akcoff

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Hi! I was hoping to get some insight and care tips for Redfoots. I purchased one today and have him in a large glass aquarium with coco coir substrate, a large shallow water dish, a dark and humid hideout, and I feed him mustard/collard/turnip greens mixed with ZOOmed tropical tortoise pellets, chopped yellow squash, zucchini and half a BlackBerry and a small piece of mango and tomato every 3 feedings. Also feed him pinkies (newborn pink mice) every 3 weeks to a month or so. He loves them. I have a UVB light and a ceramic heating lamp on either end. And the humidity stays between 50%-80% depending on the temperatures (70°F - 90 °F).
And tips or tricks I should know?
(Also the aquarium does not have a top for proper airflow and light penetration)
***would also love to know about how old he is. The store I bought him from didnt know for sure***

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crimson_lotus

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pretty redfoot :) the aquarium may not last long or might already be too small for him. you are better off going with cheaper alternatives like a plastic bin, or a grow tent.

I also wanted to let you know that the dark leafy greens you feed him are great in moderation, just do not overfeed. Those greens (mustard, turnip, collards) are high in oxalates and may cause stones if for some reason your tortoise is not properly hydrated. Just make sure you provide more variety. I usually skip a meal or offer something like a cucumber or romaine lettuce occasionally (little nutritional value). In the wild, they would not find great meals daily.

It sounds like you do not have a UV strip light, but something compact. Would you please share what you are using? you might want to move the CHE to the middle of the tank because redfoots dont really need hot/cool ends. they prefer ambient temps throughout (80ish). hopefully your temp isnt going into the low 70's - if so, please boost it up a bit.
 

akcoff

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Mar 7, 2020
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Arkansas
pretty redfoot :) the aquarium may not last long or might already be too small for him. you are better off going with cheaper alternatives like a plastic bin, or a grow tent.

I also wanted to let you know that the dark leafy greens you feed him are great in moderation, just do not overfeed. Those greens (mustard, turnip, collards) are high in oxalates and may cause stones if for some reason your tortoise is not properly hydrated. Just make sure you provide more variety. I usually skip a meal or offer something like a cucumber or romaine lettuce occasionally (little nutritional value). In the wild, they would not find great meals daily.

It sounds like you do not have a UV strip light, but something compact. Would you please share what you are using? you might want to move the CHE to the middle of the tank because redfoots dont really need hot/cool ends. they prefer ambient temps throughout (80ish). hopefully your temp isnt going into the low 70's - if so, please boost it up a bit.
Thank you! Tips are greatly appreciated and noted.
I'm using ZOOmed compact CHE and same brand and style, but a UVB lamp. I was told that UVB is very important for digestion and calcium processing, I I made sure to get one. Would a regular UV strip do the trick as well? And if I were to use a UV strip would I still keep the CHE or the UVB lamp?
And the temps are on average 70-80. He has a basking point at 90. Is that too high or unnecessary? I've only owned Sulcatas in the past, so this is my first time with a more temperate or tropical tort, haha.
Do you have any links or recommendations on what to feed him regularly?
 

KarenSoCal

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(Also the aquarium does not have a top for proper airflow and light penetration)

I don't know where you learned this. Pet stores are notorious for giving out bad advice about tortoises, mostly because they have no idea how to care for them.

Redfoot live in rain forests under a canopy made by the tree tops. They get dappled sun, rain every day, and it's hot and muggy.

When we keep them in our enclosures, we have to try to mimic their natural surroundings as much as possible. They hate bright light, need to be warm, and require high humidity all the time.

In your aquarium, you are going to find out that it is impossible to maintain the temp and humidity required by your tortoise. It will all just go up and out into the room he's in. Redfoot are also different from other torts in that they don't bask, and like their home to be a bit dim.

You need a closed chamber type enclosure. I just wrote this on another thread...please read this post to learn how to do this...


Then, we have 2 care sheets for you to read, specifically for redfoot.



You are using the wrong type of UVB. The compact bulbs are unreliable re' how much UVB they actually put out. Plus they focus the light into a spot type light, which redfoot don't tolerate. Actually, if you can get your tort outside in a safe enclosure for an hour 2 or 3 times a week for most of the year, you don't need indoor UVB at all. He would be fine if there was a couple weeks you couldn't get him out at all.

