I have two red-foot tortoises. I got them as hatchlings from a reputable breeder who has been very helpful with this very novice tort owner. I have a question about substrate. Currently, they are in a 40-gallon breeder tank, and there is coconut fiber as substrate from ZooMed - recommended by the breeder. I would like to switch over to cypress instead because it doesn't seem as "powdery." My little ones are about 3" long now, and they really burrow in the bedding. Will they be able to burrow like that in the cypress? They have a heat lamp on one side, UVB on the other (the "cool" side), a hide and some plants that also provide a "hide" area. They love those plants (artificial). I just got them a little "pond" which they ignore. The basking side is kept at between 90 and 100 degrees, and the "cool" side is between 80 and 90 degrees. I recently added a fogger which ensures humidity in the proper range (according to the temp/humidity monitor). They are eating Mazuri, peppers, flowers, Romaine and several other greens along with meal worms and grapes which they love. They have almost doubled in size in the past few months. So, will they be okay with the cypress over the coconut? I should also mention that they get a 20-minute soak in the kitchen sink every evening, and in the photo, they are eating their after-soak dinner on a dish cloth on the kitchen counter. LOL I love to watch them eat. They are always supervised until they are in their tank. Thanks, Karen
Substrate for Red Foots
- Thread starter kaycov
- Start date
I doubt you will stop them from burrowing, they seem to be programmed to do it. The find a place to hide and then dig down. We use fake plants too, but we put sphagnum moss under the plants, instead of the coconut fiber. It stays damp nicely and it doesn't make a mess when they dig in, then back out. The mulch will not stop them from digging in.
Great looking tortoises by the way! Hope this helps.
Great looking tortoises by the way! Hope this helps.
Yes, thank you, Jacksknight. With the fogger in the tank, the substrate stays moist all the way to the floor of and all over the tank. I do move it here and there to make sure all the substrate is moist. I like your idea of the moss, though. I'm learning as I go, and I want to do the best for them. I take them outside in the front yard (I am lying on the ground with them, LOL), and they head for the mulch in the garden and dig right in. They do seem to like the sunshine. I also found that they LOVE tuna. When I make a salad, they can smell it and will head right for it. Let me ask one more question, when can I sex them? I was told that one cannot sex these guys until about five years, yet I look on the 'net and see pix of the carapace. Are they too young? Thanks again, Karen
Thanks!
As far as i know to sex them they need to be 4 to 5 years old. The only way to do it now would to be a DNA test. We regularly take ours outside as well, they love to run around and dig in the yard. They eat the weeds they come across and go about biting and testing everything they find.
Such adorable little guys! 
You’ll find that people have varying substrate preferences, and many of us have tried all (or almost all) of them! I have an adult redfoot, and I am not familiar with the specific needs of hatchlings. All of my recommendations come from having a big guy, and hopefully one of the many experienced redfoot keepers will correct me if I say something incorrect! I know there is one member who has lost hatchlings because they ate a particular substrate and it became impacted, but I can’t recall details.
***Actually, as I’m proofreading this full post, I’m remembering several people mentioning hatchling specific needs. Rather than delete what I’ve written, please just take into account that the info might not apply to hatchlings. It would be great to get some experienced advice on hatchling substrate concerns. @Anyfoot, @Redfoot NERD, @ZEROPILOT, any thoughts?***
Currently my enclosure has several inches of coco coir, and then I have various sections of different top layers.
I hate the smell of reptibark (fir bark), but it does dry out quickly, so I find that it is a good choice for the drier areas of the habitat.
I’ve tried two pet branded cypress mulches (Zoo Med and Galapagos) and a cheaper hardware store kind. I definitely have a preference for the ZooMed and hardware mulches because the pieces are larger and there wasn’t a bunch of powder/dust in the bag. Since the pieces are larger, they do take a long time to dry out, and they can become completely saturated with overly enthusiastic spraying.
Jacksknight mentioned the sphagnum moss, and that stuff is awesome for helping with humidity! You can buy it various places. I’ve tried a small bag that was specifically labeled orchid moss as well as a much larger volume that I purchased on Amazon. The bulk moss had a lot of thorny strands that hurt as I was manually mixing the moss and water. I was able to remove them before I put in the enclosure, but ouch! The stuff labeled “Orchid Moss” was burr-free. A very important note- do NOT get peat moss! While this IS sphagnum moss, it’s ground up into a dirt-like state. I was very confused when I opened up my peat moss and found that! I don’t think there’s any issue with using the peat moss like you would coco coir, it just doesn’t serve the same purpose as the strand moss.
