Advise on RF enclosure

Neris

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Joined
Dec 15, 2017
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
Calgary
Hello! We got a RF last year on November, and I have a few questions about our current enclosure and the tortoise itself. First, we have a mix of repti-bark (I believe this is the name) and peat moss. I would like to know how often should I replace the whole thing for new one and if the mix we're using is the right one. I keep adding bits of water here and there to keep moisture up (it ranges between 70-90%) and once a week I would actually take everything out of the enclosure and mix all the substrate up and re-arrange it back. We have a heat pad under the enclosure, and we put half of her "cave" on it and the other half is outside of the cave. The cave wasn't like this before, but she seem to look for the heat of it, specially at night, so we moved it a bit. That is were she sleeps. Temperature on the hot side is around 30C at day and 20C at night. We live in Calgary (Canada) so it's been challenging to get the temps and humidity at these levels.

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As for the tortoise (Leo), she/he (I think it's a she) had some very white skin spots in the head, they're gone now but I was wondering if it was shedding or if it was something else. Also, how often should I soak her? We do it twice a week for about 20 min.

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(Boy or Girl?)

She's about 500gr and about 5" long by 4" wide. I think she should be around 1 year old, but I really don't know. We feed her a mix (we change the mix everyday so she doesn't get bored!) of reptile pellets(from pet store), re-hydrated dried fruit pellets (from pet store), kale, cabbage and lettuces. She doesn't like cucumbers, carrots, bananas, mangoes and lately strawberries, but she loves raspberries. How often should we feed her fruits? We give her the reptile pellets everyday and the fruit pellets every other day. No protein, I tried with hardboiled eggs but she didn't like them.

Now that we're in Spring/Summer and temperatures outside range around 26-28C we're taking her out for about half an hour to our back yard so she can explore and move around. She always "speeds" toward the side were the grass is higher and I figure she's trying to hide as she's not used to the big opening. She hasn't eating any grass or flowers from the yard.

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Her behaviour has been constant since we got her, she eats twice a day, walks around, hides a lot in her cave.

Are we doing it right? Anything that needs to change? Advise is greatly appreciated.
 

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ascott

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Apple Valley, California
Hello! We got a RF last year on November, and I have a few questions about our current enclosure and the tortoise itself. First, we have a mix of repti-bark (I believe this is the name) and peat moss. I would like to know how often should I replace the whole thing for new one and if the mix we're using is the right one. I keep adding bits of water here and there to keep moisture up (it ranges between 70-90%) and once a week I would actually take everything out of the enclosure and mix all the substrate up and re-arrange it back. We have a heat pad under the enclosure, and we put half of her "cave" on it and the other half is outside of the cave. The cave wasn't like this before, but she seem to look for the heat of it, specially at night, so we moved it a bit. That is were she sleeps. Temperature on the hot side is around 30C at day and 20C at night. We live in Calgary (Canada) so it's been challenging to get the temps and humidity at these levels.

View attachment 240290

View attachment 240291

View attachment 240291

View attachment 240293

As for the tortoise (Leo), she/he (I think it's a she) had some very white skin spots in the head, they're gone now but I was wondering if it was shedding or if it was something else. Also, how often should I soak her? We do it twice a week for about 20 min.

View attachment 240297

View attachment 240298
(Boy or Girl?)

She's about 500gr and about 5" long by 4" wide. I think she should be around 1 year old, but I really don't know. We feed her a mix (we change the mix everyday so she doesn't get bored!) of reptile pellets(from pet store), re-hydrated dried fruit pellets (from pet store), kale, cabbage and lettuces. She doesn't like cucumbers, carrots, bananas, mangoes and lately strawberries, but she loves raspberries. How often should we feed her fruits? We give her the reptile pellets everyday and the fruit pellets every other day. No protein, I tried with hardboiled eggs but she didn't like them.

Now that we're in Spring/Summer and temperatures outside range around 26-28C we're taking her out for about half an hour to our back yard so she can explore and move around. She always "speeds" toward the side were the grass is higher and I figure she's trying to hide as she's not used to the big opening. She hasn't eating any grass or flowers from the yard.

View attachment 240295

View attachment 240296

Her behaviour has been constant since we got her, she eats twice a day, walks around, hides a lot in her cave.

Are we doing it right? Anything that needs to change? Advise is greatly appreciated.


Looks good ...sounds good and what a cutie....
 

Toddrickfl1

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They are definitely creatures of habit. Cute RF.
 

Toddrickfl1

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As for your substrate, I just spot clean all the poos I see. I've had my tort since January and I only changed my substrate once.
 

Maro2Bear

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Greetings... nice looking setup there for your RF in cold Calgary! Personally, i think your substrate looks great and theres no reason to change out or mix up as often as you have been. You can easily “spot clean” areas that might need it and add a few handfulls of fresh/new substrate. The only thing i like to do is sink the waterbowl level into the substrate so it’s easier for your guy to sink down into the bowl vice walking up into it.

There are lots of experienced RF owners here who can jump in on other questions.

Many will say to not use heat pads under enclosures, but others like you have found what works for you.

Soaking....again, nothing wrong with a nice daily soak.

Best of luck and keep on with the updates. Happy torting.
 

Neris

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Dec 15, 2017
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Calgary
Thanks all for the feedback!

My concern with the substrate is the pee, we pick up the poop everyday but the pee... and it’s been there for about 6 months now and I don’t know if she can get sick because of it.

Any guesses on the gender?
 

ZEROPILOT

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Sitting in wetness will cause shell fungus. Sitting in urine seems to increase that risk. Just swap out the substrate in the area(s) in question.
Also, your Redfoot looks female. Unfortunately at that size, most of them look female. So it's too early to tell.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Also, while I was figuring out how to get my RF closed chamber dialed in, I DID briefly use a heating pad under my tank to warm the substrate without adding more light. It worked until one day when I added water to the substrate, the water shattered the glass over the hot spot created by the pad.
Best to use a low wattage CHE for heat and a strip florescent for the UVB.
Most agree that it's best to warm from above.
 

Neris

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Calgary
Hello all.
I have another question. This morning Leo woke up super early, ate her breakfast and has been eating the substrate. She was chocking with one stick but we managed to take it out. She's been doing it all morning. What could it be? This is the first time we see her doing this, and it's been doing it almost all day.
 

daniellenc

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Hello all.
I have another question. This morning Leo woke up super early, ate her breakfast and has been eating the substrate. She was chocking with one stick but we managed to take it out. She's been doing it all morning. What could it be? This is the first time we see her doing this, and it's been doing it almost all day.
Weird my guy who never does this was just doing it!!
 

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