Some concerns with cherry head hatchling

SMK

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Hello:

I have a Cherryhead Redfoot hatchling; she's about 2-3 months old. I've had her since early September.
She's 21/2 inches and weighs 56 grams.
I have her in a plastic bin enclosure 3.5 feet by 1.5 feet.
Her substrate is a mix of loose coconut fiber, forest moss, and sphagrun moss, which I mist.
I was using a MVB for both heat and light but the light seemed too harsh so I've switched to a CHE with a thermostat.
Her temperature during the day is 80-84 F and night 79-80 F. I mist the enclosure several times a day to keep humidity at 70-90%.
She's soaked twice a day in 1/4 inch warm/tepid water for 10 minutes. I also mist her.
She's offered daily:
Mazuri pellets soaked in warm water
Kale, escarole, green and red leaf lettuce, organic spring mix, chard, dandelion greens, cantaloupe, mango, banana, cactus pads, hisbiscus flowers.
For protein once per week: shrimp or tuna or 1/4 teaspoon chicken cat food.
She has a tortoise block for calcium and also a calcium supplement to sprinkle on her greens.

She is a picky eater and rejects a lot of what is offered, but I keep trying.

First concern: Is 56 grams an OK weight for 21/2 inches and about 2 months old?
Second: Is it normal for her to be such a picky eater?
Most concerning: This evening during her warm water soak she put her head down and drank as usual, but she seemed to drink and drink for a very long time. Then she lifted her head, opened her mouth, and vomited a lot of water and what looked like lettuce she had eaten earlier today. It really scared me; is this a concern?

Thanks for any input.
 

SMK

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I wanted to add that I check her daily to make sure her nostrils are clear and her breathing is normal. There have been no problems.

Also I've ordered a temperature gun so I can keep better track, some plastic plants, a shallow water dish and a flat stone.

I have also ordered a Zoo Med clamp lamp so I can give her a uv light.

Sorry it looks so bare now and for the poor quality pics. The CHE is 12 inches from the substrate.
 

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ZEROPILOT

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As long as it was only the one time and the animal seems otherwise normal. I wouldn't be concerned.
Just keep an eye open for anything unusual for a few days.
Also, I would only use a strip florescent for UVB. The "bulbs" have been associated with eye issues and are a hotly contested item.
My two cents is....Just don't use them.
Everything else seems good. Temperatures of 80 to 85. No higher.
Humidity of over 70%.
Warmth and UVB with no unnecessary bright lights. Places to hide and a water dish that can be easily accessed.
 

SMK

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Thanks so much for all this information.
Yes, I'm hoping she just drank too much water. There haven't been any other symptoms, but I'll be keeping a close eye on her.

Thank you again.
 

rmn813

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Baby Carbonaria can be picky eaters. The pickiness usually goes away as they gain size and get older. Just have to be patient with them.
 

Anyfoot

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Hello:

I have a Cherryhead Redfoot hatchling; she's about 2-3 months old. I've had her since early September.
She's 21/2 inches and weighs 56 grams.
I have her in a plastic bin enclosure 3.5 feet by 1.5 feet.
Her substrate is a mix of loose coconut fiber, forest moss, and sphagrun moss, which I mist.
I was using a MVB for both heat and light but the light seemed too harsh so I've switched to a CHE with a thermostat.
Her temperature during the day is 80-84 F and night 79-80 F. I mist the enclosure several times a day to keep humidity at 70-90%.
She's soaked twice a day in 1/4 inch warm/tepid water for 10 minutes. I also mist her.
She's offered daily:
Mazuri pellets soaked in warm water
Kale, escarole, green and red leaf lettuce, organic spring mix, chard, dandelion greens, cantaloupe, mango, banana, cactus pads, hisbiscus flowers.
For protein once per week: shrimp or tuna or 1/4 teaspoon chicken cat food.
She has a tortoise block for calcium and also a calcium supplement to sprinkle on her greens.

She is a picky eater and rejects a lot of what is offered, but I keep trying.

