i.e. combination of temperature/humidity/light) and as long as they have access to it in some part of the enclosure they will do fine. They also seem to enjoy the variation. My leopard tortoise hatchlings (groups of up to 10 in a tub) typically bask for a while, make a mad dash for the food as soon as it is put in, bask some more, crash in the humidity hide for a good part of the day, and then may just roam around and be goofballs. Because you already have a screened lid for your enclosure, retrofitting a clear acrylic or polycarbonate top may not be too much trouble or affect the aesthetics or ease of maintenance of your environment. I'm just expressing my opinion that creating a nice looking environment that is easy to maintain and where you can observe your captive tortoise roaming around in the habitat is a large part of the enjoyment for me and I suspect a lot of other tortoise owners.

I am a control systems engineer by education/experience (self-proclaimed nerd/dork) and designed and maintained a stacked closed humidity-controlled enclosure for adult red-footed tortoises many years ago. It worked fine and the tortoises liked it but due to the size/depth and front access of the design, it was harder to view and access the tortoises and somewhat cumbersome to maintain/clean. I actually have an old retired patent on a system that controls, temperature, humidity, and photo-period (#5,799,614 Comprehensive Reptilian Environment Control System, 9/1/1998) so was a strong advocate for enclosed systems for a while but over time I have migrated to open top systems that are much more practical for raising hatchlings. I now have only leopard tortoises and because we transplanted to FL a few years ago have the ultimate open top enclosure ( i.e. our backyard) Ha! ?

I would be very interested to see photos of other's indoor enclosed habitats large enough for adult red-footed or leopard tortoises all year round. Other forum readers, please post photos of your enclosed (or not) habitats so the rest of us can benefit from your designs and experience.

Thank you for your advice. We live in Canada so an outdoor enclosure would only work a few weeks of the year. Lol. We plan to purchase a large, custom built enclosure once he outgrows this one. Since they live so long, I think it will be a good investment. Yes, we have an automatic mister as well. I am still playing with settings and trying to get the right combination of heat/ light/ humidity. It’s all new to me so I just want to get it right. I would feel terrible if my inexperience/ lack of knowledge caused health problems for my little Torti.

 

[Jon G.]

bsfast,

You are doing better than many new owners with your first tortoise. After re-reading your original post, I realized you didn't get much input on temperatures....

Sounds like the consensus on red-foot temps based on your research is a little lower than what I use for my leopard hatchlings but I have found that my guys do really well when kept nice and warm.

With my leopard tortoise hatchlings, I keep the daytime basking area temp at about 95 Deg F and the temp under hides at around 85 Deg F day and night and they love it. There are other cooler spots around the habitat they can choose. If I put my hand at carapace height under the basking lamp it feels nice and warm but my hand does not get too hot if I hold it there for a while. The moist substrate under the hide feels slightly warm to the touch but not hot.

I accomplish the warm hide temperature with an external under-tank (plastic tub in my case) heat pad. Flex-watt heat tape would also work and can be attached to a solid bottom enclosure with adhesive or silicone caulk for a permanent setup if desired. I don't want to insult anyone's intelligence, but bottom tank heaters should always be set up externally due to the danger of water/moisture shorting them out. This may not be easy to implement with your existing habitat and may not be necessary at all, it just works for me. If you decide to try it, I would put the under-tank heater on a rheostat (dimmer) and gradually increase until you get the desired hide temp under the the hide. You could do just one end of the habitat, or one hide, and let the tortoise tell you what it likes best.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hey bsfast...did you read this?

Redfoot Tortoise Caresheet

REDFOOT TORTOISE CARESHEET ALL Tortoises on the planet require that 4 parameters be "IN BALANCE". How this is accomplished ( or required ) is as varied as there are regions and keepers on the planet. Temperature - Humidity - Lighting - Diet Redfoot tortoises require the same parameters -...

tortoiseforum.org

might give you some ideas. The author of this caresheet is a very well respected member of TFO

 

[bsfast]

Hey bsfast...did you read this?

Redfoot Tortoise Caresheet

REDFOOT TORTOISE CARESHEET ALL Tortoises on the planet require that 4 parameters be "IN BALANCE". How this is accomplished ( or required ) is as varied as there are regions and keepers on the planet. Temperature - Humidity - Lighting - Diet Redfoot tortoises require the same parameters -...

tortoiseforum.org

might give you some ideas. The author of this caresheet is a very well respected member of TFO

This is excellent info!!! Thank you so much. I am new to using a chat forum like this so no, I did not see it. I am having difficulty navigating my way around still but I am sure I will get better as I use it more. I really appreciate you taking the time to find the info for me. I just want to do everything right for my little Torti and I find all the conflicting info you find on the web to be so overwhelming. I love that this person is so experienced with red foots and that he posted pics to show what his look like so you know he’s doing it right! When I look back at the pics of the adults from the breeder we purchased from, their tortoises have a fair bit of pyramiding. It made me worry about the accuracy of the info that they had given me. I am so happy to have found this group and to be doing my research on my own. Thanks again to everyone. I am so grateful! ?