New- Need Help with Redfoot Tortoise

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Hello! This is my new redfoot tortoise Kona. She is currently 8 months old and 4.5". I recently
got her 5 days ago. I soak her daily and mist quite often. I take her out daily and let her eat the clovers in our yard. I also feed her a variety of foods in her enclosure such as clovers, romaine lettuce, red lettuce, cucumbers, strawberries and grapes that I dust in calcium powder.

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Her enclosure is a 40 gallon breeder, but we are planning to make her a large outdoor enclosure that she can use when the temperature allows it. Her indoor enclosure varies at around 78-85 degrees F. At night the temperature is around 70-75 degrees F.The humidity though stays around 35-40%. I haven't been able to keep it up. It stays high for a while, then it drops. I have tried covering the screen top with plastic. At the moment I keep to storage bin lids and plastic on top. But, nothing is working. Please leave suggestions for what to keep as a cover to keep in the heat and humidity. Please let me know if I should change anything. Thanks.

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TammyJ

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Hi and welcome! Kona is very beautiful and looks good, but to keep her that way, there are a number of things that need to be changed and done right now.
There are some great people here that are very knowledgeable about these tortoises, and they will soon be along to give you all the help and advice you will need and provide you with the links to the care sheets for this species. I can tell you right off that you will need to keep the humidity level much higher than what you say it is, and that the temperatures need to be adjusted too.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Welcome
Whomever you purchased that great looking Redfoot from did a good job.
Search "Closed chamber" enclosures.
You need a large closed chamber enclosure.
As long as your tort gets outdoors, no real need to buy a fancy UVB tube. Just something for warmth.
Your target temperature is 84. A rang of 70s to about 90 are ok.
You also need very high humidity. Over 70%.
A closed chamber enclosure will help obtain that.
 
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Thank you for the suggestion. Is there a specific top that works best for closed chamber enclosures, something that keeps in humidity very well?
 

ZEROPILOT

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Thank you for the suggestion. Is there a specific top that works best for closed chamber enclosures, something that keeps in humidity very well?
Some folks use a gigantic plastic tote.
Some use modified greenhouse type enclosures.
I myself have used large, low sided glass terrariums with plexiglass lids. But I only keep babies indoors.
My adults and sub adults live outdoors 24/7
 
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Great! I will try using a plexiglass lid for her enclosure. She is only 8 months old and is still small enough that I can keep her indoors. We are planning an outdoor enclosure that she can be in full time (besides winter) I do take her out everyday for long periods of time for her to get natural sunlight.
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Toddrickfl1

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You'd probably be better off ditching the tank and getting yourself a plastic tote with a lid. You can modify the lid for your heat and light source. That's what I've got my 9 month old in. All I do is dump a cup of water in the substrate every few weeks and the humidity stays 80-90%.
 

Yvonne G

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Welcome to the Forum!

I notice that you have the top of the enclosure covered with plastic sheeting. That should work ok to hold in the humidity until he outgrows that tank. I think if you add more water to the substrate you'll get the humidity up. Also I'd change that waterer for a plastic plant saucer and sink it down into the substrate.
 

Toddrickfl1

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Yvonne makes a good point too. Layer your substrate a few inches thick. Don't just mist it with a little water either, pour literally like a half gallon of water into it to get the humidity up. Just make sure the top layer of substrate is dry so your tort isn't sitting on a wet surface constantly.
 

Toddrickfl1

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PS your tort is gorgeous, and if it is 8 months old it's HUGE, that's an absolute monster!
 

Blackdog1714

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Well @Yvonne speaks highly of the aluminum foil solution. If you are still truly considered about looks they do make colored foils now so you could jazz it up. But its always awesome when simple works so great!
 
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I am also planning on adding plants to my enclosure. Does anyone happen to know if coffee plants, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, moon cactus and peperomia are safe for tortoise enclosures?
 

MPappagallo

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I am also planning on adding plants to my enclosure. Does anyone happen to know if coffee plants, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, moon cactus and peperomia are safe for tortoise enclosures?
Great looking redfoot....and really HUGE for only 8 months old! One great place to find safe plants for your tortie is to check out the Tortoise Table. Just Google Tortoise Table and you will find hundreds of plants, fruits, veggies, etc that are considered safe for tortoises. It is a great reference! Best of luck to you!
 
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