New red foot need help with enclosure

[mojo_1]

How often do you change it out

The bark? If you spot clean and don't have standing water or gnats you should be able to go for roughly 6 months or till it stinks from the tort peeing in there. You can clean,rinse,dry and reuse the bark too.

 

[Maggie3fan]

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?

It was a minigreen house kit...I just fit it over a tort table...and as far as lights go...I was taught that RF live on the forest floor, they do not need UVB light...my RF has a che and a black light bulb for heat, I don't have any light in there. He is right across from the window so he has light, just not uvb. My animals spend all spring, summer and fall outside...He will be close enuf to go swimmig in the pond and he has his own enclosure where is can be outside yet he is safe from predators...

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

To avoid confusion with UVB and Redfoots:
1. Yes, they have lower requirements for UVB than many other species.
2. They still need some UVB to produce vitamin D3 and absorb calcium. They can obtain some D3 from their diet, but it's not sufficient.
3. They don't live on deep forest floor without sunshine. The yellowfooted are the true "shade dwellers". Redfoots inhabit forest edges and savannah, yet they prefer dense vegetation and avoid bright direct sunlight.
4. When living outdoors most of the time, tortoises can cope with some weeks or even months without UVB. But with young tortoises I would prefer to provide UVB all year round.

If I've messed with the facts - please, correct me...

 

[HLG]

The bark? If you spot clean and don't have standing water or gnats you should be able to go for roughly 6 months or till it stinks from the tort peeing in there. You can clean,rinse,dry and reuse the bark too.

Great thank you

To avoid confusion with UVB and Redfoots:
1. Yes, they have lower requirements for UVB than many other species.
2. They still need some UVB to produce vitamin D3 and absorb calcium. They can obtain some D3 from their diet, but it's not sufficient.
3. They don't live on deep forest floor without sunshine. The yellowfooted are the true "shade dwellers". Redfoots inhabit forest edges and savannah, yet they prefer dense vegetation and avoid bright direct sunlight.
4. When living outdoors most of the time, tortoises can cope with some weeks or even months without UVB. But with young tortoises I would prefer to provide UVB all year round.

If I've messed with the facts - please, correct me...

Would this work?

 

[mojo_1]

Great thank you

Would this work?

That doesn't provide much UVB most of us use the ZooMed 10% or Arcadia 12% T5 bulb they provide UVB long in the sense that the strength fades over time.

 

[HLG]

That doesn't provide much UVB most of us use the ZooMed 10% or Arcadia 12% T5 bulb they provide UVB long in the sense that the strength fades over time.

I couldn’t find a kit that had the bulb and fixture. Do you typically grab them on Amazon

 

[HLG]

I couldn’t find a kit that had the bulb and fixture. Do you typically grab them on Amazon

I need both

 

[HLG]

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 humidityView attachment 364854
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...
View attachment 364855
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 View attachment 364856

I also wanted to ask how you keep your humidity up with the green house? Do you just pour water in the corners as needed

 

[mojo_1]

I need both

This for a 4x2x2 enclosure
Arcadia 584504 Pro T5 UVB Kit 24W Desert with D3+ 12% Reptile Tube, Approx. 57.5 x 6 x 4.5 cm https://a.co/d/ibD188a

This for 6' or 8' enclosure
Arcadia 584505 Pro T5 UVB Kit 39W Desert with D3+ 12% Reptile Tube, Approx. 87.4 x 6 x 4.5 cm https://a.co/d/5EtvxpC

And this to get the distance correct for proper Uvb rays

Solarmeter Model 6.5R Reptile UV Index Meter, Handheld Digital Radiometer for Measuring Ultraviolet Light, Measures 280-400 nm with Range from 0-199.9 UV Index, Made in USA, ABS Polymer, Black https://a.co/d/5DZKsYR

 

[Maggie3fan]

I also wanted to ask how you keep your humidity up with the green house? Do you just pour water in the corners as needed

I pour water over the whole substrate. The top will dry some, but I pour water about every 3-4 days. I keep a paint roller pan for him to soak in and the substrat is damp...

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Great thank you

Would this work?

