New redfoot hatcling

[Tort:)]

Hello! I decided to get on here and ask some questions because I just got a baby Redfoot ! I did so much research and set him up a cute little enclosure indoors. I live in Texas and it’s getting cooler outdoors so I thought it best to keep the little guy inside because of them dropping temps. I have him a ceramic heat bulb and a uvb light set up. I kept reading that red foots don’t really need a basking spot so I’ve just been trying to keep his “explore” area at constant 80 degree temps and in his hide area it’s dark and them temps are around 75-80 degrees but I’ve been trying to keep it in the 80s, it keeps dropping. Is there any heat source that is safe to put in his hide area? His enclosure is made of wood so I worry about the heat catching something on fire. The humidity I’ve been keeping in the 50-70% although I cannot seem to keep it at a decently constant percentage. Any tips for keeping humidity up? He seems to prefer the dark area of his enclosure and kind of burrows himself under the top layer of sphagnum moss I layered throughout his dark spot and some of his explore area. The bottom layer is coconut fiber substrate. I just got him about 3 days ago so I know he probably just needs to adjust to his new home but is there anything I can do that will make him want to come out more. He only ate the first day I got him and it was only a few nibbles of a strawberry. I’ve offered fresh greens everyday along with a peice of strawberry since he seems to enjoy those. Other than the first day though he has not eaten to my knowledge. I have a camera set up right in front of his food plate just so I can monitor his food intake. Is this normal for one so young to not be interested in exploring or eating? I soak the little guy for about 15-30 minutes a day and he always gets a big drink which is good and I have a low water dish for him to get into. Anyways here is pics of his enclosure
This is the dark side ( I have the lid open so it’s really bright but usually is really dark)
As you can see little guy likes to hangout in here and the humidity in there is super high but the temps keep trying to drop. Any tips? Or is it okay for the humidity to be so high with the temps low?


Here is his explore area. I have more greenery coming in the mail but is there any tips on things I can improve?
Here is the lighting and heat I have. It lights up his entire explore area but the heat bulb only keeps the explore area heated. The temps in his dark area keep dropping to the 70s but he seems to like it in there more

 

[EppsDynasty]

NOOOOOO ....
Get the moss outta there, it is deadly!!!!!!

An expert will be a long soon but I had to say that about the moss. You will also need to keep the top of the enclosure 'Closed' to hold in humidity.

 

[mojo_1]

Read this thread. I will see if i can find the other one that has more info too

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[mojo_1]

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello! I decided to get on here and ask some questions because I just got a baby Redfoot ! I did so much research and set him up a cute little enclosure indoors. I live in Texas and it’s getting cooler outdoors so I thought it best to keep the little guy inside because of them dropping temps. I have him a ceramic heat bulb and a uvb light set up. I kept reading that red foots don’t really need a basking spot so I’ve just been trying to keep his “explore” area at constant 80 degree temps and in his hide area it’s dark and them temps are around 75-80 degrees but I’ve been trying to keep it in the 80s, it keeps dropping. Is there any heat source that is safe to put in his hide area? His enclosure is made of wood so I worry about the heat catching something on fire. The humidity I’ve been keeping in the 50-70% although I cannot seem to keep it at a decently constant percentage. Any tips for keeping humidity up? He seems to prefer the dark area of his enclosure and kind of burrows himself under the top layer of sphagnum moss I layered throughout his dark spot and some of his explore area. The bottom layer is coconut fiber substrate. I just got him about 3 days ago so I know he probably just needs to adjust to his new home but is there anything I can do that will make him want to come out more. He only ate the first day I got him and it was only a few nibbles of a strawberry. I’ve offered fresh greens everyday along with a peice of strawberry since he seems to enjoy those. Other than the first day though he has not eaten to my knowledge. I have a camera set up right in front of his food plate just so I can monitor his food intake. Is this normal for one so young to not be interested in exploring or eating? I soak the little guy for about 15-30 minutes a day and he always gets a big drink which is good and I have a low water dish for him to get into. Anyways here is pics of his enclosure
This is the dark side ( I have the lid open so it’s really bright but usually is really dark)
As you can see little guy likes to hangout in here and the humidity in there is super high but the temps keep trying to drop. Any tips? Or is it okay for the humidity to be so high with the temps low?
View attachment 380792View attachment 380791

Here is his explore area. I have more greenery coming in the mail but is there any tips on things I can improve? View attachment 380793
Here is the lighting and heat I have. It lights up his entire explore area but the heat bulb only keeps the explore area heated. The temps in his dark area keep dropping to the 70s but he seems to like it in there more

Few things to unpack and I really don’t want you to take it the wrong way, but almost everything here is wrongI’m so sorry! It happens all too often here and we have to let new members know, the good news is you’ve found us and can get on the right track!

