Red Foot named Quaid

DigBeatz

New Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
Our son has been asking for months for a Tortoise and we decided to go with the Red Foot due to its size and friendliness, curiousity, and also the interesting habitat you can build for these guys. I used to be heavily into freshwater aquariums and underwater plants, so I do have some understanding in this world, but I know this is way different. I used to be in a forum for my freshwater and found it very useful, so now I'm here, looking to bounce ideas and get advice off of other tortoise keepers!

We are in Los Angeles, where the humidity is low, so I knew I needed to build a box with plexiglass top and a humidifier. Right now, the enclosure stays around 70-80% humid and temperatures no lower than 72 degrees at night and as high as the mid 90s in the basking area. Im waiting on a heating element to install in the side of his hide that I will connect to a dimmer to regulate that area better. I'm hoping with that and the basking lamp, I should have good temps throughout.

For humidity, I installed pvc piping with holes under the substrate and that's connected to a cool mist humidifier you get at Target. I also spray down the enclosure a couple times a day. I do like the effect of the fog out of the soil, but I see this being a pain possibly with cleaning and flooding after long use, so I may switch and build a misting system.

Oh and his/her name is Quaid.

Questions as of now:

We have had him now for 5 days, and he has spent most of his time in the hide and is eating very little. I'm waiting on some Mazuri Tortoise pellets, but I'm also offering him all the usual greens for their diet and some fruit. Is there an adjustment period? Do they tend to hideout for a bit in new environments?

I have not yet purchased any supplement, because I first want to see what's in the Tortoise pellets I ordered and I also wanted to see what you guys have to say. What brand is liked by most for calcium supplements? How often? I've read that some believe Pyramiding is caused by over supplementing, so I just want to be careful.

Any thoughts, opinions (good or bad) are much appreciated! Here are some pics of our new family member!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SD3nnuHIZmzsnJ_a-dy3Hqo5r9ZWY76P
 

Tim Carlisle

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
2,560
Location (City and/or State)
Cincinnati, OH
Love the enlosure! Torts in generally don't take swiftly to changes in environment and will need an adjustment period before feeling safe. For a supplement, I use ReptiCal twice a week. Personally, I either host my own pics or use PhotoBucket.
 

DigBeatz

New Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
Thank you so much! It’s still a work in progress as you can see i need to mount the UVB lights and waiting on some more heat. I’d like to clean it out and paint with a proper coating for tortoises once it’s all set. [emoji51]
 

DigBeatz

New Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
Here’s an update! This is the 7th day with us and Quaid seems to be getting comfortable. Finally has begun to explore the enclosure more and even ate some of the hibiscus and also the Mazuri Tortoise food I’ve got.

Here’s a photo of he/she exploring the front yard and basking in some real sun earlier today.

IMG_5503.jpg
 
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