What I have learned is that no matter what top layer I put on, Libbon will dig, burrow, and mix until the top layer blends into the coco coir. It doesn’t take long!
You’ll find that people have varying substrate preferences, and many of us have tried all (or almost all) of them! I have an adult redfoot, and I am not familiar with the specific needs of hatchlings. All of my recommendations come from having a big guy, and hopefully one of the many experienced redfoot keepers will correct me if I say something incorrect! I know there is one member who has lost hatchlings because they ate a particular substrate and it became impacted, but I can’t recall details.
***Actually, as I’m proofreading this full post, I’m remembering several people mentioning hatchling specific needs. Rather than delete what I’ve written, please just take into account that the info might not apply to hatchlings. It would be great to get some experienced advice on hatchling substrate concerns. @Anyfoot, @Redfoot NERD, @ZEROPILOT, any thoughts?***
Currently my enclosure has several inches of coco coir, and then I have various sections of different top layers.
I hate the smell of reptibark (fir bark), but it does dry out quickly, so I find that it is a good choice for the drier areas of the habitat.
I’ve tried two pet branded cypress mulches (Zoo Med and Galapagos) and a cheaper hardware store kind. I definitely have a preference for the ZooMed and hardware mulches because the pieces are larger and there wasn’t a bunch of powder/dust in the bag. Since the pieces are larger, they do take a long time to dry out, and they can become completely saturated with overly enthusiastic spraying.
Jacksknight mentioned the sphagnum moss, and that stuff is awesome for helping with humidity! You can buy it various places. I’ve tried a small bag that was specifically labeled orchid moss as well as a much larger volume that I purchased on Amazon. The bulk moss had a lot of thorny strands that hurt as I was manually mixing the moss and water. I was able to remove them before I put in the enclosure, but ouch! The stuff labeled “Orchid Moss” was burr-free. A very important note- do NOT get peat moss! While this IS sphagnum moss, it’s ground up into a dirt-like state. I was very confused when I opened up my peat moss and found that! I don’t think there’s any issue with using the peat moss like you would coco coir, it just doesn’t serve the same purpose as the strand moss.
What I have learned is that no matter what top layer I put on, Libbon will dig, burrow, and mix until the top layer blends into the coco coir. It doesn’t take long!
I meant the humidity is NOT lacking. LOL
You are very welcomed Karen. Its best to have at max 88. How is your ventilation?
Here's a newbie's stupid question - "Ventilation?" Temp no higher than 88? (That's two questions, right?) One side of the tank is between 90 and 100, and the "cool" side of the tank is usually between 85 and 90 degrees. Some days they will bury in the cool side, and some days they will bury in the hot side. Many times I find them just about in the center of the tank by the edge. I think that when summer comes, and things get quite hot around here, I will raise the heat bulb a few inches and not have the heat so focused. Am looking very forward to my son's visit this summer when we can build them a nice enclosure for some outside time in the summer.
Thank you, Tammy J! I'm trying - learning as I go. I take them out each evening for their soak (for 20 minutes), and then I feed them on a towel on the counter. I love to watch them eat. I'm just amazed at how much they love fish. I had brought home some flounder (broiled) the other day from lunch, and they ate it all. Now I buy tuna in the envelopes (keeps for a longtime in the fridge). They just love it! I give them grapes, Romaine, turnip greens, Mazuri (which they love), yellow and red peppers (a favorite of my darker one) and then some freeze-dried flowers and fruits, etc. I also give them meal worms. I put a very small "pond" in the tank which I sunk to the level of the substrate. They rather ignore it. LOL Thanks again. But if you have any advice or suggestions, I'm all ears.Karen, if I was one of your tortoises, I would never complain about anything you are doing for me!Such caring, it's good to see!
ColaCarbonaria
Well-Known Member
They look great! Just go for 84-85 degrees, what you’ve got is a little hot. 85 high side 80 low side. As far as ventilation goes is there a screen top on the tank they’re in? If so cover it up with something, like plastic or heat tape or tin foil something to keep moist air in.
Thanks, ColaCarbonaria! It does, indeed, have a screen on top. I thread the hose for the fogger through the "door" on the top of the screen, and then I cover all of the screen except for directly under the heat bulb with a bath towel. I will raise the heat bulb right now and see if I can drop the temp a few degrees on the hot side. Thanks again.
Okay, I raised the heat lamp a few inches, and now the high side is about 85. Still learning. LOL
ColaCarbonaria
Well-Known Member
You’re doing great. We’re all still learning in some way or another, regardless of experience!
