Redfoot Shopping List

[Champagne21]

I am going to be purchasing my first baby Redfoot tortoise shortly, and I was wondering if somebody could put together a list of items I should purchase and set up BEFORE buying the tortoise, I am already constructing a tortoise table so I would just need a list of required items to have it running for a single baby redfoot. Thank you!

 

[kadyskepr]

So my suggestions would be:
Sphagnum moss or another kind of substrate, a water dish (I prefer a tera cotta saucer sunken into the substrate), a piece of slate (used to bask on and to be fed on so that their nails and beaks are trimmed), something to use as a hide, a UV light (preferably not coiled as it causes eye problems), a basking light, a humidity and temperature gauge, possibly a humidifer, and of course foods! I can't think of anything else, lol.

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[abclements]

What kind of tortoise table are you constructing? If I were to build something, I would make sure it's a closed chamber. It really makes it easy to control the humidity that a red foot loves! The only thing I would add to the list is a couple pieces of slate, 1 for basking and 1 for feeding.

 

[Champagne21]

What's the difference between a UV light and a basking light? And what bulbs would you guys recommend getting and how many?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: Redfoot Shopping List

What's the difference between a UV light and a basking light? And what bulbs would you guys recommend getting and how many?

The point of a basking light is to create a high temperature spot. It varies for different species but give or take is around 95F. This allows a tortoise the ability to heat up which aids digestion. Or they can move away from the light to cool down.

The point of a UV light is to provide ultra violet rays so the tort can make vitamin D. They need to make vitamin D so they can metabolize the calcium they eat. Calcium makes strong bones and shells.

Some bulbs can do a combo of basking and UV. Some people use 2 different sources.

I like to use regular bulbs for basking (cheap and readily available) and would use a tube florescent UV bulb to help light the entire enclosure.

Heather
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[abclements]

Some red foot keepers don't even use a basking spot because their tort just doesn't use it and its wasting energy. I went that route a couple months ago. I just use a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat to regulate temperature, and keep the whole closed chamber at a nice 83 degrees. Some parts closer to the che are slightly warmer but not much. Then I use the florescent uvb tube lights made by zoomed for lighting and that's on a timer.

 

[TommyZ]

As ABC said above me, my RF never seems to bask, though, some folks say theirs does. I use a powersun bulb (mvb) as a heat source, and it also provides UV, so it does two jobs. Although a few do, most folks ive seen say their RF doesnt bask, so to save you $$ and time, id probably just get a powerson bulb and kill two birds with one stone. Biggest concern and difficulty i had when i first started was keeping humidity up, and temps gradient, id invest in a thermometer and hygrometer right away, perhaps a temp gun too.

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