Help me make my Red Foot happy

[Smash Rockwell]

I just bought my Red Foot on Saturday 5/25. I did tons of research a few months ago when we were ready to get a tortoise and decided on a Russian. I ended up getting a Red Foot because of how much cooler it looked! I have been constantly looking for advice and information on Red Foots since Saturday. So thats why I am here I need some help from actual owners and more knowledgeable people.

The place I got it from I figure is trying to push their products(substrate, enclosures, food) so I dont really trust them as much. I live in Michigan so it will be very hard to keep an outdoor setup. (One day it will snow and the next day its 70 seriously... lol) So take a look at what I have so far!!


100 Watt Heat lamp and then a UV/B lamp, two hides, a dish for him to soak, and a food dish. Does this seem like a good setup? I want to plant live edible plants eventually to help with humidity. What other things should I be doing? Should I cover the top screens with plastic/glass to trap in the moisture? Any tips would be helpful!


Another thing is HE/SHE WONT EAT!


He likes to hide most of the day and I've only got him to eat a slice or two of strawberry on two different days, and a half of a worm this morning. He wont touch his kale, collard, endive, dandelion, or mangoes. I sprinkled them with a calcium supplement too. That is all I have tried so far! Any advice is he just shocked and not comfortable with his set up yet?

Also whats the best humidity and ambient temp I should keep? I have been misting twice a day to keep it damp.

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Also should I cover up the sides so he wont keep trying to escape! lol

 

[redtort]

I just bought my Red Foot on Saturday 5/25. I did tons of research a few months ago when we were ready to get a tortoise and decided on a Russian. I ended up getting a Red Foot because of how much cooler it looked! I have been constantly looking for advice and information on Red Foots since Saturday. So thats why I am here I need some help from actual owners and more knowledgeable people.

The place I got it from I figure is trying to push their products(substrate, enclosures, food) so I dont really trust them as much. I live in Michigan so it will be very hard to keep an outdoor setup. (One day it will snow and the next day its 70 seriously... lol) So take a look at what I have so far!!

100 Watt Heat lamp and then a UV/B lamp, two hides, a dish for him to soak, and a food dish. Does this seem like a good setup? I want to plant live edible plants eventually to help with humidity. What other things should I be doing? Should I cover the top screens with plastic/glass to trap in the moisture? Any tips would be helpful!


Another thing is HE/SHE WONT EAT!


He likes to hide most of the day and I've only got him to eat a slice or two of strawberry on two different days, and a half of a worm this morning. He wont touch his kale, collard, endive, dandelion, or mangoes. I sprinkled them with a calcium supplement too. That is all I have tried so far! Any advice is he just shocked and not comfortable with his set up yet?

Also whats the best humidity and ambient temp I should keep? I have been misting twice a day to keep it damp.

---

Also should I cover up the sides so he wont keep trying to escape! lol

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It will continue to hide for a while, since he/she is still warming up to a new home. When I got my first one she did not eat for about 5 days. It is ok they store a lot of food. Try giving it some earthworms, it might just start talking to you. Also maintain a good temp gradient between 75-85 degrees, you will have to monitor the temp while the tort is still settling in to see how it behaves. If the temp drops below 70 degrees at night get a infrared light. Also let it hide, they like that, eventually it will warm up to you.

 

[Fernando]

Where is your UVB light?

I don't like using the screen and the uvb together because the screen can filter some of the UVB rays.

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Don't use anything permeable like cloth. I used wood and and duct taped it so that I can place that in the middle of the two lights so the humidity is reflected. I've also used the top of plastic containers...

 

[Smash Rockwell]

Yeah I read they might not eat for the first few days... Should I let him outside since it is really nice out today to walk around the yard(no pesticides or fertilizer) or let him be?

The UVB is the one on the left.. Good point on not using a screen for that... The temp was getting up to 90F on the hot side is that too hot? Maybe I should raise the light up higher...

What about getting some kind of automatic mister to keep it humid?

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Do you turn the lights off at night? If so, It may be getting too cold at night and taking your tort a while to warm up. What about switching your UVB with a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). That way you can turn it on with or without the light. I like your enclosure if you want to keep it humid you have to thoroughly spray down your substrate, maybe even add some sphagnum moss and maybe add a piece of plexi to the top between the lights to hold the moisture in.

 

[Fernando]

Yeah I read they might not eat for the first few days... Should I let him outside since it is really nice out today to walk around the yard(no pesticides or fertilizer) or let him be?

The UVB is the one on the left.. Good point on not using a screen for that... The temp was getting up to 90F on the hot side is that too hot? Maybe I should raise the light up higher...

What about getting some kind of automatic mister to keep it humid?

I don't believe 90F is too hot. Tortoises can thermo-regulate. So if it gets too hot in one area they will move.

