Question about my babe redfoot

[ElvisGuan]

Well, I have got 2 redfoot babies. The first one is a 3 month old and I got the second redfoot which is about 5 month old one week after the first one. I put them in the same place. Temperature 72-85 and humidity 55%-75%. They both eat well, sleep well, poop well! I feed them 5 times a week and I also bath them 5 times a week. I am sure I feed them what I should feed them.

So there are my 2 questions
First question: 3 days ago, the 5 mouth old one just stays in the water dish everyday. I mean after it eats and walks a little bit, it just goes to the water dish and take a bath for the entire day! My baby doesn't go back to the hiding until I turn off the UVA and UVB! And today I had to put him back to the hiding! So is there anything wrong?? The 3 month old one is okey because after eating and walking, it stays in the hiding for the rest of the day. And one thing I need to let you know is that the water dish is in the hot zone and hiding is in the cold zone. But the water dish is not the only place under the hot zone. I mean there is other place it can stay for heat. So is it normal?? Is there anything wrong with my tortoise??

Second question: Some times I can see some very very small white little bugs in there tank and even on there shell! I believe it is because the high temperature and high humidity. I have already done a rebuilding everything 2 weeks ago and it was okey for a few days but I still see the small bugs today. So I really want to know if the bugs are big problems??? I tried to clean up the food that they don't finish but I still see bugs. And if there is anything else I can do to stop this???

 

[wellington]

Torts should never be put together after two seperate purchases without a quarantine period of 6 months.
What are your temps, humidity and type of light and heat source your using?
@allegraf

 

[ElvisGuan]

Torts should never be put together after two seperate purchases without a quarantine period of 6 months.
What are your temps, humidity and type of light and heat source your using?
@allegraf

I know, but I only have one tank. My temperature is 72-85 and humidity is 55%-75%. ZOOMED 60W UVA+ZOOMED 5.0 UVB

 

[wellington]

But then it's best to buy another enclosure. If this one is sick, then it could pass it to your other one. If they came from the same breeder, then it's fine to house together. Difference breeders/places, it's a bad idea. Besides also tortoises don't do well in pairs. Although RF are one of the few milder tempered torts, it's still not a good idea to house in pairs. You will need another enclosure very soon anyway. most tanks are not big enough for one tort let alone two. The largest plastic tote boxes are cheaper and can be joined together to make larger enclosures.
I alerted a RF breeder that can help you out better then me as far as temps and humidity.

 

[ElvisGuan]

But then it's best to buy another enclosure. If this one is sick, then it could pass it to your other one. If they came from the same breeder, then it's fine to house together. Difference breeders/places, it's a bad idea. Besides also tortoises don't do well in pairs. Although RF are one of the few milder tempered torts, it's still not a good idea to house in pairs. You will need another enclosure very soon anyway. most tanks are not big enough for one tort let alone two. The largest plastic tote boxes are cheaper and can be joined together to make larger enclosures.
I alerted a RF breeder that can help you out better then me as far as temps and humidity.

Yea, you are correct for sure. But I really want to know why she satys in the water and how to fix those small bugs.

 

[theguy67]

Yea, you are correct for sure. But I really want to know why she satys in the water and how to fix those small bugs.

There may not be anything wrong with the tortoise. It sounds like an unusual interest in staying in water, but you said they are both eating well, and the one soaking still gets up and walks around? I see that you also said the dish is on the hot side. He may want it a bit warmer in there. I'd bump up the 72 to upper 70s or low 80s as a minimum on the cool side. Do you have a thermostat? That will be important to make sure things don't overheat, while staying where you want. Also a temp gun will be handy to measure surface temp, as ambient doesn't tell you the whole story. This means the cool side might be colder than you think and the water might be warmer than you think, and he finds it a good source for heat.

Also I think the only way to get rid of the bugs is to clean the entire cage out, and put new substrate down. Does the enclosure smell musty at all? How wet is the substrate? Any standing water in the bottom of the tank? This could be a source of the bugs. If they were introduced, and found a nice source of water, it could have started an infestation.

