Soft shell? Unsure?

[Lucysawyer1991]

Hi everyone!
I’m new to the forum! And has been lift saver for last month in preparing myself for when I got myself a Redfoot! I’ve had the little guy for just over a week and I wanted some advice?
I brought Steve (maybe stevie) not sure if girl or boy…. Just over a week ago I exspected first couple days bit shy didn’t come out to have food unless helped but after Steve got over those few days been fine see his routine wake up, eat, bathe and sleep and repeat and has got appetite! But 2nd time I’ve gave him a bath first time my husband did I noticed his shell underneath is a bit soft and I do apologise now question had proberbly been asked loads! Wernt sure if it’s calcium deficiency or shell fungi/rot? Or him being very young? As lady said he’s 2021 hatching but again pet store prob not 100% sure.I got Steve from a pet store in the uk I’ll attach a pic the first one of his enclosure I noticed lights were very high up and the ground looked slightly damp. My enclosure is 4ft by 3ft and about 1/12 foot high I know when he grows I will have to get a bigger one his enclosure he had coco soil mixed with forest coco bark and moss here and there with t5 light and basking heat lamp his humidity is between 80-85% and temps in heat spot 30-31c will attach pics of my little guys and I’m sorry again for the essay! 🫣 Thankyou so much again in advance!

 

[wellington]

When you can remove all moss. It can cause entanglement inside and out.
The humidity does need to be high, but do this by dampening the substrate below leaving the top layer dry. Pouring warm water into the corners usually will do this.
Tortoises bottom shell does have a slight give but should be very slight and you should have to push harder than you would have too if it's an overly soft shell. From what I can tell from the one pic that shows the plastron/bottom shell, everything looks good.

 

[Lucysawyer1991]

When you can remove all moss. It can cause entanglement inside and out.
The humidity does need to be high, but do this by dampening the substrate below leaving the top layer dry. Pouring warm water into the corners usually will do this.
Tortoises bottom shell does have a slight give but should be very slight and you should have to push harder than you would have too if it's an overly soft shell. From what I can tell from the one pic that shows the plastron/bottom shell, everything looks good

Thankyou! I have done this morning pour little warm water in corners! Hope don’t mind me asking silly questions as always get mixed answers… should have no moss at all in enclosure? To help with climbing etc should I had more coco chippings just so it’s not a flat floor? Have also brought today cuttle bone as well incase calcium’s deficiency? Just wernt sure on age as lady didn’t seem sure if Steve was soft from being young? But I’ve only pressed slightly and is like firm soft? Thankyou!

 

[wellington]

No moss at all. It can tangle around limbs and if they eat it, even by mistake, it can tangle their insides.
I would put orchid bark over the coir. This will give a dryer top layer while the coir is moistened.
What is the diet? What kind of uvb bulb?
It's so hard to tell if the soft is okay when we can't feel for ourselves. I would guess a firm soft sounds more normal then if it felt more like a mushy soft.
Maybe @ZEROPILOT can help more with diet and age.

 

[Lucysawyer1991]

No moss at all. It can tangle around limbs and if they eat it, even by mistake, it can tangle their insides.
I would put orchid bark over the coir. This will give a dryer top layer while the coir is moistened.
What is the diet? What kind of uvb bulb?
It's so hard to tell if the soft is okay when we can't feel for ourselves. I would guess a firm soft sounds more normal then if it felt more like a mushy soft.
Maybe @ZEROPILOT can help more with diet and age.

Thankyou! Will do that tonight get rid of the moss and change and put more bark in! It is more of a firm soft if that makes sense? I just wanted to double check to be sure! Since I’ve had him the past week been giving him a lot of dandelion leaves tried a bit of the flower had tiny bit of grated carrot and tiny bit of park Choi and water cress but mainly dandelion leaves as they seem to go! Then dusting of calci dust so far! I have today put in cuttle bone but Steve just looked at it? Might take a while.. for lighting got T5 for uvb lighting then a 40w basking light! It doesn’t surprise me if he’s not had great start from a pet store as he was with a lot bigger Redfoot and asked the lady how old is that tortoise and she said around 21-22years old… so unless that tortoise managed to grab all the food? Has got few hiding spaces too! Again had loads mixed opinions and Thankyou for everyone’s advice helps me loads! What would u recommend for when Steve borrows? Again been miss from pet store and substrate? Just want to make sure has good start! Thankyou!

