Lots of help needed for a redfoot.

[Leah_Daniel]

Hi all. I'm a newbie. I have a friend that had to rehome her 4 yr old redfoot tortoise due to unusual circumstances. She brought the tortoise, La La Dot, in an aquarium. With a hundred watt light bulb. A regular light bulb. I was told to make sure she had food and water and all would be fine.

Apparently, that's not how you are supposed to house a redfoot...

So, first off, enclosure. I'm not cheap, I prefer to provide for my pets correctly, but I am a single mom and a student so money is an issue. I'm looking for an appropriate way to house Dot that won't break the bank. I keep seeing that rubber made totes will work, but I would prefer to know exactly what I need to make it happen. So if someone could point me to an A to Z tutorial for dummies that would be great.

Lighting. Again, clueless. With the exception of I'm pretty sure that a bulb for a normal house lamp is not the best thing for the job. Links to exactly what I need would be a huge help.

Keep in mind that I do have three cats. They do not show much interest in Dot, but I think the enclosure would have to be closed in to keep Dot safe. I also live in West Central Ohio, so it needs to be an indoor setup.

Any help or pointers you can give me would be welcome. I am so overwhelmed by all of the conflicting information out there.

Thanks in advance!

 

[crimson_lotus]

Hi Leah,

Quick question - how large is Dot? Would you happen to have a picture? I am worried that this tortoise hasn't had UV light at all and might have metabolic bone disease, which looks like a caved in shell and is very painful.

Are you capable of building your own enclosure, and do you have the space to dedicate in your home for, lets say, a 4x8ft?

What are you feeding Dot? Where are you located (just the state) and are you monitoring temperatures in the enclosure?

Here is a link for you with all of the basic info you will need: http://tortoiselibrary.com/

Something like this helps me personally keep track of heat and humidity, which are both very important for redfoots:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013BKDO8/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

a UV bulb and fixture (something like this - I prefer tubes because redfoots do not bask, really)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K2BN7HK/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Ceramic Heat Emitter depending on your temperatures and if you need extra heat output:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F9CV7K/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

wattage and lamp fixtures are dependent on the size of your enclosure and your current temperatures

 

[ColaCarbonaria]

Easy red foot enclosure .
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Easy-red-foot-enclosure-..162059/
Tutorial from th top of th RF page

 

[Alex Z]

Hi all. I'm a newbie. I have a friend that had to rehome her 4 yr old redfoot tortoise due to unusual circumstances. She brought the tortoise, La La Dot, in an aquarium. With a hundred watt light bulb. A regular light bulb. I was told to make sure she had food and water and all would be fine.

Apparently, that's not how you are supposed to house a redfoot...

So, first off, enclosure. I'm not cheap, I prefer to provide for my pets correctly, but I am a single mom and a student so money is an issue. I'm looking for an appropriate way to house Dot that won't break the bank. I keep seeing that rubber made totes will work, but I would prefer to know exactly what I need to make it happen. So if someone could point me to an A to Z tutorial for dummies that would be great.

Lighting. Again, clueless. With the exception of I'm pretty sure that a bulb for a normal house lamp is not the best thing for the job. Links to exactly what I need would be a huge help.

Keep in mind that I do have three cats. They do not show much interest in Dot, but I think the enclosure would have to be closed in to keep Dot safe. I also live in West Central Ohio, so it needs to be an indoor setup.

Any help or pointers you can give me would be welcome. I am so overwhelmed by all of the conflicting information out there.

Thanks in advance!

I learned from this great redfoot breeder how to keep any age rf, along with many experienced members knowledge. You follow all the info and you will be great.Subscribe to his channel. You can build one yourself. Homedepot you can find the plywood sheet. It cost around 33 bucks. Best size is 8x4. Make sure you make the walls 2ft high. Substrate should be 6in. Coco coir is best.