Winston’s first home

[aqualungs]

Hey guys, I’m glad to have found a forum dedicated for Tortoises, live info, and friends. I have been reading a lot and I admit my research started on YouTube. I had the typical cement mixer setup that you see in certain places. My research mostly consisted of which type to get, a Hermanns or Cherryhead.
I ordered a Cherry head with the advice that they exist between the humid regions and dry regions, and I would like him/her to stay outdoors during our wam Ohio months. I researched this on Tortoise library and confirmed them as Eastern/Brazilian Redfoot Tortoises. I also read about their higher humidity needs, and the need for a more closed environment vs the open top and mist a bit here and there.. especially with hatchlings.
I ended up covering areas with pieces of shower curtain, and styrofoam panels,until I could take my time and design a better roomier structure. This has helped immensely with holding heat. I can get my humidity to 80-90% but it drops over a few hours to 40-50%.
I read about keeping the top substrate dry. Pouring a small amount of warm water in the corners seems to help keep it at 50% and make sure it’s not sopping or there isn’t any mold etc... Ive been only trying to mist one side 2-3x a day, and keeping the 3 piles of sphagnum moist. I have read the care faqs on here and that should help and will reread them again.
I have a 60W CHE on a rheostat. Ive mostly been measuring the hot spot which I reduced with a clay pot under it, to get the ambient heat temps up and a desirable hot spot of 91-94. The cool side is at 77 degrees which I’m sure needs to bee 80? I am currently sealing up spots with foil to hold more humidity and heat. I will update on that.
I have a 22” T5 5.0 uvb bulb. I have a Herpstat and would like to integrate it into my setup to get more consistent temps if possible.. I also have good heatmats that go under tubs, that I use for bugs and my Leopard gecko. I can’t remember the brand off hand. Anyhoo here’s some pics of Winston (so far dubbed) and his setup. He comes from Kamp Kenan in Jupiter, FL.
Also I am soaking in the morning 15 min daily and then offering food. He pooped, and ate this morning and he arrived yesterday. Thanks up front for all the help. I’m open to any suggestions and improvements.

 

[aqualungs]

 

[aqualungs]

 

[aqualungs]

 

[aqualungs]

Good news is I was able to get the ambient temp on the cool side to 80. Amazing what a 1” gap along the tank can do.. I’m waiting for my other ot EMP/humidity orp so I can leave one on the cool side and the hot side to make things easier.

What should my nighttime temps drop to 80-85?

 

[EllieMay]

Great improv and adorable baby!!!

 

[aqualungs]

Great improv and adorable baby!!!

Thank you. Looks like I have the heat locked down. Waiting on my new temp/humidity orp. I don’t think the humidity reading on my current one is working right. If it’s correct, I’m having a hard time locking down some humidity. Should I switch to coco coir? I have some.. I’ve read here and there that it’s also better than this fir bark for their muscles etc. I can always soak it tonight, and change out the during soak time tomorrow. I need to do even more reading tonight. Thanks again

 

[aqualungs]

I put a nice 2” layer of coco coir and then put a layer of bark over it. Seems to be helping the humidity. Also got a couple little plants. I know one is a pothos, but what is this one? Lowes didn’t have names on them. [emoji2959] I would like to put one in the enclosure and one outside. Thanks for the help!

Plant?

 

[aqualungs]

Winston is doing awesome. He is getting his warm morning baths daily, and is staring to feel more comfortable and bolder. Today after his bath he was pretty active, and pretty hungry. It was nice to see him out of his shell attacking a branch of spring mix. We’ve been misting his carapace a few times and keeping the Sphagnum moss damp. I’ve been able to keep the humidity at a constant 50% and getting it up to 80..
So I started building a Turtle table today and am ordering one of those vinyl greenhouse canopies. The dimensions are 2’Wx4’Lx11”H and will last him at least 2 years.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CBB7G0I/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
Here’s where I got to tonight. My back hurts lol. The walls will be 1x12 pine panels. Just have to cut them and mount em. Have 2 sheets of 2x4 plywood for the bottoms. As you can see I made a shelf underneath. Have Kilz for the interior, 100% silicone, and a shower curtain for a liner. Gonna finish it up with a dark grey poly stain on the exterior.

 

[aqualungs]

Coming along

 

[aqualungs]

All done. I added and need another coat of Kilz on the inside, and a coat of polyurethane on the out side.

 

[Yvonne G]

I love reading new members who are so tuned in to what their new baby needs. You're doing a great job. You asked about a night time drop in temperature. I don't keep RF tortoise babies, but on my other baby species I don't allow the night time temp to drop below 80F.

 

[aqualungs]

I love reading new members who are so tuned in to what their new baby needs. You're doing a great job. You asked about a night time drop in temperature. I don't keep RF tortoise babies, but on my other baby species I don't allow the night time temp to drop below 80F.

