No activity since we changed countries

Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
After we moved here to Alabama my RF King was having problems adjusting, he still does and its been over 5 months already. In these 5 months he hasn't eaten properly, just a nibble of his food occasionally and he stays in the house area of his new enclosure (a shaded dark area separated from the bigger part of the enclosure. I soak him every 2 days for about 20 minutes and he drinks water then but when hes in his enclosure he doesnt seem to move at all. I put the UV light in the bigger part of the enclosure so that he could walk around but all he does is sleep all day, and when I try to put it directly on him he just runs away from it and goes to the darker side of the enclosure. Before it started to get really cold (about late October over here) He used to go outside everyday and he would walk around for about 1-2 hours, he still didn't eat then but at least he was still active. I don't know if I've made the situation clear enough but hopefully someone on the forum could understand... I put a link to his enclosure and his UV lamps check images if it helps :)
I feed him fruits like berries, mango, apple, and grapes (the other day he ate a piece of my banana but I read that they're bad for tortoises so I didn't feed him much). I also feed him lettuces, carrots, and tomato. It is mixed with Mazuri.

If there is any way i could take him outside in this temperatures please let me know (like if I could buy him tiny sweaters or something)
- I have 2 UV lamps in his enclosure, one of them only emits UVB and the other emits UVB and heat, but I can't find the link to the heating one.
Tortoise Hutch
UVB lamp (1)
Heating Mat
 

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
There are a few things that could be causing the issue.
could you please provide pictures of your enclosure?
What are your enclosure temps? Day ambient, night ambient, or any hot spots? What about the coolest part of the enclosure?

1. Compact UVB bulbs, such as the one you are using, are known to cause eye burns and are ineffective at producing UVB. In addition, you are using a 10.0 bulb for a tropical species that is stressed by light. You need to be using a 5.0 horizontal tube fluorescent. Turn off the one you have until you are able to purchase one.

2. A similar issue is happening with your heat bulb. Assuming it is actually producing UVB, you may be exposing your tortoise to too much of it. The light is again an issue, with Redfoots thriving in warm, damp, and more dim enclosures. Heat lamps also produce a hot spot that is desiccating on your Tortoise’s shell, and it’s much better to have a stable ambient between 81-86 degrees with no hot spot. You should be using a radiant heat panel or a ceramic heat emitter with something like a hide or decoration blocking the area below it.

3. You should not be using a heat mat. They don’t do much for ambient temps, and assuming it’s not on a thermostat, it can easily burn your tortoise. Tortoises absorb heat from above.

4. The enclosure you are using is unsuitable for humid species. It’s open topped, letting all of the heat and moisture escape, and made of wood, meaning that it will rot with humidity. Temporarily you can completely cover the top with foil or plastic wrap, but long term you need to be using some sort of large closed chamber enclosure. You may consider buying a 4 foot long Christmas tree tub if your tortoise is still relatively small.

5. Your diet needs a lot of work. Lettuces lack fiber, and tomatoes are too acidic to take up a large portion of a Tortoise’s diet. I suggest checking the guides in the redfoot subforum.

Be sure to check out the care guides that the forum has to offer in the redfoot subforum :)
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
39
Location (City and/or State)
Mexico City
Thank you! I can spray the whole enclosure with waterproof sealant, will that work? His enclosure is pretty basic for now, I am waiting for the accessories in his last enclosure to arrive from Mexico since we moved, so his enclosure just has his water and food bowl for the time being. I spray down the soil with hot water every hour to keep the humidity at around 72. His sleeping area is at 74 with the heat pad (Its under a layer on glass I bought from Home Depot) and the heat from the other UVB bulb keeps the outdoor area hot. Thank you for updating me on his diet, I will feed him whatever the guide says and hopefully he will recover from there :( I can always call the neighborhood handy man to make some modifications on the enclosure (like removing the lid and replacing it with glass) if it helps. I've been using this UV bulb for almost 11 months now because petco recommended it but I didn't know it was burning his eyes! Thank you for telling me, I will change them out tomorrow.

Happy Birthday!
 
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