First concern: Is 56 grams an OK weight for 21/2 inches and about 2 months old?
Second: Is it normal for her to be such a picky eater?
Most concerning: This evening during her warm water soak she put her head down and drank as usual, but she seemed to drink and drink for a very long time. Then she lifted her head, opened her mouth, and vomited a lot of water and what looked like lettuce she had eaten earlier today. It really scared me; is this a concern?

Thanks for any input.
Tortoises do regurgitate food and fluids back out accidents. I’ve had strawberries coming out of the nostrils before. So as long as it’s not an on going thing I wouldn’t worry.

Weight is fine for 3 months old.

As they grow they eat a bigger variety of food.
Really you should be starting off with weeds/greens and a bit of mushroom. Then start to add bits of fruit at a couple months old then protein around 6 months old.

Keep your day temps the same through the night.
 

SMK

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Tortoises do regurgitate food and fluids back out accidents. I’ve had strawberries coming out of the nostrils before. So as long as it’s not an on going thing I wouldn’t worry.

Weight is fine for 3 months old.

As they grow they eat a bigger variety of food.
Really you should be starting off with weeds/greens and a bit of mushroom. Then start to add bits of fruit at a couple months old then protein around 6 months old.

Keep your day temps the same through the night.
Thanks so much!
 

SMK

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Tortoises do regurgitate food and fluids back out accidents. I’ve had strawberries coming out of the nostrils before. So as long as it’s not an on going thing I wouldn’t worry.

Weight is fine for 3 months old.

As they grow they eat a bigger variety of food.
Really you should be starting off with weeds/greens and a bit of mushroom. Then start to add bits of fruit at a couple months old then protein around 6 months old.

Keep your day temps the same through the night.
I was going to add:

She REJECTS: Mazuri pellets soaked; all mushrooms ; romaine, endive, escarole, kale, organic spring mix, chard, organic power greens mix; hibiscus flowers; mango.

She eats TINY amounts of: red and green leaf lettuce, banana, cantaloupe; occasional (1x per week) hard boiled egg, shrimp, cat food.

Another thing: I attempted to make a partially closed chamber with heavy duty aluminum foil, but found it was keeping humidity high but was blocking the CHE and bringing the temps down too low to 74F. I've had to put the CHE over the center of the enclosure as it was (same as with MVB) making one side too hot and dry while leaving the other side too cool and humid; all wrong.
 

Anyfoot

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I was going to add:

She REJECTS: Mazuri pellets soaked; all mushrooms ; romaine, endive, escarole, kale, organic spring mix, chard, organic power greens mix; hibiscus flowers; mango.

She eats TINY amounts of: red and green leaf lettuce, banana, cantaloupe; occasional (1x per week) hard boiled egg, shrimp, cat food.

Another thing: I attempted to make a partially closed chamber with heavy duty aluminum foil, but found it was keeping humidity high but was blocking the CHE and bringing the temps down too low to 74F. I've had to put the CHE over the center of the enclosure as it was (same as with MVB) making one side too hot and dry while leaving the other side too cool and humid; all wrong.
You need a closed enclosure like a vivarium to maintain ambient heat and humidity.
Feed only weeds and greens with a little bit of mushroom for the next week. I bet he eats within a few days.
 
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Relic

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Did your tub come with a plastic lid? If so, you can cut holes in it for the light fixture & CHE and use it to help keep the humidity up.
 
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SMK

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You need a closed enclosure like a vivarium to maintain ambient heat and humidity.
Feed only weeds and greens with a little bit of mushroom for the next week. I bet he eats within a few days.
Thanks, I shall try!
 

SMK

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Did your tub come with a plastic lid? If so, you can cut holes in it for the light fixture & CHE and use it to help keep the humidity up.
I was putting the plastic bin on about 4/5 of the way, and leaving just space at the Left end for the MVB when I was using that. It kept temp/humidity up somewhat but the MVB side was getting too hot. I tried putting foil all around and just leaving a space for the CHE in the center but it seemed to block the heat. Wouldn't that happen as well with plastic and cutouts? Or does the CHE have to be lower down than 12"?
 

