New tortoise owner

Billy29

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Jul 31, 2017
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Hello everyone, I'm the new owner of a baby Red foot tortoise. I have experience with snakes, and currently own a Banana Pastel Ball Python , Mexican Black Kingsnake , and a Arizona Mountain Kingsnake.

Right now I have the tortoise in a 10 gallon tank but will build him a tortoise table once he gets bigger. Any advice that you may have I would appreciate and I have and continue to do a lot of reading.
 

wellington

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Hello and Welcome. A ten gallon is way too small for him now. A hatchling should have at the minimum a 2x4 foot enclosure. Please do not wait on giving him the proper care. A ten gallon is going to be too hard to even give him all the correct things he needs, food and water dish and a hide, let a lone walking room. Also impossible to get correct temps and humidity in such a small space. Read the care sheets under the species specific
 

Billy29

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I can get a big rubber maid bin for now. If that works ? Also for his adult home what wood should I build it out of? I am somewhat handy and I was thinking of doing something nice with cedar but I have to check if if it will bother him.

How can you tell if he's a boy or girl at this age?
 

Stuart S.

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@ZEROPILOT has a lot of experience with Redfoots.

Welcome and congratulations on your new baby, like they said above, try and find a bigger enclosure asap, humidity is crucial at this age and an open enclosure is hard to keep at the proper humidity/heat levels. Even if you could get your hands on a 30 gallon breeder tank for temporary purpose would suffice just fine. :) unfortunately it's still too early to determine if they're male or female yet.
 

Billy29

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What would be better right now?

Build a box
30 gallon breeder tank
Rubbermaid container
 

AmberD

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You could build a box the size you were going to once he's an adult and put a divider in it so it grows as he/she does. That way you don't have to keep switching enclosures. I agree, a 10 gallon is way to small and hard to keep temps and everything else you need. Also be aware redfoots do not require a hot basking area, just an ambient temp in the 80s (80-86) and humidity over 80% a closed chamber is easiest to achieve this. I would think cedar would give off too much aroma and oils. I know it can give small animals breathing problems. You could use plywood.
 

wellington

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For now the Rubbermaid would be the cheapest and fastest way to get him into a bigger enclosure. Then build the larger enclosure as mentioned above and section it off. Cedar is not good to use, plywood would be the best. Keep in mind that as an adult it will need a very large enclosure.
 

Billy29

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What is a safe way to hang the heat bulb and uv bulb over a plastic tote. Any ideas?
 

Alaskamike

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What is a safe way to hang the heat bulb and uv bulb over a plastic tote. Any ideas?
I once used 2x4 & made a tripod above the container. Kinda like a small saw horse. I made it high enough that I could hang the lamps so they were 24-28" above the substrata. Made 2 of them. Then I took a roll of plastic & covered over the wood. It made like a tent. I raised a few leopard tortoises this way till I made a wood one.

It held in humidity just fine.

Another possibility is to find a used bookcase , take out the shelves, turn it on its back. Build up the sides if you need to ( you can screw plexiglass to them so you can see in better. Then hang your lights & cover it with plexiglass. Makes a nice enclosure.

Good fortune to you :)
 
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