This is our first red foot tortoise and I’m still learning but I am having some trouble with her enclosure. I have read the beginners guide on here but I’m just wanting to be sure. Our tortoise is about 3 inches so she is still tiny. Starting yesterday she just burrowed and really didn’t eat and same with today. The enclosure does have an open top but I did close off the one side. On the other side I have her UVB light on and then switch that out for her ceramic light. The enclosure stays at about 80 day or night but humidity wise I can only get it to 70 and it drops pretty fast. I do have reptisoil as her substrate and some moss in her hides. I’ve been told different things such as the humidity doesn’t have to stay at 70, to much moisture will give her RI or make her sick and more. What are some ways I can fix this? Do I need different lights? How do I make this a closed enclosure and she still gets oxygen, etc. Please help
New red foot need help with enclosure
- Thread starter HLG
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- Jul 16, 2014
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Firstly. Get rid of that moss. It's very dangerous.
Do not worry about oxygen in a closed chamber enclosure. We've never had a member who's tortoise suffocated.
The humidity dies indeed need to be over 70%. And with a closed chamber enclosure you can easily reach that and more and without the substrate being too wet.
Is your UVB light a T5 or a T8?
What is that other light in the dome? I'm thinking that it's drying up the enclosure and it's also too bright.
Redfoot eat anything and they eat a lot
Something is off
Do not worry about oxygen in a closed chamber enclosure. We've never had a member who's tortoise suffocated.
The humidity dies indeed need to be over 70%. And with a closed chamber enclosure you can easily reach that and more and without the substrate being too wet.
Is your UVB light a T5 or a T8?
What is that other light in the dome? I'm thinking that it's drying up the enclosure and it's also too bright.
Redfoot eat anything and they eat a lot
Something is off
The
The other light is her ceramic one which I use at night to keep the temp up. I’m actually not sure about the uvb I’ll have to check. It came with her when I got her. Which one should I have? Also how can I make this into a closed enclosure
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Hello!
1. You can cover the whole top with a plastic storage box or use an aluminium foil to cover area around light dome.
2. When enclosure is covered you humidity will rise and temperatures as well. So ceramic heat emitter should be used with a thermostat.
3. Humidity for red foots should be 80-90%. They won't get a RI if temperatures stay 82-84F day and night.
4. To maintain humidity pour some water in the enclosure corners to wet lower substrate layers. Top layer should stay dry to prevent shell rot. No need to use the humidifier.
5. Soil isn't the best option for substrate. Fine grade orchid (fir, not pine) bark or cypress mulch are better (less mess, don't mold and don't get muddy). You can get a bag of Reptibark or Forest floor and put it on top of soil.
6. Correct UVB lamps are straight long tubes. If the one you have is a MVB (mercury vapour bulb) - all-in-one lamp for UVB, heat and light, consider changing it: they are too drying for tortoise shells.
7. Start planning for a bigger enclosure. This glass tank will work for a hatchling. But a grown tortoise will need something like 6x8 or 8x8 feet (the more the better).
1. You can cover the whole top with a plastic storage box or use an aluminium foil to cover area around light dome.
2. When enclosure is covered you humidity will rise and temperatures as well. So ceramic heat emitter should be used with a thermostat.
3. Humidity for red foots should be 80-90%. They won't get a RI if temperatures stay 82-84F day and night.
4. To maintain humidity pour some water in the enclosure corners to wet lower substrate layers. Top layer should stay dry to prevent shell rot. No need to use the humidifier.
5. Soil isn't the best option for substrate. Fine grade orchid (fir, not pine) bark or cypress mulch are better (less mess, don't mold and don't get muddy). You can get a bag of Reptibark or Forest floor and put it on top of soil.
6. Correct UVB lamps are straight long tubes. If the one you have is a MVB (mercury vapour bulb) - all-in-one lamp for UVB, heat and light, consider changing it: they are too drying for tortoise shells.
7. Start planning for a bigger enclosure. This glass tank will work for a hatchling. But a grown tortoise will need something like 6x8 or 8x8 feet (the more the better).
mojo_1
Well-Known Member
I would get rid of the soil all together and just use the bark. The soil is going to have mold issues and you won't know it's happening if you have it covered with bark. Also make sure you don't have standing water, if you switch to all bark the lower layer just needs to be damp. I do it before putting it in the enclosure. Then when humidity drops below optimal and a cup of hot water in the corners. If enclosure is set up correctly it should take a long time before you need to add water.