 

[wellington]

The little bugs will keep coming back. It's a damp humid thing. You can back the substrate, 200-250 for about 3-4 hours. This will keep them away longer but not forever. They don't hurt anything.

 

[ElvisGuan]

The little bugs will keep coming back. It's a damp humid thing. You can back the substrate, 200-250 for about 3-4 hours. This will keep them away longer but not forever. They don't hurt anything.

So those bugs are not a problem? What does it mean by "You can back the substrate, 200-250 for about 3-4 hours. "??

 

[theguy67]

The little bugs will keep coming back. It's a damp humid thing. You can back the substrate, 200-250 for about 3-4 hours. This will keep them away longer but not forever. They don't hurt anything.

I guess the important thing is they are no harm,..but I usually don't have them unless something is rotting in standing water (like mulch in the bottom of a wet tank).

So those bugs are not a problem? What does it mean by "You can back the substrate, 200-250 for about 3-4 hours. "??

I believe he means "bake". Just a simple typo/auto correct.

 

[wellington]

Yes, sorry, didn't catch it. It was suppose to say bake.

 

[ElvisGuan]

There may not be anything wrong with the tortoise. It sounds like an unusual interest in staying in water, but you said they are both eating well, and the one soaking still gets up and walks around? I see that you also said the dish is on the hot side. He may want it a bit warmer in there. I'd bump up the 72 to upper 70s or low 80s as a minimum on the cool side. Do you have a thermostat? That will be important to make sure things don't overheat, while staying where you want. Also a temp gun will be handy to measure surface temp, as ambient doesn't tell you the whole story. This means the cool side might be colder than you think and the water might be warmer than you think, and he finds it a good source for heat.

Also I think the only way to get rid of the bugs is to clean the entire cage out, and put new substrate down. Does the enclosure smell musty at all? How wet is the substrate? Any standing water in the bottom of the tank? This could be a source of the bugs. If they were introduced, and found a nice source of water, it could have started an infestation.

First of all, thank you for you answer.

This is my entire enclosure. It is a 30*12*12 tank, very simple. I put some stones at the bottom which others may use "hydro balls" instead. And then I add a little bit water in the tank, and put the white thing between the stones and my substrate. I do so because this is how the reptile stores do it in order to keep humidity. As you can see I have a moveable electronic thermometer in the cold zone and the range is between 72-75. Also a combine of thermometer and hygrometer near the hot zone. Tempreature is from 80-84 when the UVA is on. I spray water twice a day for the substrate and I have the repti-fogger to increase the air humidity. And the fogger is connected with a timer so it works 5 minutes in every half hour. Even though sometimes the humidity still drops to 45. But after I turned the lights off, it is great.

The first time I saw the bugs was two weeks ago and I rebuilded it right away. At that time I had a little waterfall system made by myself in the tank, so I take the system out and I cleaned up the entire tank and reput everything new as the picture shows. It was okey for a week but a few days ago I still saw those bugs.

 

[ElvisGuan]

Yes, sorry, didn't catch it. It was suppose to say bake.

Got it, thanks!

 

[ElvisGuan]

I guess the important thing is they are no harm,..but I usually don't have them unless something is rotting in standing water (like mulch in the bottom of a wet tank).



I believe he means "bake". Just a simple typo/auto correct.

There is no food in the water at all! And I always clean up the rest of the food with in 8 hours. Thank you guys it is very happy to hear that those are no harm but you know.... seeing those on my tortoise's shell is really annoying!

 

[theguy67]

First of all, thank you for you answer.

This is my entire enclosure. It is a 30*12*12 tank, very simple. I put some stones at the bottom which others may use "hydro balls" instead. And then I add a little bit water in the tank, and put the white thing between the stones and my substrate. I do so because this is how the reptile stores do it in order to keep humidity. As you can see I have a moveable electronic thermometer in the cold zone and the range is between 72-75. Also a combine of thermometer and hygrometer near the hot zone. Tempreature is from 80-84 when the UVA is on. I spray water twice a day for the substrate and I have the repti-fogger to increase the air humidity. And the fogger is connected with a timer so it works 5 minutes in every half hour. Even though sometimes the humidity still drops to 45. But after I turned the lights off, it is great.