ZEROPILOT

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What exactly is the temperature?
It's so bizarre that Redfoot wont eat mango, mushrooms or hibiscus flowers!
If the temps are much lower than 80 or much higher than 89, the animal might have issues digesting or with other stress.
This is just a guess.
Most RF eat like crazy.
 

SMK

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What exactly is the temperature?
It's so bizarre that Redfoot wont eat mango, mushrooms or hibiscus flowers!
If the temps are much lower than 80 or much higher than 89, the animal might have issues digesting or with other stress.
This is just a guess.
Most RF eat like crazy.
That's what bothers me. It's very worrisome. The temperature on both sides fluctuates between 80-84 (when I mist everything the humidity rises, but the temperature drops down to mid-low 70s, so then I have to up the thermostat, and move the bin according to which side she happens to be in ---and sometimes I put her beneath the CHE as I'm afraid she's too cold. very difficult to deal with)


The hisbiscus flowers are dried. I put them in water, but maybe dried are not right for tortoises?
 

ZEROPILOT

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That's what bothers me. It's very worrisome. The temperature on both sides fluctuates between 80-84 (when I mist everything the humidity rises, but the temperature drops down to mid-low 70s, so then I have to up the thermostat, and move the bin according to which side she happens to be in ---and sometimes I put her beneath the CHE as I'm afraid she's too cold. very difficult to deal with)


The hisbiscus flowers are dried. I put them in water, but maybe dried are not right for tortoises?
My Redfoot will eat things that aren't fresh ( going bad) but I wouldn't expect them to eat dried anything. Other types of tortoise, yes.
And mine don't like the "better" portabella mushrooms. They like the white button type.
I can't think of anything dried, hay, etc. That Redfoot eat. If I had access to dried flowers, I'd chop them up into some kale or Romaine and moisten it. But no worries, because Redfoot can and will eat a great abundance of different foods. More than any other species of tortoise.
As far as the temperature getting into the upper 70s...That would be perfectly ok for a nighttime temperature. Just not ideal for longer periods.
(Mine living outside occasionally see temperatures in the upper 50s.)
70s wont harm them in the short term. But very high temperatures. 90s and above, can and will cause permanent harm.
Especially anything nearing 100 degrees.
So you're ok to err on the cool side while you are figuring things out. Especially if we're talking about upper 70s.
 
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SMK

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My Redfoot will eat things that aren't fresh ( going bad) but I wouldn't expect them to eat dried anything. Other types of tortoise, yes.
And mine don't like the "better" portabella mushrooms. They like the white button type.
I can't think of anything dried, hay, etc. That Redfoot eat. If I had access to dried flowers, I'd chop them up into some kale or Romaine and moisten it. But no worries, because Redfoot can and will eat a great abundance of different foods. More than any other species of tortoise.
As far as the temperature getting into the upper 70s...That would be perfectly ok for a nighttime temperature. Just not ideal for longer periods.
(Mine living outside occasionally see temperatures in the upper 50s.)
70s wont harm them in the short term. But very high temperatures. 90s and above, can and will cause permanent harm.
Especially anything nearing 100 degrees.
So you're ok to err on the cool side while you are figuring things out. Especially if we're talking about upper 70s.


Thanks for all.
Glad to hear at least that I've not subjected her to the harm of high temperatures.

I do now think I may have had a temperature problem these past weeks because tonight I realized for the first time that when the temperature/humidity gauge says 81 it is actually only about 75 in her hide. I assumed it would be the same temperature but I put it inside her hide where she sleeps for about 1/2 hour and when I took it out it said 75T/99H which is all off. I want it more like 80/80. That's why I ordered a temperature gun because it may be that I've been assuming she's in 81 degrees all day and she's really been much lower. Maybe this has affected her appetite.

With her lack of eating she hasn't really gotten the calcium supplement in her. I wish she'd eat the Mazuri soaked pellets so at least she'd get it that way. Do you think this has done harm in 31/2 weeks?

Thanks very much for all your input.
 
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