First up yes, he will need to be housed indoors inside a closed chamber for at least the first 3 or so years of his life.

Any kind of compact screw in uv bulb isn’t the best or safest choice unfortunately, but you are right about them not needing a basking spot, because he’s not in a closed chamber, you’re struggling with both your temperatures and humidity. Humidity cannot be maintained where it needs to be with an open top like this.

The moss can cause serious impactions if eaten, it needs removing, coco fibre can carry the same risk, what you want is either orchid fir bark or coco coir, or even a mix of both, cypress mulch/forest floor works too but not my personal choice, I’d go with the coir or bark.

Mojo already linked my common error thread so definitely give that a read, it goes into the points raised here.

I think this is the other one he’s trying to find, you’ll definitely find it useful, I cover correct equipment(lighting heating, the right uv), levels, substrates, sizing, the importance of a closed chamber, appropriately maintaining humidity, there’s lots of visual examples for everything along with a really handy diet list&link!

Young red foot/ cherryhead set up

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information on an effective example of a starter enclosure for a red foot/cherry head😊 Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope it helps! Welcome to the forum, always happy to answer further questions!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

This one is good too, but I will say the red foot care sheet I made is more species specific, leopards, sulcatas etc still need a basking spot, red foot’s can technically have one too, but it can be much more desiccating on their dark shells

 

[mojo_1]

Here is pictures of a closed chamber enclosure that I use.

 

[mojo_1]

This one is good too, but I will say the red foot care sheet I made is more species specific, leopards, sulcatas etc still need a basking spot, red foot’s can technically have one too, but it can be much more desiccating on their dark shells

Yes, i have a hard time finding the redfoot specific one ypu made.

 

[wellington]

I suggest following the Red foot caresheet not a leopard or sulcata one. Although some info is the same, the temps are not. The RF need around 85 day and night.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yes, i have a hard time finding the redfoot specific one ypu made.

If you ever need to find it, click on my profile and it’s linked a bit further down

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Here is pictures of a closed chamber enclosure that I use. View attachment 380801View attachment 380802View attachment 380803View attachment 380804View attachment 380805View attachment 380806

Always love seeing mojos cheeky little face

 

[mojo_1]

If you ever need to find it, click on my profile and it’s linked a bit further down

Ok, great i will do that next time. Thank you.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello! I decided to get on here and ask some questions because I just got a baby Redfoot ! I did so much research and set him up a cute little enclosure indoors. I live in Texas and it’s getting cooler outdoors so I thought it best to keep the little guy inside because of them dropping temps. I have him a ceramic heat bulb and a uvb light set up. I kept reading that red foots don’t really need a basking spot so I’ve just been trying to keep his “explore” area at constant 80 degree temps and in his hide area it’s dark and them temps are around 75-80 degrees but I’ve been trying to keep it in the 80s, it keeps dropping. Is there any heat source that is safe to put in his hide area? His enclosure is made of wood so I worry about the heat catching something on fire. The humidity I’ve been keeping in the 50-70% although I cannot seem to keep it at a decently constant percentage. Any tips for keeping humidity up? He seems to prefer the dark area of his enclosure and kind of burrows himself under the top layer of sphagnum moss I layered throughout his dark spot and some of his explore area. The bottom layer is coconut fiber substrate. I just got him about 3 days ago so I know he probably just needs to adjust to his new home but is there anything I can do that will make him want to come out more. He only ate the first day I got him and it was only a few nibbles of a strawberry. I’ve offered fresh greens everyday along with a peice of strawberry since he seems to enjoy those. Other than the first day though he has not eaten to my knowledge. I have a camera set up right in front of his food plate just so I can monitor his food intake. Is this normal for one so young to not be interested in exploring or eating? I soak the little guy for about 15-30 minutes a day and he always gets a big drink which is good and I have a low water dish for him to get into. Anyways here is pics of his enclosure
This is the dark side ( I have the lid open so it’s really bright but usually is really dark)
As you can see little guy likes to hangout in here and the humidity in there is super high but the temps keep trying to drop. Any tips? Or is it okay for the humidity to be so high with the temps low?
View attachment 380792View attachment 380791

Here is his explore area. I have more greenery coming in the mail but is there any tips on things I can improve? View attachment 380793
Here is the lighting and heat I have. It lights up his entire explore area but the heat bulb only keeps the explore area heated. The temps in his dark area keep dropping to the 70s but he seems to like it in there more

Hello and welcome!
The enclosure looks really neat and cozy, however few things should be addressed as soon as possible.

