Redfoot trouble

[Ramus]

I was changing my cages substrate and while I was dumping the dirt out I had cut my hand up pretty bad (I am missing two of my finger tips) and now my redfoot's terrarium is broken on the bottom. I had ordered a hatchling red about 4 days ago and it should be here tomorrow. I had two separate tanks I was going to use to separate them but since the smaller one is broken I don't think it's possible to use the other one anymore. I am afraid my current redfoot who is 2 years old might bully this hatchling. The tank I currently have to use is this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167S5EY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 .

 

[dmmj]

Bullying can be an issue, but at that age is rare. Things should be ok, just make sure both are eating.

 

[Yvonne G]

Its a very good idea to quarantine new arrivals before putting them in with your existing tortoises. Can you cut a piece of plywood to fit the bottom of the broken one?

Big box stores sell large plastic bins for pretty cheap prices.

 

[Ramus]

He came today and we took him to the vet no deseases or anything like that, though I was considering putting some fake plants in my terrarium. Are they flammable?

 

[dmmj]

They ar not flammable ( as far as I know) but they do look like real plants and can be confused for one.

 

[Ramus]

I have two more questions now. After switching them to this tank I have been having problems with keeping up the humidity, it wasn't a problem in my glass terrarium but now it is. Is there a way to fix this? Also my turtle has been getting itself covered in dirt then going to soak itself. This wouldn't be a problem but the substrate floats at the top recovering my tortoise and sometimes it covers her whole head making it difficult for her to see. I try to get it off but she hides in her shell. Is there any way to fix this?

 

[dmmj]

LOL, sorry no way to fix a dirty tortoise. as for humidity, the water vapor is probably escaping, covering half of the enclosure should help.

 

[Redstrike]

Closed chambers are the way to go for retaining heat and humidity - see the links in my signature and the many others by Tom and other users here on the forum. Search "closed chamber" and plenty should show up.

A dirty tortoise = a happy tortoise.

 

[Ramus]

Also another question on humidity. When I've been misting I've had to mist the substrate a lot where it is noticeably wet to keep the humidity up and i'm not sure what to cover my cage with because i'm afraid it might be flammable being next to the heat lamp. Is it going to cause my tortoises skin to be messed up and such? Another thing is concerns with an outdoor cage. I live in St.Louis and even though we have high humidity in the Summer and it sometimes may get to hot, also im not sure what I can do during winter.

 

[NicoleB26]

Redfoots are susceptible to shell rot when they are kept on wet substrate. I have used a piece of plexiglass from the local home improvement store in the past as a cover to retain humidity, it worked well. I have also seen others use aluminum foil to cover the tops of enclosures to maintain humidity. If you search the enclosure threads on the forum you will see many wonderful pics of enclosure ideas. I live in Ohio and my redfoots are inside all winter. If this isn't an option you can find some nice outdoor housing ideas here too. Good luck! Keep reading and asking questions! I have learned a lot here, I'm sure you will too!

 

[Ramus]

How am I doing?
How is my tank setup?

 

[tortnmutt]

You will get multiple telling you to get rid of that water dish. It's not well designed for torts and is a death trap. After reading recommendations on here I made the switch to just a teracotta dish. Will give more room too.

 

[Ashes]

You will get multiple telling you to get rid of that water dish. It's not well designed for torts and is a death trap. After reading recommendations on here I made the switch to just a teracotta dish. Will give more room too.

Agreed. That dish is easy to flip in.

 

[Ramus]

Agreed. That dish is easy to flip in.

Yes... I learned my leason when my hatchling had flipped (the one in the picture is a yearling). Is there any sites I can get a decent sized one on?

 

[Ashes]

Just go get a terra cotta saucer (the bottom for plant pots) - you can get em at Walmart for a few bucks. All different sizes. See?

That's my baby red foot. I have two of those dishes - one for water and a bigger one for his grazing grass. As he grows, I'll get him a bigger dish. Super cheap!

 

[mike taylor]

I have found some crawfish plates for like dollar or so at the wal-mart . They are plastic and eazy to clean . I have changed all my water bowls out .

 

[Ramus]

How's one of these? http://thetyedyediguana.com/products/Repti-Rock-Water-Dish.html . Also I have recently tried feeding them crickets any clue when they'll actually eat them?

 

[JoesMum]

Most people don't recommend those dishes for tortoises as they are a tipping hazard and hard to climb in and out of. An ordinary plant saucer from a hardware store, sunk into the substrate so that the rim is level with the top of the dirt is better... and cheaper

 

[naturalman91]

How's one of these? http://thetyedyediguana.com/products/Repti-Rock-Water-Dish.html . Also I have recently tried feeding them crickets any clue when they'll actually eat them?

you'll save yourself a lot of money and hassle by just going and getting a plant saucer at walmart or home depo or lowes really anywhere that sell's pots for plants and the cricket thing i doubt it but you never know something to consider tho is they aren't really animal protein eaters in captivity most only offer animal protein once or twice a month max the can't process it like other animals can

 

[Blgreek08]

I'm just saying, I have used a water dish like that for over a year with my reds and they have never had an issue...... they have never even flipped.