Thanks! Perfect I set the nighttime thermostat to 80 after reading the care faq. Initial info is not good on these guys, but it wouldn’t have discouraged my decision. I would just be better prepared. I admit I had a mini panic attack when I learned more about the high humidity needs of hatchlings. Thank god I found this forum. I work from home so I have time on breaks to give extra care. I’m hoping to have the new home up and running this weekend maybe sooner. I’m adding casters too. This will make things easier. I can setup up then break down the old habitat.

 

[aqualungs]

Got every together, and Winston received a nice smooth transition into the new home after a bath and some mango.
The enclosure is 2’x4’. It has stayed 89-90 degrees with a 100 watt CHE at the warm end and 80 at the cool end. The humidity has stayed at a constant 80%, with 0 misting. Winston got some great exercise going back-and-forth into the warm area to heat up, and into the cool area to cool down. I love watching him look around. So we went from never seeing him, and burrowed constantly, to him moving around and being out in the open. This proves the amount of humidity they need and how much happier it makes them. Also they are very stimulated and curious about colors.
All the plants were stripped of soil, rinsed, on the safe list, and repotted in coco coir. These plants are not reachable and are temporary. I also grabbed petunia, pansy, nasturtiums, and snapdragon seeds and potted them. As well as a 8” round disc of cat grass. These will all be safe and fert free to eat after they grow out, as well as provide color stimulation. I will have lighting directly under the enclosure and will rotate out plants so they get plenty of light and growth. [emoji39]
This is very exciting for both me and my wife. I was barely allowed to care for him today, because my wife needed to lol. I already have plans for a bigger enclosure, but in the meantime I am building a better dome with plexi for better viewing and entry into the enclosure. Design plans are in the works.
This will eventually become a desert enclosure for another baby tortoise, after I build a bigger enclosure for Winston when he outgrows this one. In the meantime pictures!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Looking nice. Lidl has very similar pop-up greenhouses on sale now in our area. I kept thinking SOMEONE has to use on of these for an enclosure. Looks great.

 

[aqualungs]

Looking nice. Lidl has very similar pop-up greenhouses on sale now in our area. I kept thinking SOMEONE has to use on of these for an enclosure. Looks great.

Thanks! The top is gettin g some precipitate, so it is definitely keeping that precious humidity in. I just want to be able to see in better. At least this will the needs temporarily and give me the time to carefully design a dome with doors.

 

[aqualungs]

Well I’m keeping an even balanced 80% humidity on both sides. Sometimes it goes a little higher. I’ve only been misting the heated area where the coir starts to look dried. This has been work out awesome.
The only issue, if it’s an issue is at night it’s been so cold the cool side dropped to 72 but the warm side I keep heated and it stayed 82-83. Is this ok? I am building a dome with. Fixture on the cool side to keep it at 80 in these instances. I have another temp/humidity monitor and probe for the ambient area coming so I have 4 monitors. Thanks guys!

 

[aqualungs]

I noticed there were hardly any Winston pics.

 

[Lyn W]

I put a nice 2” layer of coco coir and then put a layer of bark over it. Seems to be helping the humidity. Also got a couple little plants. I know one is a pothos, but what is this one? Lowes didn’t have names on them. [emoji2959] I would like to put one in the enclosure and one outside. Thanks for the help!

Plant?View attachment 265596

I don't know what the plant is but you could check www.thetortoisetable.org.uk for tort safe plants.
Also as they are shop bought plants they will have been grown with fertilisers and pesticides.
So you need to repot them in chemical free soils and allow at least a year for any chemicals that may have been absorbed by the plant to grow out.
If you can, grow your own from seeds or from cuttings from plants you know haven't been treated in any way.
If you grow them in trays or pots you can sink those into the substrate and then just replace the whole thing if they get eaten or bulldozed.

 

[aqualungs]

I don't know what the plant is but you could check www.thetortoisetable.org.uk for tort safe plants.
Also as they are shop bought plants they will have been grown with fertilisers and pesticides.
So you need to repot them in chemical free soils and allow at least a year for any chemicals that may have been absorbed by the plant to grow out.
If you can, grow your own from seeds or from cuttings from plants you know haven't been treated in any way.
If you grow them in trays or pots you can sink those into the substrate and then just replace the whole thing if they get eaten or bulldozed.

Yes that one was never identified on Tortoise Table, or put in the enclosure. I planted a bunch of seeds that are edible when grown and stripped the plants in the current enclosure of all soil and washed the roots. They are out of reach until the seeds I planted grow. I ordered prickly pear pads and a bare root hibiscus cutting to plant and sit in front of my big window. Cat grass seeds are sprouting. .