New to tortoises

[JIm Albert]

I just brought home a 2 month old cherry head. I currently have it in a zoo med tortoise house. Feeding daily spring mix and rep cal pellets daily. I am running a 100 watt heat lamp. I have repti-bark as a substrate and wet it down well 2 times per day. I keep a shallow water dish and change the water daily.

I don't know what sex the tortoise is. The guy that I got it from said that they are difficult to sex at such a young age. True?

I can't seem to keep the substrate moist. Should I soak it in water before putting it in the cage?

It spends most of the day asleep away from the heat lamp. Should I be concerned?

It doesn't seem to eat unless I place it in the food dish. How often should they want to eat and how much per session?

Sorry for all of the questions, but I want to make sure that I am starting off on the wrong foot. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. It is true that they can't be sexed until much older. RF need a high humidity with the top layer of substrate remaining dry, as they are prone to shell rot. Pour warm water into the corners to dampen the under layers. Please read the RF caresheets and also take a read through on the tortoiselibrary.com. It's one of our long time member site with great RF info

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jim, and welcome to the Forum!

Yes, at 2 months of age the tortoise is too small to sex.

RF tortoises do well with an overall temperature of about 80-85F degrees. There's no need for a warm side/cool side. Also, they like a humid environment. The way to keep your enclosure humid is to pour water over the substrate then stir it up with your hand to get it all evenly moist. With RF tortoises you want it moist underneath, but fairly dry on top, so misting isn't the way to go with them. To keep the warm, moist air inside, you will have to cover the enclosure. Here's one hokey way I cover my baby leopard tortoises' enclosure:




On this particular enclosure, I used one of these light stands:

I too off the hook and slipped a small PVC over that arm (the PVC extended across the length of the aquarium) then I could attach two light fixtures to the arm. I had a UVB light in one fixture and a Ceramic Heat Emitter in the other.

And, yes, that IS my kitchen table. Sh-hh--h-h-h-h! Don't tell anyone.

 

[DutchieAmanda]

Hi and welcome, congrats on your new redfoot!

Redfoots need a warm and humid environment, and the easiest way to do this is to close up your enclosure like Yvonne said. The Zoomed tortoise house will probably not do well with all this humidity, or did you cover up the wood with plastic? It will also be too small very soon...

If the temperature is OK it it still normal for your tort to sleep a lot. First, it is still a baby, and second, it still has to get used to his new surroundings.

You will need both a heat lamp (a ceramic heat emitter is recommended) and a source of UVB (do not buy a coiled bulb).

His diet could also use more variety. Redfoots eat many greens, but also some fruit and animal protein.

Enjoy your new friend!

 

[JIm Albert]

What would you recommend for a cage for now and future? I was thinking about a fishtank. I have a 29 gallon tank that I can get my hands on. Would that be good enough?

What do you recommend for a UVB? I have used the coiled bulbs for years with my panther chameleon.

 

[BILBO-03]

A 29 would be ok but it will outgrow it fast. I would recommend like a 50- 100 gallon tank or a custom enclosure it just needs to be a "closed chamber" oh and Welcome
To the forum!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Jim

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome!
No coiled lights are recommended for our tortoises as MANY of them have damaged tortoises eyes. Even blinded some.
Redfoot do need uvb but not high heat and they dislike bright lights.
I recommend a strip florescent lamp. A 5.0 Reptisun is what I use.
Any photos you can provide us will greatly help us in getting you going in the right direction.

 

[JIm Albert]

I bought a strip light for the UVB. I use that as my only light in the tank. I have a Ceramic element for heating. I put a fogger in the tank to get the humidity up. Struggling to keep it up without soaking the substrate. I think my tortoise is doing good so far.

Any comments or criticism is appreciated.

 

[THEELEG]

I bought a strip light for the UVB. I use that as my only light in the tank. I have a Ceramic element for heating. I put a fogger in the tank to get the humidity up. Struggling to keep it up without soaking the substrate. I think my tortoise is doing good so far.

Any comments or criticism is appreciated.

I'd get a digital scale, like 10$ at lowes/homedepot

 

[Big Ol Tortoise]

http://turtletary.com/northern.html

PLEASE READ THIS CARE SHEET

 

[Anyfoot]

I bought a strip light for the UVB. I use that as my only light in the tank. I have a Ceramic element for heating. I put a fogger in the tank to get the humidity up. Struggling to keep it up without soaking the substrate. I think my tortoise is doing good so far.

