Red Foot Not Eating

[Michalla]

My Red Foot Charlie doesn't seem to be eating to much this week, is this unusual or should I not be worried... He's ate a bit but not much in comparison to the last couple weeks that I've had him.

 

[Anyfoot]

My Red Foot Charlie doesn't seem to be eating to much this week, is this unusual or should I not be worried... He's ate a bit but not much in comparison to the last couple weeks that I've had him.

Hi and welcome.

We need to know what sort of size this Tortoise is and what the enclosure is like before giving advice. Can you post photos of both please so we can help.

 

[Michalla]

Hi and welcome.

We need to know what sort of size this Tortoise is and what the enclosure is like before giving advice. Can you post photos of both please so we can help.

He's just a little guy about 3 inches.

 

[Anyfoot]

Where in the world do you live?

 

[Michalla]

Where in the world do you live?

Calgary, AB, Canada

 

[Anyfoot]

Ok, you've fallen into the same trap I fell into when I first started with redfoots. These guys are a tropical species and require an ambient temperature with high humidity.
The best way to achieve this in cold dry climates is to have a closed system enclosure. Yours is an open system(unless you took a lid off for photos).
You are going to have to create a lid for that enclosure, I would make an 'A' type lid for it. Then you will need a 100watt ceramic heat emitter(CHE) on a thermostat set at about 82/86f. You will also need a UVB source to imitate the suns UVB rays. I would get a 15" 5.0 UVB strip light, have thus on a timer to come on for 12/14hrs a day. With this basic set up your ambient heat and humidity will be fine.

 

[Michalla]

Ok, you've fallen into the same trap I fell into when I first started with redfoots. These guys are a tropical species and require an ambient temperature with high humidity.
The best way to achieve this in cold dry climates is to have a closed system enclosure. Yours is an open system(unless you took a lid off for photos).
You are going to have to create a lid for that enclosure, I would make an 'A' type lid for it. Then you will need a 100watt ceramic heat emitter(CHE) on a thermostat set at about 82/86f. You will also need a UVB source to imitate the suns UVB rays. I would get a 15" 5.0 UVB strip light, have thus on a timer to come on for 12/14hrs a day. With this basic set up your ambient heat and humidity will be fine.

I do have a lid on it. I just took it off for the picture, I also have a mercury vapour bulb and a normal heat bulb and a night heat bulb that stays on all the time. The temperature sits about 80-85, with some hotter spots and some cooler spots, and gets a little cooler at night. My lid is made out of plexiglass. I also have a humidifier in there to ensure the humidity is able to stay between 80 and 90.

 

[Anyfoot]

I do have a lid on it. I just took it off for the picture, I also have a mercury vapour bulb and a normal heat bulb and a night heat bulb that stays on all the time. The temperature sits about 80-85, with some hotter spots and some cooler spots, and gets a little cooler at night. My lid is made out of plexiglass. I also have a humidifier in there to ensure the humidity is able to stay between 80 and 90.

Had a feeling you was going to say that.
How long have you had the tort?

 

[Michalla]

Had a feeling you was going to say that.
How long have you had the tort?

I've had him for 20 days

 

[Anyfoot]

I've had him for 20 days

Ok.
Few things
How are you measuring the temps?
Those humidity gauges are useless, you need a digital type for accurate readings.
I would cover half that enclosure with orchid bark to help retain humidity but also provide a dryer surface.
Have you got any moss in the hides?
Have you fed protein lately, when they have had a protein feist they will slow down on eating for a few days.
Also even though your tort is indoors he will act strange as winter kicks in.

 

[Anyfoot]

Just a side note, put your water dish in the middle away from anything your tort could flip on and land in the water. Where that is your tort could climb and flip off the wall.

 

[Michalla]

for the temperature I have two gauges and a IR temp gun so i get a few different readings, for humidity I just have a humidity gauge, but the humidifier is

Ok.
Few things
How are you measuring the temps?
Those humidity gauges are useless, you need a digital type for accurate readings.
I would cover half that enclosure with orchid bark to help retain humidity but also provide a dryer surface.
Have you got any moss in the hides?
Have you fed protein lately, when they have had a protein feist they will slow down on eating for a few days.
Also even though your tort is indoors he will act strange as winter kicks in.

for the temperature I have two gauges and a IR temp gun so i get a few different readings, for humidity I just have a humidity gauge, but the humidifier is on 24/7 and i put probably 1 litre of water into his substrate to maintain moisture. And no i've never fed him protein.

