Redfoot tortoise aquarium

[tyler0912]

My redfoot tortoise is currently in a table but he is getting bigger now and it is very hard to keep in humidity evern with a clear cover over 3/4 of the table i was thinking an aquarium i not a Viv but an aquarium??...
Yes or no.....i think it would be better with a screen lid............do not discriminate me !
which gallon would be appropriate for a 6 inch redfoot!
Thank-you

 

[dmarcus]

I have no problem with using an aquarium, I used one for my hatchling Sulcata because it was easier for me to control the humidity and now that he is outside, I am using it for my hatchling box turtle's. I am unsure about the size aquarium you will need but I am sure it needs to be big..

 

[Kenny]

Aquariums don't hold humidity all that well unless yo get plexi-glass cut to sit on the lip.
If you're gonna go with an aquarium for a 6" red foot I wouldn't go less then 125 gallons.
You'd probably be better off building something. I keep my red foot in a vision tub, works very well.

 

[terryo]

My four year old Cherry Head is in a 125 gal tank. I have a screen cover on top with two heat emitters, one on each side, and a long tube 5.0 UVB in the middle. He has plenty of room and there are plants around and over his hide, which is a fake rock cut in half, and one nice size plant in the middle and some around his water dish, which is large enough for him to soak in. On top of the screen I have clear wrapping tape covering the part that the light isn't on, and on each side I have a plastic cover that I made. The humidity stays at 70 - 75 which is fine for an older RF. Inside the hide I have long fiber moss that I wet with hot water, and squeeze out and the humidity in there is in the high 80's all the time. I love aquariums for RF's, Box Turtles and any other reptile that needs humidity. It's so easy to maintain, and very east to mimic any environment that you want. He's outside for the Summer in a tortoise garden, and comes in for the Winter. If he doesn't get too big, this is what I'll be using for the Winters that he has to come in. Works fine for me. I have my little Cherry Head who is a year old in a 75 gal tank with just about the same set up.

 

[ascott]

very pretty TerryO.....

 

[Tropical Torts]

If you are going to use an aquarium rather than a tort table definitely model yours after TerryO's.

You could always add more space to your current set up as well as a few humid hide to help boost the humidity.

 

[Squirtle's Mother]

Terryo your set up is Beautiful!

My four year old Cherry Head is in a 125 gal tank. I have a screen cover on top with two heat emitters, one on each side, and a long tube 5.0 UVB in the middle. He has plenty of room and there are plants around and over his hide, which is a fake rock cut in half, and one nice size plant in the middle and some around his water dish, which is large enough for him to soak in. On top of the screen I have clear wrapping tape covering the part that the light isn't on, and on each side I have a plastic cover that I made. The humidity stays at 70 - 75 which is fine for an older RF. Inside the hide I have long fiber moss that I wet with hot water, and squeeze out and the humidity in there is in the high 80's all the time. I love aquariums for RF's, Box Turtles and any other reptile that needs humidity. It's so easy to maintain, and very east to mimic any environment that you want. He's outside for the Summer in a tortoise garden, and comes in for the Winter. If he doesn't get too big, this is what I'll be using for the Winters that he has to come in. Works fine for me. I have my little Cherry Head who is a year old in a 75 gal tank with just about the same set up.

 

[dmmj]

Most of us are jealous of terryo's set ups. Tyler I would suggest going with a vivarium instead, they usually have more space than an aquarium,

 

[tyler0912]

okay thankyou!

 

[Madkins007]

You could also rethink your humidity set-up. If you warm the soil itself and keep the bottom layers damp, the humidity rises past the tortoises all of the time, so no big deal if it does not collect around them.

 

[dabayliss]

We have our youngest two in an aquarium; we generally try to keep a square foot of space for an inch of tortoise. A sheet of plastic seems to keep the humity quite high (although this is Florida - so humidity is probably easier for us).

Everyone says that they don't like the clear glass - it confuses. Ours appear to love being in their hide looking out at everything going on - but then again most of ours don't seem to obey the 'red-foots are very shy' rules ....

This year I am trying the 'underground cable' idea of Madkins in the big pen (4x10) with 80% roof covering (all surfaces vinyl)- we will see.

David

 

[Redstrike]

Have you tried covering the entire top? I use some heat ropes in a bioactive substrate mix, I'm sure you're already familiar with this stuff, but here's where I gathered it from

Heat Ropes:
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Flexible-Heat-Ropes

Bioactive Substrate:
http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/substrates.html

I just posted new pictures of my final table/enclosure on the enclosure forum.