The first time I saw the bugs was two weeks ago and I rebuilded it right away. At that time I had a little waterfall system made by myself in the tank, so I take the system out and I cleaned up the entire tank and reput everything new as the picture shows. It was okey for a week but a few days ago I still saw those bugs.

You look like you have a good start on your set up. First thing I would do is find a more efficient way to cover the top, as you are probably losing a lot of humidity and heat through there. From your picture, it seems like the soaking dish is directly below your basking spot, this would explain why the tortoise is constantly in the dish, as he is probably trying to warm up. I would work on getting the cool side up to 80. I try to keep my hatchlings cool side in the low 80s. It may not seem significant enough, but their behavior will change, and become more active throughout the enclosure. All you probably need to do is cover the tank better. Plexi-glass works well. With the fogger and spraying daily, I wouldn't worry about putting water in the bottom of the tank. The bugs may go away on their own too, especially if the standing water is removed from the bottom. Also, put some moss in that half log after you raise the temp some. It will provide them with a moist hide to sleep in.

Do they have a heat source at night? If not, a ceramic heat emitter would work well. You would need a thermostat with that though, you don't want to cook your tortoises.

 

[ElvisGuan]

You look like you have a good start on your set up. First thing I would do is find a more efficient way to cover the top, as you are probably losing a lot of humidity and heat through there. From your picture, it seems like the soaking dish is directly below your basking spot, this would explain why the tortoise is constantly in the dish, as he is probably trying to warm up. I would work on getting the cool side up to 80. I try to keep my hatchlings cool side in the low 80s. It may not seem significant enough, but their behavior will change, and become more active throughout the enclosure. All you probably need to do is cover the tank better. Plexi-glass works well. With the fogger and spraying daily, I wouldn't worry about putting water in the bottom of the tank. The bugs may go away on their own too, especially if the standing water is removed from the bottom. Also, put some moss in that half log after you raise the temp some. It will provide them with a moist hide to sleep in.

Do they have a heat source at night? If not, a ceramic heat emitter would work well. You would need a thermostat with that though, you don't want to cook your tortoises.

Well, the reason why the soaking dish is directly below the basking spot is because the one that stays in the water everyday is currently sleeping under the dish!! Normally, they are at the same level. And as you can see there is a spot in front of the soaking dish which is also under the hot zone. I dont see him in that area.

Is my cold zone too cold? Seems like the 3 month old one is happy in there because i dont see him in the hot zone a lot. He always stays in the hiding or behind those fake leaves. I guess the only way to get cold side up to 80 is adding another 25w UVA. I did try plastic wrap to cover it but I dont think it is good for ventilation. And I have no idea where you guys live. I live in Canada and during this month, there was ONLY 2 days that I got some sun in my room and in the tank. And of course they really like it. I could tell from there behavior. I really need more sun because sun is always the best.

I do not have heat source yet because my room temp is around 72-74, and I thought that it might be okey. Do I really need the ceramic?

 

[theguy67]

Well, the reason why the soaking dish is directly below the basking spot is because the one that stays in the water everyday is currently sleeping under the dish!! Normally, they are at the same level. And as you can see there is a spot in front of the soaking dish which is also under the hot zone. I dont see him in that area.

Is my cold zone too cold? Seems like the 3 month old one is happy in there because i dont see him in the hot zone a lot. He always stays in the hiding or behind those fake leaves. I guess the only way to get cold side up to 80 is adding another 25w UVA. I did try plastic wrap to cover it but I dont think it is good for ventilation. And I have no idea where you guys live. I live in Canada and during this month, there was ONLY 2 days that I got some sun in my room and in the tank. And of course they really like it. I could tell from there behavior. I really need more sun because sun is always the best.

I do not have heat source yet because my room temp is around 72-74, and I thought that it might be okey. Do I really need the ceramic?