 

[Anyfoot]

What sort of foods are you feeding?

 

[Michalla]

What sort of foods are you feeding?

Kale, romaine lettuce, cucumber, green bell peppers, carrots, peas, apple, kiwi, and some ZooMed tortoise food to supplement his diet

 

[Michalla]

What sort of foods are you feeding?

And what ever other veggies and fruit that we have around

 

[Anyfoot]

Ok, your not doing anything vastly wrong in my opinion.
My diet is mainly weeds/greens and a bit of fruit or mushroom every day. They get one piece of fruit or mushroom slightly bigger than their head then rest is weeds.
Out of your list I don't feed kale, cucumber, carrots or peas. I also don't give apple to my babies.
For fruit try mango, papaya and plums. They love mushrooms. Can you get weeds.
Your not at the panic stage, probably just slowing up a little, it may be even be because as your feeding regime kicks in he doesn't need the continuous amount you was seeing for the first couple of weeks.

How Often are you pouring 1ltr of water in and I wouldnt have that fogger on 24/7.
All I have is 2 water trays, the evaporation from them keeps humidity up, I never pour water in. I spray my torts twice a day(just the tort not the enclosure)

 

[Daryn Blair]

Ok, your not doing anything vastly wrong in my opinion.
My diet is mainly weeds/greens and a bit of fruit or mushroom every day. They get one piece of fruit or mushroom slightly bigger than their head then rest is weeds.
Out of your list I don't feed kale, cucumber, carrots or peas. I also don't give apple to my babies.
For fruit try mango, papaya and plums. They love mushrooms. Can you get weeds.
Your not at the panic stage, probably just slowing up a little, it may be even be because as your feeding regime kicks in he doesn't need the continuous amount you was seeing for the first couple of weeks.

How Often are you pouring 1ltr of water in and I wouldnt have that fogger on 24/7.
All I have is 2 water trays, the evaporation from them keeps humidity up, I never pour water in. I spray my torts twice a day(just the tort not the enclosure)

I noticed you never pour water into the enclosure and rely on evaporation from water dishes but can I ask.. does your substrate not dry out very easily? I was always under the impression they needed a damp but not soaking substrate.. as you know I'm new also.

Cheers

 

[Anyfoot]

I noticed you never pour water into the enclosure and rely on evaporation from water dishes but can I ask.. does your substrate not dry out very easily? I was always under the impression they needed a damp but not soaking substrate.. as you know I'm new also.

Cheers

There is lots of keepers that poor water into the corners but I've just never needed too.
I have about 3" of coir, then a mix of Cyprus mulch and orchid bark on the top layer. The hides have a bit of spagnhum moss in them. All was moist when I set the vivarium up(6 months ago). I have 2 water dishes and it seems the evaporation of the water dishes is enough, in fact it's too much. The other day I added more hides and found the lower levels of the coir were too sodden. The only other water I add is when I spray my torts, and that is literally one squirt of the spray bottle on each tort twice a day(in a morning and in the evening).
In my last viv that is now destroyed because of moisture I was spraying the enclosure occasionally, but I also had to empty the substrate out a few times and replace because it was way too wet in the end.
I reckon with the correct temperature there is a certain amount of surface water relative to the enclosure size that will suffice to keep up humidity.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

There is no easy answer that works for everyone.
We all have ways that worked...and stuck with it.
For example, some of us use humidifiers. Some don't.
With my closed chamber enclosure I didn't need a heat source. With my simple 18" florescent u.v. lamp I was able to keep my temps at 78-84 day and night.
Humidity at 85 plus.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Tortoises can not digest food unless they are at least 80 degrees.
With a Redfoot, anything much hotter than 90 causes stress.
Either way the temps could hinder the appetite...