Littleredfootbigredheart
Active Member
Aw lovely enclosure! I’d struggle to apply your exact heat style in ours as it’s a completely different style set up, but I love seeing how different folks keep their red foots, thanks for sharing😊
CHE wattage
- Thread starter Littleredfootbigredheart
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Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Yes, you have anything to get started. We will figure out how to set things up. Maybe we are just overthinking. Maggie has a fairly simple enclosure and one of the happiest redfoots here
If Squirt tends to drop dead at random places, put a shady cover over the hot-spots or a hide and that's all.
Strive for this
Littleredfootbigredheart
Active Member
Bless you, so glad I have you guys on this journey haha😂yeah there’s a good chance I’m overthinking, I tend to do that lol, I’m sure we’ll get this right for her eventually. I’ll hold off on bulbs and another thermostat for now till we have a better idea of how what we currently have will work like in there.Yes, you have anything to get started. We will figure out how to set things up. Maybe we are just overthinking. Maggie has a fairly simple enclosure and one of the happiest redfoots here
If Squirt tends to drop dead at random places, put a shady cover over the hot-spots or a hide and that's all.
Thanks for the hide tip! I’ll definitely be checking for hot spots with temp gun and work out where to place some faux floor plants or a hide, she can be a madam for bumping light weight hides out of place though, so I’d have to see how we can manage that😂fingers crossed there won’t be any dangerous spots! Just conscious of her constantly being in an 84 area every night and what effect that could have? I’d love it if she kept to her cool end for the night but obviously won’t be able to control that😕 hence I’m wondering if it’s worth mimicking the night drop in the warm end, would be a bit of a pain adjusting the thermostat every night though😣
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
I would not bother with "night drops".
Honestly, I can't see a reason why it might be essential. They use burrows and muddy puddles to thermoregulate. At the night time, it's mostly to keep temperatures constant, not to cool down.
The only reason I can think of - is to get some condensate and morning dew over shell. Which require higher temperature difference than what they have in the wild. And in tropical forest there are easier ways to get wet.
An easy idea for a shady place - is to get a plastic stool (or "seat and kneel" thingy), push it to the wall and put some flower pots (or faux plants + weight) on top.
Honestly, I can't see a reason why it might be essential. They use burrows and muddy puddles to thermoregulate. At the night time, it's mostly to keep temperatures constant, not to cool down.
The only reason I can think of - is to get some condensate and morning dew over shell. Which require higher temperature difference than what they have in the wild. And in tropical forest there are easier ways to get wet.
An easy idea for a shady place - is to get a plastic stool (or "seat and kneel" thingy), push it to the wall and put some flower pots (or faux plants + weight) on top.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Active Member
Yeah fair enough that does all make sense, her owner has always raised her having a night drop so I can see why he’s reluctant, it’s nerve racking trying new methods but hopefully we can reassure one another along the way, I definitely get nervous when I see him get worried about it😂
Omg that’s such a good idea for the shady area!! Thank you for that suggestion!!😃
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Night drops are working for the mediterranean and desert species - the water is usually scarse there and they make use of any water drop they can find. But I've never heard about night drops for tropical species. I wish someone can enlighten me why we need them. Maybe the Squirt's owner have an explanation...
You'll be surprised how many cool things for tortoises can be found in hardware stores and garden centers Greenhouse tops, cheap substrate, thermostats, brooder heat panels, lamp fixtures and, of course, terracotta saucers, to name a few...
You'll be surprised how many cool things for tortoises can be found in hardware stores and garden centers
Greenhouse tops, cheap substrate, thermostats, brooder heat panels, lamp fixtures and, of course, terracotta saucers, to name a few...
Littleredfootbigredheart
Active Member
When I’ve asked him about it he said he’s always been told every kind of tortoise needs to allow their body to cool down slightly at night or their bodily functions won’t work properly, when looking into her natural climate, the temps do technically drop slightly(sometimes barely changing at all), on the odd occasion a more drastic drop(not crazy but more than a few degrees)so to his credit I think he’s just always tried to mimic as close to the real thing as possible, I wouldve definitely done the same as him based on that information, I totally get why the thought of a constant 80+ is scary, I myself am getting paranoid by it to be honest, and it makes me want to go with the slight drops cause I can’t force her to her cool end every night lol!Night drops are working for the mediterranean and desert species - the water is usually scarse there and they make use of any water drop they can find. But I've never heard about night drops for tropical species. I wish someone can enlighten me why we need them. Maybe the Squirt's owner have an explanation...
You'll be surprised how many cool things for tortoises can be found in hardware stores and garden centers
However as many folks have pointed out here, when it comes to captive tropical care we get to play ‘god’, so I guess why not keep them at optimal temps they’re clearly happy in, I guess when it comes to the wild, just because those drops do happen on occasion, doesn’t mean the torts are suddenly like ‘oh yay a slightly cooler night, we needed this😂’ I think in any climate, wildlife have to battle it to some extent, even if it’s small? Ultimately when it comes to them in our care, I’m presuming, as long as you’re providing a slightly cooler end, and some shady spots for them to choose from, they’re just happy self regulating, my concern moving forward is the fact she obviously won’t be self regulating if she decides to keep falling asleep in different spots in her warmer end🥲 I don’t know what the effects of that could be? which then makes me nervous😂making me think I should be suggesting turning down the two bulbs at night slightly? I wish the night and day thermostats had better reviews😣
Sorry for that ramble!🥲yea I’m definitely trying to look more into the diy side of things for hides now cause I think they’ll be both cheaper and hopefully better! Win win haha
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
I think, if they can find a place with a stable temperature in the wild - they will use it. Many of tortoises burrow since underground temps do not fluctuate much. I need to look for the ground temps in tropical species habitats, I suspect they are even more stable than air temperatures.
You need to trust your tortoise more If she falls asleep on the warm side, she might know what she's doing. However, she doesn't expect that her shell will get burned by a CHE. That's the issue you can address and fix (either by using mild heat sources such as heat panels or by providing a cover over the hot spots).
You need to trust your tortoise more
If she falls asleep on the warm side, she might know what she's doing. However, she doesn't expect that her shell will get burned by a CHE. That's the issue you can address and fix (either by using mild heat sources such as heat panels or by providing a cover over the hot spots).
Littleredfootbigredheart
Active Member
That’s exactly how I see things, but sometimes I question myself, especially when I see so many other owners who do mimic that drop with their red foots, that and people who we’ve had chime in in person who tell us if we don’t let her drop at night we’ll cook her😣it seems to me like an unnecessary risk to take with a species that has such high humidity requirements, and many agree? but idk it’s a tricky one😕I think, if they can find a place with a stable temperature in the wild - they will use it. Many of tortoises burrow since underground temps do not fluctuate much. I need to look for the ground temps in tropical species habitats, I suspect they are even more stable than air temperatures.
You need to trust your tortoise more
Yeah definitely you’re right, if that 150 throws out too much heat causing a hot spot, we’ll switch to 100