 

[wellington]

Redfoot can eat fruit and needs protein. Add fruit and boiled egg to the diet too.
RF don't really bask often, but do like plant cover. Find some established tort safe plants if you can to plant either in its enclosure or in pots then set in his enclosure to make him feel safer and more comfortable.
Yes, very sad how bad pet stores treat their animals. Steve should not had been with any larger then him and tortoises should never be kept in pairs.
When you get a chance to revisit that pet store, let them know the correct way to care for RF.

 

[wellington]

Oh and if you can add some plants, Steve will likely want to burrow under them.

 

[zolasmum]

Welcome - what a little sweetie Steve is ! Please do keep coming to this forum for advice, rather than pet shops or Facebook or anywhere else - you will get help from people who really know what they are talking about , and you can trust them.
Angie (from Devon)

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Can you photograph your "T5" light so that we can determine that it is a UVB light?
Your tort will need a correct diet and UVB to absorb calcium D3 and have a strong bone structure as he grows. It's extremely important for such a young tortoise.
The moss is gone? Excellent.
What is your humidity?
What is your ambient temperature and how are you measuring these?
Is the enclosure enclosed to hold in humidity?
What are you feeding?
Forgive me if you've already been over some or all of these points. I've been on and off the forum for the last 48 hours.

 

[Lucysawyer1991]

Can you photograph your "T5" light so that we can determine that it is a UVB light?
Your tort will need a correct diet and UVB to absorb calcium D3 and have a strong bone structure as he grows. It's extremely important for such a young tortoise.
The moss is gone? Excellent.
What is your humidity?
What is your ambient temperature and how are you measuring these?
Is the enclosure enclosed to hold in humidity?
What are you feeding?
Forgive me if you've already been over some or all of these points. I've been on and off the forum for the last 48 hours.

hi!
ill attach photos of how ive been measuring his humidity and his hot spot temp!
Yes i have removed all his moss and added bit more bark chippings where the moss was.. if anything encouraged steve to borrow alot more! he literally disappeared last night under it all!
My enclosure is the vivexotic so enclosed with sliding doors with ventilation at the back!
For the past week ive been feeding him alot of dandelion leaves (his favourite so far) had tiny bit of grated carrot and tiny bit of pak choi has also tried dandelion flower! today i have done similiar with as much green leaves but also made boiled egg too! i have from yesterday put in a cuttle bone to to help if it is a calcium problem!
I know when i picked him up from pet store he was in with another redfoot twice his size and does make me think did the other redfoot get alot of food? and they where in with a day gecko too?? and which didnt suprise me being pet store the lighting was atleast 4-5ft above which makes me think did he got much light? so hoping steve is alot happier now! and glad found this forum! had done bit of reseach before getting steve but very back and forth and im used to keeping a chameleon which soon as heat lamp comes on its like a switch to be active lol thankyou again for everyones advice helps loads! also guna go plant shopping today which would be best reccommend? again sorry for essay just wernt 100% sure on his shell underneath!