Any comments or criticism is appreciated.

Hi Jim. Some minor adjustments for you to consider,
Take out the orchid bark, put in a 2" thick layer of moist coir and then put the coir back in on top of the coir.
That hide is taking too much valuable room up and it's big for your tort at the moment, use 2 small plastic plant pots that your tort can just fit into, put one at each end of your enclosure half dug in on there edge with moss in both of them, also spread that moss from front to back on one side of the tank, I personally wouldn't have orchid bark under the moss area either, so he can dig right in to keep moist at night.
Change that food dish for a flat slate or rock, nothing worse than when you were sat at the dinner table as a child and your nose was only just level with the table.
Finally, it's too bright, if it's too bright your tort will hide away more than normal to feel safe. Black out the back and ends of your enclosure, whilst your at it you could do a black strip let's say 4" high along the front bottom too. I'm guessing your light is full length of your enclosure, get a florescent tube that is slightly smaller than the width of your tank and put it width ways at one end of your enclosure, put food dish near her too so your tort can see and absorb UVB when eating.
Aim for 82 to 86f and 80/90% through the the enclosure. Spray your torts Carapace every morning and evening to imitate dew.

I'm assuming there is a lid on this enclosure!

Can I see a close up of your tort please, looks nice.

 

[Anyfoot]

Hi Jim. Some minor adjustments for you to consider,
Take out the orchid bark, put in a 2" thick layer of moist coir and then put the coir back in on top of the coir.
That hide is taking too much valuable room up and it's big for your tort at the moment, use 2 small plastic plant pots that your tort can just fit into, put one at each end of your enclosure half dug in on there edge with moss in both of them, also spread that moss from front to back on one side of the tank, I personally wouldn't have orchid bark under the moss area either, so he can dig right in to keep moist at night.
Change that food dish for a flat slate or rock, nothing worse than when you were sat at the dinner table as a child and your nose was only just level with the table.
Finally, it's too bright, if it's too bright your tort will hide away more than normal to feel safe. Black out the back and ends of your enclosure, whilst your at it you could do a black strip let's say 4" high along the front bottom too. I'm guessing your light is full length of your enclosure, get a florescent tube that is slightly smaller than the width of your tank and put it width ways at one end of your enclosure, put food dish near her too so your tort can see and absorb UVB when eating.
Aim for 82 to 86f and 80/90% through the the enclosure. Spray your torts Carapace every morning and evening to imitate dew.

I'm assuming there is a lid on this enclosure!

Can I see a close up of your tort please, looks nice.

Meant to be 'put orchid back on top of coir'.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Meant to be 'put orchid back on top of coir'.

I use Orchid bark under potting soil. But for the same reason.
Because the lower layer takes in water and releases humidity and leaves the top layer relatively dry.

 

[JIm Albert]

I have an inch or so of coconut fiber at the bottom with an inch or so of the reptibark on the top. Under the reptibark, it is really wet. There is a typical fish tank lid on the enclosure which I have closed up further to keep the moisture in better.

I will get some slate for food.

My tort seems to like to look out of the cage. She spends a lot of the time out of the enclosure usually in the mist stream.

 

[JIm Albert]

I'd get a digital scale, like 10$ at lowes/homedepot

??

 

[ZEROPILOT]

??

Maybe he meant a digital thermometer/humidity gauge?
They are about $10 and I would agree. It will be a little money for one of the best items you'll ever buy for your tortoise.
The type of gauge that can be seen in your photo is little more than garbage IMO.

 

[JIm Albert]

Maybe he meant a digital thermometer/humidity gauge?
They are about $10 and I would agree. It will be a little money for one of the best items you'll ever buy for your tortoise.
The type of gauge that can be seen in your photo is little more than garbage IMO.

I have a hygrometer/thermostat that I have the fogger and heat emitter connected to. The other gauge is something that I had laying around.

 

[JIm Albert]

pictures close up

 

[Yvonne G]

Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like you may have some shell rot starting on that plastron. Clean it well then rub in some athlete foot cream - daily for a couple weeks.