A few questions

[Traveller]

Well it's been a little over 2 weeks since we brought home our little
redfoot baby and all I can say it's been enjoyable to say the least.
I still haven't settled on a name yet, had decided on Dozer but threw
that out, just didn't seem to have much class to it.
Anyway I have a few questions.
How often does everyone change the sphagnum moss out?
I have been scooping the bm's when I can find them but I'm sure this stuff eventually goes sour?

Concerning growth, I've been weighing our baby roughly every week, don't want to stress her too much, but she's gone from 54g to 63g in 2 weeks. Gaining about 4-5 g a week, does this sound ok for this ageor tort? She's about 3 and a half months old. I prepare a good 3 tablespoons of greens and she eats about 1/2 to 3/4.

Feeding wise she loves the greens but not to crazy about her fruit. The morning after her fruit feed she seems to be starving and lunges into her vegies. Is it ok that she's hardly eating any friut? I've given her apple, pear, mango, pineapple and strawberries.
Had a fecal done at the vets and it came back neg.
Thanks for reading any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Neohippy]

My little tort didn't do the fruit thing either... at first.
When I introduced Woodrow to canteloupe however, he turned into a savage fruit killing machine.
Maybe your tort just needs to find something it likes first before it get's really into the sugar high's fruit can offer. The same thing also happened with protein for my torts, loved the greens, but would not touch protein... until they got a taste of shrimp that is...

 

[lezsolt]

About growth: my redfoot baby grew from 38g to 56g in 7 weeks (its SCL grew from 59mm to 71mm). He is 12 weeks old now.

 

[Madkins007]

Growth- sounds OK. Try to keep it slow and avoid wide growth lines.

Moss- I can usually get almost 6 months out of mine under the young guys.

Fruit- don't sweat it. In fact, the new book by Vinke "South American Tortoises" makes a great and well-researched argument that typical grocery store fruit IS NOT that healthy for Red-foots, and in fact, more hay, leaves, and grasses would be better for them.

Make sure it is getting a calciumhosphorous ratio of about 2:1; is getting variety in the food (greens, grasses, veggies, a little fruit, a little meat); and is not getting overfed; and and you'll be OK

 

[Candy]

I just got through changing out Dale's moss after about 3 months. I started noticing little bugs and I couldn't stand it. Anyway no more bugs so Dale and I am happier now (actually I think Dale would have liked to eat the bugs). Dale's favorite all time fruit is KIWI. He goes crazy over it, blueberries is another favorite (I like to try to only buy organic for him). The blueberries I buy frozen and then thaw when needed. The kiwi I buy fresh. Right now I'm trying to get him to eat something other than mushrooms. Everytime I put veggies in there he goes right for the mushrooms and leaves the rest. I had to stop giving them to him.

 

[Traveller]

Thanks for all the replies.
I feel better that I'm actually on the right track.
I'll keep trying a variety of foods. I had totally forgotten about them eating mushrooms.
As far as the fruit goes I had heard that also, but more because our fruit nowadays is so heavily loaded with chemicals. Strawberries especially.
One of our hibiscus trees just put out it's last flower. I've been waiting to prune it so I'll be feeding the flower to the tort this morning, aphids and all .
When does everyone start feeding protein?
Sorry that's another question.
Cheers and thanks again.