- Joined
- Jan 30, 2013
- Messages
- 15
Hey there, I'm looking for some advice for my red-footed tortoise. I got him when he was 3 months old, he's now 8 months (3 inches long, 87 g). He was kind of a runt when I bought him and has never had the best appetite, until recently when I finally got him to really start eating. I've been working on improving his enclosure because he seems happier when I can keep it warmer and more humid (I know as a tropical species that's what he needs). He lives in a plastic under-the-bed storage box with half of it covered with a plastic lid. He has a broad-spectrum UVB bulb 12 inches above during the day, and a CHE at night (both hang over the uncovered half of the box). Temps on the warm side are 80-85, and cooler side are 65-70. I know that's a little chilly, and I even added an under-the-tank heating mat to the covered side, which hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. Most of the heating wires/tapes/mats that I could find say to only use on glass tanks, which I don't have. I bought the lowest power heating mat because I didn't want to melt the plastic, but am I just being paranoid? My substrate has been spagnum moss but I'm going to switch it out for cypress mulch because the spagnum just gets too soggy and cold. I mist his enclosure daily and the underside of his lid until it drips, and the humidity usually stays around 50%. He also gets soaked for about 10 minutes once a day, since his ambient humidity is a bit low. Any ideas on how to keep him warmer and more humid? I don't want to keep soaking his substrate because I know these guys are prone to shell rot. Looking forward to hearing from y'all!
