Setting up for redfoots - getting it right?

[Reptilian Feline]

I made a deal with the herp shop - I can bring home the redfoots before they'vre been paid in full. Being friends with the owner helps a lot.

I can take them home as soon as I have their housing set up. They come from a good breeder in Hungary, but the paperwork on them (there was a large group) is kind of a mess. Multiple animals on one paper, some going to one, some going to others. The date and so on, is hand written, but it looks like at least one was born in 2013. I don't know if it's the small one (11cm/4.2 in) or the larger one (17cm/ 6.6 in). At least none of them are babies, and they used to go together, so they know each other.

I need to make sure I do it right with heat, humidity and lights.
I have coco coir as substrate. To expand it I have to pour water on it. Do I need to dry some of it before I use it? I'm worried about giving them shell rot. Can I cover the coconut with dry leaves, like oak leaves? Orchid bark is made from pine. Isn't that bad?

Indoor room temp at our house is about 24C/75F. Is that enough during the night? They need about 28C/82.4F during the day, or more? They don't like sharp light in the shop, can I use a CHE as a basking "light" as well? What temp is OK for basking?

I will use LED grow lights for ambient lighting and to help the plants, but they need UVB as well. I have a 14W 10% UVB tube light. I don't want to overdo it, so I should just leave it on for about 3 hours during the míddle of the day, or the whole day? (For my tiny leo, 3 hours was recommended with that light)

Will it be enough to have a large water dish and then water the plants in the tank to keep up the humidity?

As for food and so on, that seem clear enough from what I've read so far, no worries there.

I think the older one is female, the smaller one not old enough yet.

 

[Anyfoot]

Is the bigger one a Bolivian redfoot?

 

[Reptilian Feline]

To be honest, I don't know. The paper doesn't specify variant. First 4 pics, the larger one, next 3 pics the smaller one.

 

[Anyfoot]

I keep mine at 80/86f, humidity at 80%. I use a che for heat and a uvb strip light for uvb and light. CHE on a thermostat 24/7 and uvb on a timer, on for 12/14hrs. I don't have a basking spot. Orchid bark on a layer moist coir and sphagnum moss in the hides for babies. Water dish needs to be big enough for them to self soak.

 

[mike taylor]

Red foots don't need a basking spot . Keep the enclosure at 80 /85 degrees . The uvb lamp you talk about is a compact fluorescent lamp . They have been known to cause eye burns much like welders burn . I keep my reds on cypress mulch much cleaner . It holds humidity well . If you can get them outside for an hour or so a day you will not need uvb . The Che is perfect for reds . Set it up on a thermostat and leave it on .

 

[Reptilian Feline]

Red foots don't need a basking spot . Keep the enclosure at 80 /85 degrees . The uvb lamp you talk about is a compact fluorescent lamp . They have been known to cause eye burns much like welders burn . I keep my reds on cypress mulch much cleaner . It holds humidity well . If you can get them outside for an hour or so a day you will not need uvb . The Che is perfect for reds . Set it up on a thermostat and leave it on .

The UVB is a tube, not compact, 14W, set up using an external ballast-thingy, water-proof.

I thought all types of "needle"-trees, like pine, cedar etc. was bad for reptiles of any kind. Maybe I'm over-reacting.

I live in Sweden. Outside sun at good temps are rare, even if redfoots aren't as sensitive as leopard torts.

Isn't there a risk for shell rot if the ground is moist?

 

[mike taylor]

Yes there is a risk of shell got if kept on wet substrate. The key is to keep it from being wet on the top . That's why I use cypress mulch . You can pour water in the corner to keep the top dry while keeping the lower layers wet .I've never had a problem with shell rot on my tortoises.

 

[Reptilian Feline]

Yes there is a risk of shell got if kept on wet substrate. The key is to keep it from being wet on the top . That's why I use cypress mulch . You can pour water in the corner to keep the top dry while keeping the lower layers wet .I've never had a problem with shell rot on my tortoises.

So, after I wet tho coco down so it expands, I should dry it in the oven before putting it in the enclosure? There is no way the coconut coir will expand without getting wet, and it stays wet for long.

 

[mike taylor]

I've never put it in a oven . Get it wet and let it do it's thing . Put it in your enclosure. Let it dry buy your tortoise lighting. Then once as week pour water in the corner of the enclosure. That way only the corner is wet and the under layer of the substrate is wet .

 

[Reptilian Feline]

Thanks Mike! I've got some fine grade orchide bark as well to spread on top. I guess I'm a bit of a mother hen at the moment, desperstly trying to foresee any thing that might happen so the torts will be fine.