New redfoot owner

[ustwoandthekids]

Hi I got my first redfood the other day he's 6yrs old and is lovely. He seems to be more active at night at the moment is this normal? I leave his basking light on at night as my house can get quite cool in the night but wondering if the light is keeping him awake? I've ordered a nightglow light which is a little lower wattage so there's a different between day and night. Also how high should the uvb light be? Thank you

 

[Millerlite]

Yeah he doesn't know it's night time if you have the light on all night... You should look into heat emitters heat pads or red bulbs for night. Also if he sleeps in the day can it be too hot? And the the cool night time with the light is a better temp? My redfoot comes out in the day and sleeps before sun goes down. All my tortoises are like this.

Kyle

 

[Millerlite]

Oh and a day and night cycle is very important do I would not leave the light on at night, if anything get a red bulb for now

 

[ustwoandthekids]

Thanks for advice. The temp under basking bulb is what it should be but cause he's quiet big the temp on his shell would be hotter then what I am measuring it when he's not under it would that make much differents? I've being leaving basking light on at night as that also what he's use to for previous ower but will get different bulb for night so he can tell different from day and night

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My Red footeds don't bask. The ambient temps must be warm. 75-90 degrees and it must be humid. At least 75%. And they need UVB. Either from being outdoors or from a UVB light. I use fluorescent 5.0 tubes. Basking bulbs are also very quickly able to drop humidity depending on what type of habitat he's in. You didn't describe your torts housing set-up.

 

[ustwoandthekids]

He's in a large tortoise table with Perspex sheets to keep humidity in, he's got a humid hide and a normal hide, 100watt basking bulb one end, Uvb 5% strip light. Topsoil substrate with some parts covered in sphagnum moss (thinking I should put a layer of moss all over?) big water dish for him to sit in

 

[tortdad]

Spag moss is for hatchlings, yours is big enough that you should be using mostly soil and cypress mulch. Use the spag moss in his hide. No UVB or basking light at night, your confusing the crap out of him. Get a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) they put out heat with zero light and place it on a thermostat set at 75-80 degrees. It will kick on and off as needed.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[ustwoandthekids]

Ok great thanks for the advice, I always turn off the uvb at night will get a CHE today and cypress mulch

 

[Redstrike]

Agreed, look into ceramic heat emitters and a thermostat. I started off with Zoo Med thermostats and they worked well but have recently switched to a Herpstat (Spider robotics) and love it. The Herpstat was not cheap, but you get what you pay for!

I'm not a huge fan of red heat bulbs.

 

[ustwoandthekids]

What bout a nighthglo bulb? They only let of very little light

 

[tortdad]

What bout a nighthglo bulb? They only let of very little light

I had one and My tort still was awake so Im pretty sure he could still see it. I love my CHE