This will keep you busy for a while ? When you're ready, come back and we'll help you get everything making sense. Don't feel overwhelmed...we're going to help you. It would have been better if you had come to us before you brought your tort home, but it's never too late to start getting things right.
 

crimson_lotus

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Thank you! Tips are greatly appreciated and noted.
I'm using ZOOmed compact CHE and same brand and style, but a UVB lamp. I was told that UVB is very important for digestion and calcium processing, I I made sure to get one. Would a regular UV strip do the trick as well? And if I were to use a UV strip would I still keep the CHE or the UVB lamp?
And the temps are on average 70-80. He has a basking point at 90. Is that too high or unnecessary? I've only owned Sulcatas in the past, so this is my first time with a more temperate or tropical tort, haha.
Do you have any links or recommendations on what to feed him regularly?

Karen provided some great advice to you, but I just wanted to directly answer your questions:

yes, replace the UV compact bulb and replace it with a UV tube. Keep the CHE which only emits heat as you will need it to keep your temperatures high. You are absolutely right that UV is very important for calcium absorption, it's just that we often see eye problems and, like Karen said, there are some output issues on the compact bulbs specifically.

to find out which tube to buy you can go here: https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/medium-uv-species/

enter "redfoot tortoise" and the recommended bulb will pop up. I suggest arcadia brand because they seem to last significantly longer than others.

for food variety you might have more options than I do in the Northeast, but if you are struggling to find things at the store don't forget about dried plants. my tortoise LOVES hibiscus leaves and flowers in the summer, and in the winter I have them dried to sprinkle on grocery store greens.

Here is a resource for which foods your tort can/cannot eat: https://www.google.com/search?q=tor...199j0i10i30.3603j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

care sheet: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-tortoise-care-sheet.175319/

food list: https://tortoiselibrary.com/nutrition-2/good-foods-list/ but remember, everything in moderation!

last week my tortoise had a thanksgiving dinner/leftovers of turkey, broccoli, and butternut squash, followed by lettuce. this week she has mixed greens and endive with dried mulberry and hibiscus leaves to top. I feed fruits every 5 days, the last one she had was mango.
 

akcoff

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Arkansas
Karen provided some great advice to you, but I just wanted to directly answer your questions:

yes, replace the UV compact bulb and replace it with a UV tube. Keep the CHE which only emits heat as you will need it to keep your temperatures high. You are absolutely right that UV is very important for calcium absorption, it's just that we often see eye problems and, like Karen said, there are some output issues on the compact bulbs specifically.

to find out which tube to buy you can go here: https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/medium-uv-species/

enter "redfoot tortoise" and the recommended bulb will pop up. I suggest arcadia brand because they seem to last significantly longer than others.

for food variety you might have more options than I do in the Northeast, but if you are struggling to find things at the store don't forget about dried plants. my tortoise LOVES hibiscus leaves and flowers in the summer, and in the winter I have them dried to sprinkle on grocery store greens.

Here is a resource for which foods your tort can/cannot eat: https://www.google.com/search?q=tor...199j0i10i30.3603j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

care sheet: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-tortoise-care-sheet.175319/

food list: https://tortoiselibrary.com/nutrition-2/good-foods-list/ but remember, everything in moderation!

last week my tortoise had a thanksgiving dinner/leftovers of turkey, broccoli, and butternut squash, followed by lettuce. this week she has mixed greens and endive with dried mulberry and hibiscus leaves to top. I feed fruits every 5 days, the last one she had was mango.
Thank you guys so much!
 

TammyJ

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Welcome to you and your lovely little redfoot tort.
They LOVE opuntia spineless cactus pads and it's very, very good for them!
 

ArmadilloPup

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Do you know where to get them?

For not online: when I lived near that area, I could find cactus pads for cooking in the "whole food" or "exotic" sections in some supermarkets. They're not in big box stores around here, but I can still find them in the little Mexican supermarkets that have produce. I'm also guilty of buying the little box from the fridge at Petco and the quality of that was okay, but it's already diced so it goes bad more quickly.
 

pawsplus

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Redfoot live in rain forests under a canopy made by the tree tops. They get dappled sun, rain every day, and it's hot and muggy.

They don't, though. Yellowfoots do. Redfoots are tortoises of the edges. They are usually found on the outskirts of forests, in the grassier, shrubbier area. This has been documented by, among others, the Vinkes.
 
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