The suggestion of to warm up the tank a bit was based on his odd behavior. This isn't an exact science...Who knows why the other is always hiding, but I know that they can be kept warmer, and probably will like it. You can try plastic wrap, just keep it away from the heat source, of course. Use tinfoil around the lamps, then plastic after that. That's what I do in a pinch. I wouldn't worry about ventilation. You can leave a small slit on one side, which should be enough. I highly doubt you will seal it that tightly. 72 seems a bit cool to me, and if you are keeping animals in a wet/damp environment, you do not want it to be cool, as that can lead to respiratory infections if the temps dip too low.

And yes, I would get the CME (ceramic heat emitter) over another light bulb. This way you can leave it on at night, keeping them warm. Get a thermostat to go with it as well. I would use the thermostat for the CME, never a light source as it will damage the bulb. Don't use a CME without thermostat.

Adding more hiding places (one on cool and warm sides) could also help. Perhaps the other tortoise wishes to be hidden more than warm?

 

[ElvisGuan]

The suggestion of to warm up the tank a bit was based on his odd behavior. This isn't an exact science...Who knows why the other is always hiding, but I know that they can be kept warmer, and probably will like it. You can try plastic wrap, just keep it away from the heat source, of course. Use tinfoil around the lamps, then plastic after that. That's what I do in a pinch. I wouldn't worry about ventilation. You can leave a small slit on one side, which should be enough. I highly doubt you will seal it that tightly. 72 seems a bit cool to me, and if you are keeping animals in a wet/damp environment, you do not want it to be cool, as that can lead to respiratory infections if the temps dip too low.

And yes, I would get the CME (ceramic heat emitter) over another light bulb. This way you can leave it on at night, keeping them warm. Get a thermostat to go with it as well. I would use the thermostat for the CME, never a light source as it will damage the bulb. Don't use a CME without thermostat.

Adding more hiding places (one on cool and warm sides) could also help. Perhaps the other tortoise wishes to be hidden more than warm?

Thank you very much for your advice. And I agree with you that they can be kept warmer, and they will like it for sure.

Then the thermostat, do I need a very pro one? or basic one is okey? Do you have any suggest?

 

[theguy67]

This is the one I use - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CZ0J3E/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I've used the zoomed ones, and they work. I had one die on me, but it may have been a dust issue. Zilla seems sleeker, tighter, more "modern" in design. I would use the search function on this forum and type in "thermostat" and see what others recommend too. Don't trust the numbers on the dial, assuming it will keep it exactly where you set it. Always go by the thermometer.

 

[Pearly]

I am raising couple RF's as well. Mine are juveniles, they'll be 2 in June. By now i can tell you that "I've got this heat/humidity/feeding young or sick torts down to science" and couple things stand out for me: 1) Enclosure temps and 2) feeding. About #1) I have read that little babies do best if their enclosure temps never drop below 80F. Mine never used to bask, they had spent lots of time in their hides their first year. My enclosure ambient temps are 80-86, and inside their hide at substrate level it is 79F and that's how it's been since i had figured out how to cover my tank. Mine is 40 gal breeder. I love tanks for baby nurseries bcs how easy they make it for us to keep the warmth and humidity in there. I'm glad to see you are using this same kind of a fogger I have. I love mine. Just watch your babies, make sure that the one that's hiding all the time gets to eat and puts on weight. Weigh them weekly and keep record of their growth. Which brings me to #2) Why feed only 5x week in a enclosed place where they can't forage for food? I fed mine 3 times a day for the first couple months (they were very young hatchlings when we got them and one was refusing food for a while) then once he started catching on the feeding thing, we wend down to twice a day and kept that up for the rest of their first year. Now that they are about 20 months old they get one big meal every morning and there are always whole leaves and live bugs there for grazing if they need a snack. I know i'm probably a "feeding fanatic" being myself a mom of 3 very fussy eaters (my human babies) i always worry about them getting enough nourishment. #3) as for the substrate bugs, i get them now and then and they are gone before i know it. I think my earthworms and pillbugs and tiny snails have colonized the place to the point where they keep things in check for themselves. My torts don't bother the earthworms, but i have seen them go after pillbugs and snails are their alltime favorites! I always laugh when i hear that "crunch crunch crunch" out of there