Penny the Redfoot tortoise

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jpo_tx113

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Three days ago I was given a female Redfoot tortoise. I am told that she is about one year old.

The tort came with a 20 gallon long tank and a lamp fixture, plus assorted odds and ends. I know that she will outgrow this enclosure sooner or later, and I plan on having something larger in the future and have already begun looking.

I'm not happy with the substrate and plan on replacing it soon. I've been reading up on what other people are using and have a few ideas of how I want to re-scape this tank.

I'm looking forward to learning what I can here on this forum. I'm including a few pictures of our new pet, who my daughter has named Penny. You'll see that most of the pics show her sitting in her water, which is currently in a glass candle lid (soon to be replaced).


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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/tom91970/Albums/Redfoot tortoise/DSC01221_zps3b700360.jpg
 

immayo

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Very cute! Be sure to keep your new little one's enclosure warm and humid! :)
 

Yvonne G

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Hi. Penny is very pretty. You are correct in assuming that you need to change the substrate. Penny needs something that you can keep moist.

Another thing, you won't know Penny's gender for a few years. She's way too young to sex yet, unless the breeder incubated the eggs for female.

I'd like to see you get a different waterer. The one you have is an accident waiting to happen. You need something with lower and sloping sides, like a plant saucer, and bury it down so she doesn't have to climb to get in.
 

wellington

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Congrats, she is a cutie. Along with the other great advice given, I would also get a flater food dish. A clay sauce or a piece of flat slate or rock works good and will help keep her beak trimmed. She has some pyramiding starting, get the humidity up and that should help. Plain dirt or coconut coir are both good choices for substrate, cypress mulch also.
 

RedfootsRule

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Can you tell us what the changes you are planning on making are, so it is easier for us to help you? I wouldn't want to tell you what to do when your already going to do it :).
 

jpo_tx113

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Thanks for all the comments. I have been planning to get a plant saucer for a water dish and will do so this weekend. I also had planned on burying it into the substrate.

Actually, even before receiving the comment about the feeding dish I had already taken it out and placed the food on a flat rock. The water and food dishes came with the tort.

Yes, it is almost impossible for me to keep the substrate moist. I'm positive what it is. Again, this was just given to me, and every thing you see came "as is".

Thanks for letting me know about the pyramiding. I did not realize this was already occurring. I plan on wrapping the mesh lid with foil in order to improve the humidity. I will be getting something to measure the humidity soon and will work on getting a higher level ASAP.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've had fish for years (currently six tanks, plus a 180 gallon that I take care of) but I'm in new, unexplored territory here.
 

mainey34

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What a cute little redfoot. Looks like you have aspen bedding in there i would try something else that will hold moisture. Thats probably why she likes climbing in the water dish. I would also give her good soakes daily. The hide and the rest of the logs and stuff you could utilize, with the exception of the water and food bowl. Try looking up redfoots at tortoiselibrary.com there is lots of info there...
 

jpo_tx113

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RedfootsRule said:
Can you tell us what the changes you are planning on making are, so it is easier for us to help you? I wouldn't want to tell you what to do when your already going to do it :).

First, I'm going to replace the substrate with some type of soil. I'm thinking about a layer of pea gravel, with some play sand on top of that. I'm not quite sure yet what will be on top...maybe sphagnum or something else. I know I need more moisture.

Of course, I'll bury a water dish in this...something easy to get in and out of.

While it is at it's current size I may move it into a 55 gallon aquarium. I may have a friend that will give me one, and if not, I have another friend that will sell me one for $50. I think sooner or later I will use a book case or something similar.

This weekend I might try to make a road trip and pick up a few things if I can find them: CHE, thermostat, thermometer, etc. If not, it's time to check out Amazon.

Please feel free to offer any suggestions. I have ideas, but they change as I learn more.
 

jpo_tx113

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mainey34 said:
What a cute little redfoot. Looks like you have aspen bedding in there i would try something else that will hold moisture. Thats probably why she likes climbing in the water dish. I would also give her good soakes daily. The hide and the rest of the logs and stuff you could utilize, with the exception of the water and food bowl. Try looking up redfoots at tortoiselibrary.com there is lots of info there...

Thanks. I thought it looked like aspen, but was not entirely sure.

I actually printed out most of what was on the website you mentioned earlier today. It's one of the best sites I've found so far.
 

jpo_tx113

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I have a question about the CHE. Since I currently have a 20g long what wattage would I need? Would a 100w be too much?

Also, if I get the 55g tank what wattage will I need?

I don't want it to be too cold or hot. Want to get it right the first time.
 

abclements

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As long as you have your che hooked up to a thermostat it cant really get too hot. I use a 150 for my 4X2 enclosure but i live in eastern wa. where its really cold all winter and its about perfect. So im thinking a 100 watt would be good for most places, especially in a 20 gallon.
 

jpo_tx113

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Thanks for the input regarding the CHE. I'm in East Texas, where the winters are usually quite mild and the summers are HOT. Half the time I run my AC in the winter.
 

RedFootMomma

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I use mulch for a substrate. It stays moist but not wet & is easy for my red foot to dig into under his log. Be careful to find something as close to organic as possible to avoid fertilizers and chemicals (like miracle grow, etc) I had read sand can cause impaction (?)
 

jpo_tx113

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I plan on using cypress mulch with some sphagnum moss. I'm not sure about sand causing impaction, though I guess it's possible. I've read on this forum and on other web sites where it was used.

Here's a short excerpt from Tortoisetrust.org:

"The substrate that we have found to be the most effective and safest by far consist of a mixed loam compost base mixed with varying amounts of soft (play) sand. This needs to be of sufficient depth, about 50mm or 2 inches is recommended as a minimum. Increase the proportion of sand for very arid habitat species (our Testudo kleinmanni have a 30/70 loam/sand mix, for example). Decrease the sand for more humid habitat species, to say 60/40 loam to sand for a Kinixys (Hingeback) tortoises or American box turtles (Terrapene sp.), for example, and mix in some fresh sphagnum moss, leaf litter mulch and similar moisture retaining additives."

However, I think at this point I'm leaning towards an organic topsoil. I want to be able to grow plants in the enclosure and need something the root systems will thrive in. Oh, and I agree about not using the Miracle Grow. I've had planted fish aquariums and have to avoid using any thing with fertilizers and chemicals.
 
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