This ShadeDweller ProT5 Kit is a fixture for T5 lamps and special low brightness T5 lamp. So, yes it would work, but you need to mount it under the mesh, about 12 inches over the tortoise. If you already have this one and can't return - it will work fine for a couple of years. I use this type of lamp in my enclosure (it's just 1.5 ft tall, so I didn't have much options).

 

[HLG]

This for a 4x2x2 enclosure
Arcadia 584504 Pro T5 UVB Kit 24W Desert with D3+ 12% Reptile Tube, Approx. 57.5 x 6 x 4.5 cm https://a.co/d/ibD188a

This for 6' or 8' enclosure
Arcadia 584505 Pro T5 UVB Kit 39W Desert with D3+ 12% Reptile Tube, Approx. 87.4 x 6 x 4.5 cm https://a.co/d/5EtvxpC

And this to get the distance correct for proper Uvb rays

Solarmeter Model 6.5R Reptile UV Index Meter, Handheld Digital Radiometer for Measuring Ultraviolet Light, Measures 280-400 nm with Range from 0-199.9 UV Index, Made in USA, ABS Polymer, Black https://a.co/d/5DZKsYR

Thank you so much!

This for a 4x2x2 enclosure
Arcadia 584504 Pro T5 UVB Kit 24W Desert with D3+ 12% Reptile Tube, Approx. 57.5 x 6 x 4.5 cm https://a.co/d/ibD188a

This for 6' or 8' enclosure
Arcadia 584505 Pro T5 UVB Kit 39W Desert with D3+ 12% Reptile Tube, Approx. 87.4 x 6 x 4.5 cm https://a.co/d/5EtvxpC

And this to get the distance correct for proper Uvb rays

Solarmeter Model 6.5R Reptile UV Index Meter, Handheld Digital Radiometer for Measuring Ultraviolet Light, Measures 280-400 nm with Range from 0-199.9 UV Index, Made in USA, ABS Polymer, Black https://a.co/d/5DZKsYR

Thank you so much! Lastly what is the proper reading for the solar meter? I would look it up but I seem to be not getting the best answers

 

[HLG]

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much! Lastly what is the proper reading for the solar meter? I would look it up but I seem to be not getting the best answers

This ShadeDweller ProT5 Kit is a fixture for T5 lamps and special low brightness T5 lamp. So, yes it would work, but you need to mount it under the mesh, about 12 inches over the tortoise. If you already have this one and can't return - it will work fine for a couple of years. I use this type of lamp in my enclosure (it's just 1.5 ft tall, so I didn't have much options).

I did end up returning it they have a different one that is 12% UVB but it says high output so I wasn’t sure if it would work. It is 110-112v . The o other one that someone suggested just had the T5 on it not the HO T5

 

[mojo_1]

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much! Lastly what is the proper reading for the solar meter? I would look it up but I seem to be not getting the best answers

The meter will tell you on it. But a redfoot is a zone 2 which is 1.0 to 3.0

 

[mojo_1]

Yes that's the right one for 12%

 

[HLG]

The meter will tell you on it. But a redfoot is a zone 2 which is 1.0 to 3.0View attachment 364904

Thank you

 

[HLG]

Yes that's the right one for 12%

Thank you! I just wasn’t sure since it said high output

 

[HLG]

I pour water over the whole substrate. The top will dry some, but I pour water about every 3-4 days. I keep a paint roller pan for him to soak in and the substrat is damp...

I took your advice and found a mini green house. I changed the substrate out to Repti bark and I have a CHE on one side. My enclosure is only 2 1/2 ft. My heat and humidity went up right away. My heat is just above 90 and my humidity is just about 75. I’m hoping the humidity will continue to go up. I’m not sure if I should move my disks that tell me the temp and humidity?

 

[mojo_1]

I took your advice and found a mini green house. I changed the substrate out to Repti bark and I have a CHE on one side. My enclosure is only 2 1/2 ft. My heat and humidity went up right away. My heat is just above 90 and my humidity is just about 75. I’m hoping the humidity will continue to go up. I’m not sure if I should move my disks that tell me the temp and humidity?

The temp and humidity gauges should be at tortoise shell height. And the analog disc type are inaccurate. You want the heat to be 80-84°, 90° is to hot.

 

[HLG]

The temp and humidity gauges should be at tortoise shell height. And the analog disc type are inaccurate. You want the heat to be 80-84°, 90° is to hot.