1. Temperature and humidity. For a redfoot you want temperatures in 80-88F (82-86F is better) across the enclosure, day and night. Humidity - 80-90%. This implicates a few things: no intense heat sources (that's why basking lamp is no-go, not because they don't bask at all) and closed top setup (no "tortoise tables" or meshed top enclosures).
2. They like to burrow in moss. Moss is great to maintain humidity. Live moss often looks cool. Many keepers use moss. But sometimes (who knows why) tortoises eat moss and eat a lot. This might result in lethal impaction. There are safer ways to maintain humidity and provide burrowing opportunities.
3. Hatchlings are easy prey - they prefer to stay hidden out of sight. Dense foliage, large cork bark pieces provide safe harbors for the tortoise and ability to safely explore. This is a better option than completely shaded area of the enclosure - they don't need one huge hide, but many small holes to wedge into.
4. Compact fluorescent lamps are weak sources of UVB and concentrate it over small area. T5 tubes are safer, more reliable and long lasting. Upfront costs are higher, but a good T5 lamp can serve you several years.
5. This enclosure is very popular despite numerous drawbacks. Plan for upgrade soon. PVC enclosures are preferred over wooden because of water/humidity resistance and are rather easy to build yourself. In the meanwhile - do some "retrofitting": cover meshed area with tinfoil leaving no gaps around lamp domes. Or get a portable greenhouse to put on top or around this enclosure.

Please, don't be scared away by all comments posted. These recommendations are important for your little guy's well-being. My redfoot was brought home in a 40 gallon tank (regular, not breeder), with a coiled UVB lamp, spot basking bulb, heat mat and wrong diet advice. I would get grade D in tortoise keeping back then

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Here is the care sheet for redfoots: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-tortoise-care-sheet.175319/ Some details can be tweaked, but it's a good baseline.

 

[Tort:)]

Hello and welcome!
The enclosure looks really neat and cozy, however few things should be addressed as soon as possible.

1. Temperature and humidity. For a redfoot you want temperatures in 80-88F (82-86F is better) across the enclosure, day and night. Humidity - 80-90%. This implicates a few things: no intense heat sources (that's why basking lamp is no-go, not because they don't bask at all) and closed top setup (no "tortoise tables" or meshed top enclosures).
2. They like to burrow in moss. Moss is great to maintain humidity. Live moss often looks cool. Many keepers use moss. But sometimes (who knows why) tortoises eat moss and eat a lot. This might result in lethal impaction. There are safer ways to maintain humidity and provide burrowing opportunities.
3. Hatchlings are easy prey - they prefer to stay hidden out of sight. Dense foliage, large cork bark pieces provide safe harbors for the tortoise and ability to safely explore. This is a better option than completely shaded area of the enclosure - they don't need one huge hide, but many small holes to wedge into.
4. Compact fluorescent lamps are weak sources of UVB and concentrate it over small area. T5 tubes are safer, more reliable and long lasting. Upfront costs are higher, but a good T5 lamp can serve you several years.
5. This enclosure is very popular despite numerous drawbacks. Plan for upgrade soon. PVC enclosures are preferred over wooden because of water/humidity resistance and are rather easy to build yourself. In the meanwhile - do some "retrofitting": cover meshed area with tinfoil leaving no gaps around lamp domes. Or get a portable greenhouse to put on top or around this enclosure.

Please, don't be scared away by all comments posted. These recommendations are important for your little guy's well-being. My redfoot was brought home in a 40 gallon tank (regular, not breeder), with a coiled UVB lamp, spot basking bulb, heat mat and wrong diet advice. I would get grade D in tortoise keeping back then

Thank you so much for all the advice! I’m a new tort parent so I felt the need to ask. I want the best for my little guy so upon reading everything I went out and bought a Arcadia

Few things to unpack and I really don’t want you to take it the wrong way, but almost everything here is wrongI’m so sorry! It happens all too often here and we have to let new members know, the good news is you’ve found us and can get on the right track!