Do you turn the lights off at night? If so, It may be getting too cold at night and taking your tort a while to warm up. What about switching your UVB with a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). That way you can turn it on with or without the light. I like your enclosure if you want to keep it humid you have to thoroughly spray down your substrate, maybe even add some sphagnum moss and maybe add a piece of plexi to the top between the lights to hold the moisture in.

I agree with Erin. If your going to keep your enclosure humid (I'm pretty sure you need to with RF's) you need to have enough heat. Don't let the temps get too low at night or you'll be running a high risk of your tortoise getting some kind of RI.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Smash Rockwell:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name?

I know of a couple places where you can go to read about redfoot tortoises (I'm sure there are more, but these I can vouch for and know right off the top of my head):

http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm

and in Madkinns007 signature - tortoise library: (couldn't get a link for you)

and Vicki Hale at tortoiseyard.com.

 

[DixieParadise]

Hey welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of great information here. And the experts will answer all the craziest questions you can think of. It won't take long, you will get into a routine and then it will be like you are caring for just another family member.

 

[Madkins007]

Hi, and welcome! I answered some of your questions to get you started-

I just bought my Red Foot on Saturday 5/25. I did tons of research a few months ago when we were ready to get a tortoise and decided on a Russian. I ended up getting a Red Foot because of how much cooler it looked! I have been constantly looking for advice and information on Red Foots since Saturday. So thats why I am here I need some help from actual owners and more knowledgeable people.

I agree that Red-foots are among the coolest looking tortoises!

The place I got it from I figure is trying to push their products(substrate, enclosures, food) so I dont really trust them as much. I live in Michigan so it will be very hard to keep an outdoor setup. (One day it will snow and the next day its 70 seriously... lol) So take a look at what I have so far!!

Stores do try to push their own stuff, and you really don't need much of it. I would try to do an outdoor set-up, even if only one it can safely be in during the day. Many of us have to bring ours in every night for one reason or another. One big benefit of the outdoor habitat is that the whole UVB thing becomes meaningless.

100 Watt Heat lamp and then a UV/B lamp, two hides, a dish for him to soak, and a food dish. Does this seem like a good setup? I want to plant live edible plants eventually to help with humidity. What other things should I be doing? Should I cover the top screens with plastic/glass to trap in the moisture? Any tips would be helpful!

Live plants will help a lot, even if you just leave them in their pots and bury the pots. Covering it will also help you control the heat and humidity.

Overall, a good start. The tortoise will outgrow it quicker than you'll be ready for, so don't wait too long before you start to think of the next larger habitat. But it is a very nice start!

Another thing is HE/SHE WONT EAT!

He likes to hide most of the day and I've only got him to eat a slice or two of strawberry on two different days, and a half of a worm this morning. He wont touch his kale, collard, endive, dandelion, or mangoes. I sprinkled them with a calcium supplement too. That is all I have tried so far! Any advice is he just shocked and not comfortable with his set up yet?

So, he IS eating, just not much? It can take a week to settle in, and fidgeting, handling, etc. makes it worse. Offer some food every day, and leave it in there for a while. As it gets used to you, and as you offer a better and better habitat, it will eat. Be aware that the calcium powder is really bitter, so you may want to leave it off for now.

Also whats the best humidity and ambient temp I should keep? I have been misting twice a day to keep it damp.
Also should I cover up the sides so he wont keep trying to escape! lol

Temp- about 85ish or a bit cooler seems good. We usually suggest about 90ish for the hot corner, 75ish for the coolest place and maybe at night.

Humidity- They seem to do best at a high humidity- 80%+ish. This is tough to do in a lot of the US in a lot of houses, but is easier if you mostly close off the habitat.

Some tortoises really work at the walls, some ignore them. If yours attacks the walls, you can try to tape a simple sight barrier over the lower 4-6".

You can check out the stuff in http://www.tortoiselibrary.com to see of anything there helps you!

 

[Smash Rockwell]

Thanks for the help everyone. My name is Steve, I currently live in an apartment until February so the outside enclosure isn't going to be possible here. But my moms house is a few miles away I might take him there during the summer.

Well he spent about 20 hours in his log, I put a piece of mango in there and he did eat it. Only thing Im worried about is he's not eating greens at all. Tried to give him a worm this morning but he was only mildly interested and then went into his other hide the tree looking one. Yeah my humidity is only around 70% when I checked in the morning so I poured a ton of water in there and it soaked right up. Hopefully as it warms up the humidity will rise.

I need to get a piece of glass or plexi cut for the top it seems like. Should I be mixing around the substrate?

Looks like I will need the ceramic heat emitter for night, last night it got down to 70 possibly a little lower not sure. Ill try the moss also.

Thanks! Anyone know of a good vet in Michigan (Metro Detroit area)?