Red foot help

[KiraBeckham]

Nothing. It's just a joy and it's been three years! Redfoots, from babies.
Of course this site has been my cornerstone!

Do ypu have any advice on keeping Redfoots moist enough in a more arid climate? I'm bringing a rescue home in a couple weeks and plan on spraying the substrate down a couple times a day and a fogger/mister. Do you keep your enclosure with a top or are you in a humid climate?

 

[Tom]

Do ypu have any advice on keeping Redfoots moist enough in a more arid climate? I'm bringing a rescue home in a couple weeks and plan on spraying the substrate down a couple times a day and a fogger/mister. Do you keep your enclosure with a top or are you in a humid climate?

You need a large closed camber with the heating and lighting contained inside. The climate outside doesn't matter.

You will not be able to maintain the correct conditions with an open top, and humidifiers should not be blowing directly in to tortoise enclosures. Constantly spraying the surface is ineffective and if kept too wet, it will cause shell rot in an RF.

Use radiant heat panels or ceramic heating elements set on a thermostat to maintain an ambient temp around 82-86 day and night. Use LEDs set on a 12 hour timer for ambient light, and an HO tube on for a few hours mid day for UV. No need for a basking lamp.

Use 3-4 inches of orchid bark for substrate. This will allow you to keep the lower layers damp to maintain humidity, while the upper layers remain dry to prevent shell rot. Use safe potted plants for shade and cover.

 

[Srmcclure]

Do ypu have any advice on keeping Redfoots moist enough in a more arid climate? I'm bringing a rescue home in a couple weeks and plan on spraying the substrate down a couple times a day and a fogger/mister. Do you keep your enclosure with a top or are you in a humid climate?

Here is what Tom is talking about. A large closed chamber with radiant heats panels on a therm to maintain 84 degrees day and night with lights on a timer. I don't have a humidifier or anything like that and I can keep humidity at 90° ish easy. I use cypress instead of orchid bark, but only because it is easier to get out here in Oklahoma and it's one of a few safe options.
This houses my male redfoot and honestly it could use more plants and that is in the works as I post this

 

[COmtnLady]

Also, rather than getting the whole surface of the enclosure wet, I pour water against the walls in the corners so that it goes down into the substrate and "evaporates" up into the enclosure. That gives your tort a lot of dry surface to walk on and a lot of humidity so that its comfortable.

 

[TammyJ]

You got great advice!

 

[ryan57]

You need a large closed camber with the heating and lighting contained inside. The climate outside doesn't matter.

You will not be able to maintain the correct conditions with an open top, and humidifiers should not be blowing directly in to tortoise enclosures. Constantly spraying the surface is ineffective and if kept too wet, it will cause shell rot in an RF.

Use radiant heat panels or ceramic heating elements set on a thermostat to maintain an ambient temp around 82-86 day and night. Use LEDs set on a 12 hour timer for ambient light, and an HO tube on for a few hours mid day for UV. No need for a basking lamp.

Use 3-4 inches of orchid bark for substrate. This will allow you to keep the lower layers damp to maintain humidity, while the upper layers remain dry to prevent shell rot. Use safe potted plants for shade and cover.

Maybe a blurb about mist (>100 micron droplets), fog (10 micron droplets that animals including humans can inhale) and water vapor <10 microns is in order. Water vapor is caused by evaporation.

People on this forum need to understand that water vapor is stable humidity. All water, including mist and fog, changes state to water vapor when it evaporates.

Your analogy of trying to heat your home in the winter with no roof cracks me up every time... so true though.

Thanks to your guide and help, Stump is 1863g or just over 4lbs@ 1 year tomorrow.

 

[Tom]

Your analogy of trying to heat your home in the winter with no roof cracks me up every time... so true though.

I stole that line from @Maggie3fan

Glad to hear Stump is doing well! That's some good growth.

 

[KiraBeckham]

Here is what Tom is talking about. A large closed chamber with radiant heats panels on a therm to maintain 84 degrees day and night with lights on a timer. I don't have a humidifier or anything like that and I can keep humidity at 90° ish easy. I use cypress instead of orchid bark, but only because it is easier to get out here in Oklahoma and it's one of a few safe options.
This houses my male redfoot and honestly it could use more plants and that is in the works as I post this

Thanks! Super cool enclosure. Where did you get your enclosure or did you make it?

 

[Srmcclure]

Thanks! Super cool enclosure. Where did you get your enclosure or did you make it?

Thanks! I actually found this company locally to me that made them called recoil reptile.