First up yes, he will need to be housed indoors inside a closed chamber for at least the first 3 or so years of his life.

Any kind of compact screw in uv bulb isn’t the best or safest choice unfortunately, but you are right about them not needing a basking spot, because he’s not in a closed chamber, you’re struggling with both your temperatures and humidity. Humidity cannot be maintained where it needs to be with an open top like this.

The moss can cause serious impactions if eaten, it needs removing, coco fibre can carry the same risk, what you want is either orchid fir bark or coco coir, or even a mix of both, cypress mulch/forest floor works too but not my personal choice, I’d go with the coir or bark.

Mojo already linked my common error thread so definitely give that a read, it goes into the points raised here.

I think this is the other one he’s trying to find, you’ll definitely find it useful, I cover correct equipment(lighting heating, the right uv), levels, substrates, sizing, the importance of a closed chamber, appropriately maintaining humidity, there’s lots of visual examples for everything along with a really handy diet list&link!

Young red foot/ cherryhead set up

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information on an effective example of a starter enclosure for a red foot/cherry head😊 Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope it helps! Welcome to the forum, always happy to answer further questions!

hey just wanted to update! Thanks for all the advice, I find it really helpful. I wanted to correct my last comment, I did double check and it is coco coir that I put in there. I typed the wrong thing. I removed the moss as most people said to and replaced it with about 4 inches of orchid fir bark. I added more greenery and ordered an Arcadia tube uvb light and went out and bought an Arcadia LED strip light. I’m going to build a temporary greenhouse top and take off the two doors my enclosure currently has on it so I can place my greenhouse like thing on top. Im thinking I’ll go with a A-Framed type top but with some tweaks to be able to hang the lighting. My heating bulb seems to keep the temps at 80 now that I have some tinfoil on the mesh that is letting the heat out. It’s a ceramic heat emitter. If that’s bad please let me know! I’ll hang both my led and uvb inside the enclosure at the right height. I added some small live plants that are safe as well as more hiding areas. I put some more rocks in his water bowl, finding out that it is unsafe I learned putting rocks in it for a temporary fix can increase their odds of turning themselves back up. I have more greenery and decor coming in. I’ll show pictures of what I have as soon as I get everything properly set up. I have a few things coming in the mail. Overall I have quite a few things to tweak. I’ll be getting a new enclosure or building one soon. Any tips on diy enclosures? If there is anything I’ve said that is bad please let me know! I’m here to learn and I’ve learned so much already. Thank you all so much.

 

[mojo_1]

Thank you so much for all the advice! I’m a new tort parent so I felt the need to ask. I want the best for my little guy so upon reading everything I went out and bought a Arcadia

hey just wanted to update! Thanks for all the advice, I find it really helpful. I wanted to correct my last comment, I did double check and it is coco coir that I put in there. I typed the wrong thing. I removed the moss as most people said to and replaced it with about 4 inches of orchid fir bark. I added more greenery and ordered an Arcadia tube uvb light and went out and bought an Arcadia LED strip light. I’m going to build a temporary greenhouse top and take off the two doors my enclosure currently has on it so I can place my greenhouse like thing on top. Im thinking I’ll go with a A-Framed type top but with some tweaks to be able to hang the lighting. My heating bulb seems to keep the temps at 80 now that I have some tinfoil on the mesh that is letting the heat out. It’s a ceramic heat emitter. If that’s bad please let me know! I’ll hang both my led and uvb inside the enclosure at the right height. I added some small live plants that are safe as well as more hiding areas. I put some more rocks in his water bowl, finding out that it is unsafe I learned putting rocks in it for a temporary fix can increase their odds of turning themselves back up. I have more greenery and decor coming in. I’ll show pictures of what I have as soon as I get everything properly set up. I have a few things coming in the mail. Overall I have quite a few things to tweak. I’ll be getting a new enclosure or building one soon. Any tips on diy enclosures? If there is anything I’ve said that is bad please let me know! I’m here to learn and I’ve learned so much already. Thank you all so much.

Ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat controller is good. Sounds like you've made some positive changes today.as for the water dish the one you have is bad. You need to switch to a terracotta saucer, also sink both food and water saucers into the substrate so the tortoise can walk right in and out. The rocks are unnecessary as well.

 

[Tort:)]

Ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat controller is good. Sounds like you've made some positive changes today.as for the water dish the one you have is bad. You need to switch to a terracotta saucer, also sink both food and water saucers into the substrate so the tortoise can walk right in and out. The rocks are unnecessary as well.

Understood! And yes I bought a thermostat today and I have it set on 85. I will buy a teerocotta saucer right now so it will come quickly. His food dish is a piece of slate. I read it helps trim their beak down.is this correct? I read so much stuff and based on a lot of the advice I’ve gotten from here a lot of the other sources are inaccurate which is why I decided to ask here. A friend told me to come to this site and I’m thankful I did. I’ve been growing a garden for a while now mainly to feed my bunny and now my new tort. Although I had a neighbor dog dog up some of my plants most are growing well. I’ve never used any type of pesticides or fertilizers in my garden because I also feed my bunny stuff straight out of my garden so I don’t like to use any unnatural things in it. I’ve been using the tortoise table website to plant the right things safe for my tort. He seems to want to chomp on some things given that he tried to chomp on the fake flower I have in there. Should I offer him some flowers to help him warm up? I know they like to chomp on flowers but is there a favorite among Redfoots ?

 

[Tort:)]

Always love seeing mojos cheeky little face

Hi! Thanks for the reply! I will take any advice I can get! Do you possibly have a link to the enclosure you have? I’d love to get the right set up. Unfortunately I read some misinformation on other sites that said open tops like the one I have now were okay. It’s okay though I’ve learned and will get the right setup as soon as possible. For now I’ll be building a green-house like top and taking the two doors off so I can achieve the proper humidity. I bought a thermostat for my heat emitter and it’s staying in the 80-85 range. Should I keep the heat on at night since it’s a hatching ? I read that is something needed too but it could have been misinformation . Anyway, thank you so much for the advice ! By the way, what a cutie! love your Tort.

 

[mojo_1]

Understood! And yes I bought a thermostat today and I have it set on 85. I will buy a teerocotta saucer right now so it will come quickly. His food dish is a piece of slate. I read it helps trim their beak down.is this correct? I read so much stuff and based on a lot of the advice I’ve gotten from here a lot of the other sources are inaccurate which is why I decided to ask here. A friend told me to come to this site and I’m thankful I did. I’ve been growing a garden for a while now mainly to feed my bunny and now my new tort. Although I had a neighbor dog dog up some of my plants most are growing well. I’ve never used any type of pesticides or fertilizers in my garden because I also feed my bunny stuff straight out of my garden so I don’t like to use any unnatural things in it. I’ve been using the tortoise table website to plant the right things safe for my tort. He seems to want to chomp on some things given that he tried to chomp on the fake flower I have in there. Should I offer him some flowers to help him warm up? I know they like to chomp on flowers but is there a favorite among Redfoots ?

Eating off of any hard surface will help with the beak. Redfoots are also garbage disposals they will eat just about anything if you let them. The right kind of flowers can be a nice treat for your tort. Eventually they will like to eat cuddle fish bone to get the calcium from it.

 

[mojo_1]

Hi! Thanks for the reply! I will take any advice I can get! Do you possibly have a link to the enclosure you have? I’d love to get the right set up. Unfortunately I read some misinformation on other sites that said open tops like the one I have now were okay. It’s okay though I’ve learned and will get the right setup as soon as possible. For now I’ll be building a green-house like top and taking the two doors off so I can achieve the proper humidity. I bought a thermostat for my heat emitter and it’s staying in the 80-85 range. Should I keep the heat on at night since it’s a hatching ? I read that is something needed too but it could have been misinformation . Anyway, thank you so much for the advice ! By the way, what a cutie! love your Tort.

Here's the link to the one i have you'll get roughly 2 years out of this size then you'll need to expand. Leave heat on 24/7 the thermostat will take care of it. Put your uv light on a 4 hr timer noon to 4pm, daylight bulb on a 12-14 hour timer. Thank you he is cute but also a little A-hole when you don't feed him on the same schedule every day and he gets all miley Cyrus wrecking ball with his enclosure decor.

APS(T12) - 48Lx24Dx24H - TERRESTRIAL/ARBOREAL

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