 

[Lucysawyer1991]

hi!
ill attach photos of how ive been measuring his humidity and his hot spot temp!
Yes i have removed all his moss and added bit more bark chippings where the moss was.. if anything encouraged steve to borrow alot more! he literally disappeared last night under it all!
My enclosure is the vivexotic so enclosed with sliding doors with ventilation at the back!
For the past week ive been feeding him alot of dandelion leaves (his favourite so far) had tiny bit of grated carrot and tiny bit of pak choi has also tried dandelion flower! today i have done similiar with as much green leaves but also made boiled egg too! i have from yesterday put in a cuttle bone to to help if it is a calcium problem!
I know when i picked him up from pet store he was in with another redfoot twice his size and does make me think did the other redfoot get alot of food? and they where in with a day gecko too?? and which didnt suprise me being pet store the lighting was atleast 4-5ft above which makes me think did he got much light? so hoping steve is alot happier now! and glad found this forum! had done bit of reseach before getting steve but very back and forth and im used to keeping a chameleon which soon as heat lamp comes on its like a switch to be active lol thankyou again for everyones advice helps loads! also guna go plant shopping today which would be best reccommend? again sorry for essay just wernt 100% sure on his shell underneath!

Sorry wernt sure if photos came up properly?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'm unable to view most of that at the moment. But what I do see looks good.
Are you aware that Redfoot can eat fruit?
They have evolved to be able to process sugars and can have a diet of 60% fruit.
They can also eat just about any fresh, raw and unprocessed food that you and your family are eating. Including animal protein. Hundreds of items. Get creative and mix it up. A Redfoots diet shouldn't be boring and should have variety. They are food vacuuming machines.
My Redfoot live outdoors 24/7 and they've eaten birds, rats, snakes and lizards. (All on their own) That Gecko is very lucky he didn't become lunch.

 

[Lucysawyer1991]

I'm unable to view most of that at the moment. But what I do see looks good.
Are you aware that Redfoot can eat fruit?
They have evolved to be able to process sugars and can have a diet of 60% fruit.
They can also eat just about any fresh, raw and unprocessed food that you and your family are eating. Including animal protein. Hundreds of items. Get creative and mix it up. A Redfoots diet shouldn't be boring and should have variety. They are food vacuuming machines.
My Redfoot live outdoors 24/7 and they've eaten birds, rats, snakes and lizards. (All on their own) That Gecko is very lucky he didn't become lunch.

Thankyou! That’s really good to know! Again had people keep saying limit a lot of things and mainly only leafy greens! I knew about Redfoot needing protein just didn’t realise that gecko could have been a meal! Thankyou again! Such massive help don’t suppose you have a list with food etc u went by? No worries if not! And will be having more colourful meal tomorrow!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Variety
Get creative

 

[zolasmum]

I have just noticed the water dish in one of your first photos -the sides look a bit high, and Steve might fall in and flip over, or just be unable to get out. A shallow terra-cotta plant saucer - the sort that go under plant pots - would be safer, and you can push it into the substrate so the rim is low enough for him just to walk in. The terra-cotta ones have a slightly non-slip surface, which is best for him - not plastic. You can get them easily from garden centres etc.
Angie

 

[Lucysawyer1991]

I have just noticed the water dish in one of your first photos -the sides look a bit high, and Steve might fall in and flip over, or just be unable to get out. A shallow terra-cotta plant saucer - the sort that go under plant pots - would be safer, and you can push it into the substrate so the rim is low enough for him just to walk in. The terra-cotta ones have a slightly non-slip surface, which is best for him - not plastic. You can get them easily from garden centres etc.
Angie

Hi no Thankyou for saying! It is a terra cotta plant dish! But I have done it now so it’s more level with Steve’s substrate but was thinking as still feel like a bit of a dip about putting big flat stones in it so it’s not such a dip to get in for him? Just were seen some pictures of people doing it? But will try find more shallow one! Thankyou!

 

[zolasmum]

Hi no Thankyou for saying! It is a terra cotta plant dish! But I have done it now so it’s more level with Steve’s substrate but was thinking as still feel like a bit of a dip about putting big flat stones in it so it’s not such a dip to get in for him? Just were seen some pictures of people doing it? But will try find more shallow one! Thankyou!

I think ideally one which is more like a saucer , without a rim round the outside edge, would be best -see what you can find. Or flat stones inside would do, like you described - as long as they were rough surfaced.
Angie