Questions about my red foot tortoise

Nearriver23

New Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2017
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Hello!
So I got my red foot tortoise, Dry Bones, about a month ago and I just want to make sure I'm treating him right. He is in a 150 gallon that has the coco husk dirt. Before I put the dirt in (he had wood chips that the store used before) I had to spray his tank around 10 times a day or else his eyes got watery. Now, with the dirt, he only needs to be sprayed every few days and his eyes are fine. He has a 75w bulb on his basking side with his water dish, but he rarely goes over there. He has a hide made out of a shoe box, but I'm looking for better.(I can't find a proper one to fit him, they're all too small and he wouldn't fit under) He easily dark leafs and some fruits like mango, blueberry, watermelon, nothing citrus. He eats veggies like squash, turnips, carrots and such. Once a month I going to feed him pinkies (I fed him one and he engulfed it) or butter/meal worms. I bathe him in warm water every other day and take him out when he tries to climb out. I take him outside often, when it's warm enough, and let him run around and I keep an eye on him. I want to make an outdoor enclosure but until then this is the best I can do. He let's me pet his head and he likes to sit on my shoulders, but all he does I his tank is make a dirt hole and stay there and when he's outside all he does is hide in the long grass and sleep or eat it. I'm afraid he's bored but I don't know how to entertain him or make sure he's happy. His tank is pretty bare because I just got him and I'm still working on it, that's why I take him out as often as possible. I'll attach some pictures of his tank, him, and the yard.
Thanks!



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Yvonne G

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That's a beautiful tortoise. I'll make a few suggestions:

find a clay plant saucer slightly bigger than the tortoise and recess it down into the substrate and get rid of that waterer you have. Those are not feasible for an animal like a tortoise that can't bend in the middle.

figure out a hiding place that won't be harmed by a moist substrate (not cardboard) and place it at one end of the enclosure, freeing up more walking space in the middle of the small tank.

Use a rough piece of cement or tile to feed on.

That's a very nice yard. Hopefully you can get something going for him outside.
 

Nearriver23

New Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2017
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Okay, thank you! I have tried to fix his tank, he has a hide on each side, the middle is cleared up and I have made a hill for him to climb on. His water bowl has a ramp up to it and he gets in and out of it a lot, should I still change it or would that be fine? I have taken new pictures of his tank.
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Robrocphilly

New Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2017
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
Philly
Hello!
So I got my red foot tortoise, Dry Bones, about a month ago and I just want to make sure I'm treating him right. He is in a 150 gallon that has the coco husk dirt. Before I put the dirt in (he had wood chips that the store used before) I had to spray his tank around 10 times a day or else his eyes got watery. Now, with the dirt, he only needs to be sprayed every few days and his eyes are fine. He has a 75w bulb on his basking side with his water dish, but he rarely goes over there. He has a hide made out of a shoe box, but I'm looking for better.(I can't find a proper one to fit him, they're all too small and he wouldn't fit under) He easily dark leafs and some fruits like mango, blueberry, watermelon, nothing citrus. He eats veggies like squash, turnips, carrots and such. Once a month I going to feed him pinkies (I fed him one and he engulfed it) or butter/meal worms. I bathe him in warm water every other day and take him out when he tries to climb out. I take him outside often, when it's warm enough, and let him run around and I keep an eye on him. I want to make an outdoor enclosure but until then this is the best I can do. He let's me pet his head and he likes to sit on my shoulders, but all he does I his tank is make a dirt hole and stay there and when he's outside all he does is hide in the long grass and sleep or eat it. I'm afraid he's bored but I don't know how to entertain him or make sure he's happy. His tank is pretty bare because I just got him and I'm still working on it, that's why I take him out as often as possible. I'll attach some pictures of his tank, him, and the yard.
Thanks!



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Just so you know where footage tortoises if you want them to live long like my baby they are supposed to stay at at least 87° all day and all night they are cold-blooded tortoises, another thing they do not hibernate. My baby is potty trained she will only P and poop when I put her in the tub during the summer she is outback all day and rooms my yard, which is big enough for her she Loves being outside in the summer I also have a little thing I made for her to crawl into if she gets thirsty and I also have anything made for her to climb on there to take a nap which she does all the time I will only put her outside if the temperature is at least 70° or above I stopped letting her out at the end of September, other than that I feed her and put her in the tub to P and poop every other day. Now in the summer I do it every day. The person I got my baby from had other tortoises and they all kept dying, I know why now they were not properly taken care of. I have 150 W UVB be basking lamp And it’s right above her keeps her warm and it gets hot, when I say hot I mean hot. Also another thing is once you bring your tortoise in and it stays in its environment like the tub you have it in, do not let it roam on the rug, Or let it out to walk around thinking that you are helping it stretch its legs, you’re only going to confuse it so want to put it away for the winter time the only time she comes in and out of the cage is when I put her in the tub and when I cleaned it out which is once a month
 

Robrocphilly

New Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2017
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
Philly
This is the set up I have you can see that I have rocks in there for her to file her nails away I also have a humidifier which is good because it needs to be moist in there so you see I have two different lights one is for the warmth and the other one is to catch UVB rays from the sun being that she cannot go outside, Between the basking light that stays on from when I wake up in the morning until I go to bed at night at that point I turn on the little space heater and that keeps her nice and warm which are being old she needs it, I spoil her to death literally she’s my main ***** my only one and I love her to death
 

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