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The UVB also does UVA so I think I need to switch to the other one you mentioned. Are these only in pet stores? Switching to the long tube UVB would mean I need to get another light for basking or do I just continue to use the ceramic? If I do need another can you please tell me which kind? I think where I’m getting hung up is I do t know where to put the lights if I enclose it.
So you would just use Repti bark as the substrate? How thick do you have it considering she does burrow some
I use a 6'x2.5 feet tortoise table completely covered with a mini greenhouse...my heat stays a steady 87-90 degrees w/ 85% humidity....here's a picture, you can't see in cuz of the humidity
there's a CHE at one end, a 65 watt incandescant black light bulb, and a chick brooder heat panel. With RedFoots it is absolutely necessary your tort lives in a closed high heat/humidity enviornment...here's one end you can see the heat panel and just some stuff laying around...
here's just another photo hoping to give you ideas...I changed out the pie plate for a paint roller pan. My tortoise is 6.5 inches...hth
there's a CHE at one end, a 65 watt incandescant black light bulb, and a chick brooder heat panel. With RedFoots it is absolutely necessary your tort lives in a closed high heat/humidity enviornment...here's one end you can see the heat panel and just some stuff laying around...
here's just another photo hoping to give you ideas...I changed out the pie plate for a paint roller pan. My tortoise is 6.5 inches...hth
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mojo_1
Well-Known Member
Yes I use all reptibark about 3" deep. When you get the bark it's best to bake it in the oven to kill off potential gnat problems.
Thank you for the picture. I think where I’m getting hung up is I’m not sure how to do the lights with covering it. What type of plastic is this that you have used? Also do you just have the UVB bulb instead of the long tube?
She had some bark before but yes there were gnats so I switched it out. How do you bake it? Temp and time?
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Almost any UVB lamp outputs as well some UVA and visible spectre light in some proportion. Mercury vapour bulbs also output significant amount of heat and infrared, which desiccates shell and causes pyramiding.
Here is a short outline for heating and lightning for redfoots:
1. T5 UVB tube. Smallest length is enough. Set on timer 3-4 hours a day around midday. I would opt for 10.0 or 12% marked lamps: as you place it on the mesh top and will probably upgrade the enclosure later (UVB level falls quick with distance and filtered by mesh). This one you have to get from pet stores or Amazon. Good quality lamps like ones made Arcadia should last several years.
2. LED strip lights for ambient lightning through the day (set on timer for 12 hours a day). Better to get cool day light (or neutral day light) - color temperature 5500-6500K. "Under cabinet lights" from a hardware store work fine. Don't get the brightest ones - redfoots aren't keen of bright light.
3. CHE or radiant heat panel - to provide ambient heating through day and night. Set on thermostat to 82-84F.
Redfoots don't need hot basking spots, but they enjoy some mild warm and lit places, especially in the morning.
1. What is glass tank height now? (to get an idea what UVB tube is suitable)
2. You can ask before ordering something as lightning and heating stuff is somewhat confusing.
mojo_1
Well-Known Member
I get the cheap throw away aluminum pans from the store and bake it for 30min to an hr at 250°-275° what i did when I replaced the bark was baked the lower layer last and when it was done sprayed some water in pan and mixed it up making sure it wasn't too wet then put it right in enclosure then top it with the upper layer you will have instant humidity.
The tank is 19 inches tall. Would the radiant panel then take the place of her ceramic bulb that I use for heating? I actually have a
The tank is 19 inches tall. I do have a small under tank heater for one of the corners but haven’t been turning it on. Would that take the place of the heat panel? Where is a good place to place the LED strips
Thank you so much
mojo_1
Well-Known Member
I would not use the under tank heater. The tortoise get heat from above not below. If they need to regulate their temperature your taking away the ability for them to burrow down to cool off.
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
19 inches is tall enough to safely mount 10-12% UVB lamp (marked as Desert, sometimes).
Also, there is no need to urgently replace a ceramic heater with a radiant heat panel (both are ceiling-mounted heaters). It would be better to get a thermostat (that's really a necessary thing).
UVB lamp and LED strips should be mounted close to each other, over one half of the enclosure. So tortoise can go back and forth between shade and bright lit area.
