Baby Red Foot Tortoise Help

[Delilah1623]

I know it is scary at first and it feels like you're doing everything wrong but you'll get it! Once you get it set up and working properly it becomes so easy and you'll be able to enjoy your baby more. Plus the people here are wonderful so don't be afraid to ask questions and you will get a lot of good answers. (=

I have a baby cherry head and I am in WI. I have him in a 40 gallon breeder with a glass top. I think you need to cover the top with glass or aluminum foil. There is no way to keep the humidity high enough with a screen top.

I have a 100 watt black heat bulb and a 18" UVB bulb. The 100 watt bulb keeps the warm end around 98 and the cool end around 80. I also have a filter bag for fish tanks filled with sphagnum moss that hangs on the side of the tank that I mist heavily twice a day, ugly but it helps a lot! My humidity rarely falls below 80%.

Here are a couple pics of my set up.

 

[crabby-J]

Ok so I changed his enclosure a few weeks ago to a bin, I'm using ceramic heaters and a basking light when I'm home for a few hours and so far everything is great. Raymond has been all over his new home and seems to be slightly more active now He is eating like a HORSE! Took a big "doo doo" today when he was soaking, much better then he was doing before He even gained about 2 grams in the month I have had him. I'll post a few cute pics of him for your enjoyment Thanks for all your advice

 

[Kim444]

good news!

 

[Delilah1623]

He looks so happy!

 

[stojanovski92113]

I'm glad things are working out for you & Raymond

 

[tortdad]

Awesome to hear that


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[crabby-J]

UGH OK next problem, when I got baby Raymond it looked like his Plastron was funny looking, I thought maybe it's because he's just a baby, I measured him today and he is only 2.5 inches not 3 inches like I guessimated...anyway his plastron looks awful! and remember I got him this way and it does not seem to look better, is this shell rot? or something else wrong with him? It's all bumpy, indented and weird and I don't think this is normal, I only mist the one section of his enclosure where he avoids the most and the rest of the tank is moist but not wet and the humidity is always at about 80-85% with 80-85 degree temp. I do give calcium powder and I provide a cuttlebone....HELP!!!!

P.S he has powdered calcium on his face....LOL

 

[stojanovski92113]

Oh wow...It almost looks as if it was infected and healed up or something and then infected again? I've yet to deal with shell rot...so I'm uncertain. But that doesn't look good. I'm hoping someone who is more experienced will give you some advice. Is it soft or hard?

 

[crabby-J]

Ugh so nervous!!! Never thought this guy was going to be this much..I hope someone can help, I am searching for an exotic vet in my area..

 

[crabby-J]

He does sit in his food, could this be bacterial? Why woukd they sell me a tort with a problem like this??

 

[tortdad]

@N2TORTS


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Madkins007]

The Tortoise Library site also has a lot of resources that may help, although you are getting some great replies here!

 

[crabby-J]

OK NEXT:

I noticed today that I have teenie tiny silver, fast moving bugs or mites in my torts enclosure, on the substrate and on him and his food...I noticed my crab tank have them as well now but only near where the food bowl is normally kept. I can't take a pic they are tiny and fast moving, I don't notice them jumping at all and can't seem to figure out what they are, somewhere said springtails but they don't seem to jump and another site said silverfish? I'm so confused...now I have a million tiny silver bugs in all my pets enclosures and I have no idea what they are, where they came from or how to get rid of them, if they are harmless or what, and I don't like that my tort had them crawling all over him after eating. These bugs seem to enjoy the substrate and food....ANY IDEAS??????

 

[stojanovski92113]

Hmmm for the first time ever...I've encountered the same issue!!! These tiny microscopic silver bugs! I've had a major issue with fruit flies this past month or so. Are you having fruit fly issues by chance? I'm thinking they are little larvae & I can't believe how much I've changed the substrate. I baked my mulch & they are even in the mulch because they are flying around and laying eggs or something!! I've cleaned my little ones enclosure so many times and they come back! I soak their moss in hot water. So each night I have to take out my torts water bowls & check for any left over food, poop, & I've put up fly tape & it's helped but they are still lingering. I tore apart my tortoise table too!! But they came back

 

[crabby-J]

I thought I would update I just clean the enclosure out following seeing the bugs and they have not returned, they were springtails and although they were not harmful there were just to many of them and all is now good

 

[allegraf]

i'm not sure if they have any but Tropical Torts is where i got my (jrcrist) 135 shipped right to my door. very healthy and active overnight shipping

Good stock and has some nice babies.

 

[Yvonne G]

There's nothing wrong with your baby's plastron. They come out of the egg looking sort of wrinkley. It smooths out as he grows.

I have those darned bugs too. They're not harmful to the baby, but I can only imagine what it feels like to have them crawling all over me. The only way to get rid of them is to toss everything, clean everything and start over. I've tried lightly spraying with vinegar water - doesn't do anything.

 

[crabby-J]

There's nothing wrong with your baby's plastron. They come out of the egg looking sort of wrinkley. It smooths out as he grows.

I have those darned bugs too. They're not harmful to the baby, but I can only imagine what it feels like to have them crawling all over me. The only way to get rid of them is to toss everything, clean everything and start over. I've tried lightly spraying with vinegar water - doesn't do anything.

Thank you! I think the sprintails are coming from the bark I buy so I'm not going to get it next time around, I did end up tossing and cleaning everything and so far so good I know they are harmless now, I just could not believe how many there were! I'm going to wait til spring to get another RF, got a good list of breeders and people that raise them :0 Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[N2TORTS]

They are completely harmless and are actually a sign of healthy soil. And a good insight to a warm damp enclosure perfect for Redfoot’s…
You can let the soil dry out a bit and this will cease the next generation as they are rapid egg layers….Or layer some sand between mediums within your enclosure.
Springtails (Collembola) form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects
You can read more here ……http://www.ask.com/wiki/Springtail?lang=en

 

[naturalman91]

you can also bake your soil before putting it in i had a horrible problem with fruit fly's scrapped everything and baked the new soil before it went in haven't seen a bug since