Tortious Home/Health/Diet Help

[P'sturtious]

Hello!

I have done a lot of research on here over the past months but I would like some direct advice if you do not mind. I have a TON of questions. We got our friend from a school that, in my opinion, was not taking proper care of her(I believe she is female). She was in a very shallow plastic bin with no UVB and no shelter. She is now very active, always always roaming around and eats like crazy. She often goes to soak in the large dish that is about 3/4'' of water(we try and keep it warm). She loves to bask under the UVB lamp.

Below is the home that I built for her but I know it needs to be improved and over the winter I am going to build her a huge outdoor shelter. I do live in the city so I have to make sure the cage is safe(yes I will be welding). But for now I would like opinions on what i can do to keep her happy over the winter.

The cage is 5.6 sqft and his shell is 4 inches long. All info, help and critcism is welcomed! I want our Tort to be happy and healthy as possible. Thank you!!!!!

1) We use Coco Husk substrate, but its not a lot as you can see the wood floor. I know she wants to dig. How deep? What about moss, where do I get it?

2) Is my lamp sufficient? It is a Reptispa UV Sun Lamp 100 Watts - UVB & UVA Self-Ballasted Mercury Vapor Lamp. I am worried that humidity is not correct. What can I do to increase it and what should I buy to monitor it?

3) She has been trying to climb out lately and as a results flips over. I am going to limit the corners to try and help the flipping issues. Should I raise the sides up?

4) Plants and hiding places - I need to plant some live plants I believe but that will definitely need more substrate. How do I go about this? I have build the roof you see, but I think I need to make more space where she can go hide. Any suggestions?

5) Food - We feed her a veggie diet and fruit diet. I believe he needs protein, what should I give her?

6) How does she look? Is her shell raised too much?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi and welcome to the Forum! I think it's great when people use us as a resource then decide to join. We're very glad to have you as a member.

1) We use Coco Husk substrate, but its not a lot as you can see the wood floor. I know she wants to dig. How deep? What about moss, where do I get it?


My favorite substrate is orchid bark. Orchid bark is fir bark that has been cleaned and has absolutely no additives. If that were my habitat (and this isn't a popular statement, so read everyone else's too and make your own decision), I would get some potting soil, the kind without perlite or other things in it, and mix it into your existing coco husk substrate. If the sides of the tort table are high enough, you should have at least 4" of substrate, and more is even better.



2) Is my lamp sufficient? It is a Reptispa UV Sun Lamp 100 Watts - UVB & UVA Self-Ballasted Mercury Vapor Lamp. I am worried that humidity is not correct. What can I do to increase it and what should I buy to monitor it?


The light you're using is fine, however, again "in my opinion" the redfooted tortoises really don't need a real hot UVB light. But if you plant a few things in there to diffuse the glare from the light, it will work just fine. To gain more humidity, you pour water over your substrate and mix it up with your hand, adding more as it evaporates. Also, if you cover or partially cover the habitat it keeps the warm, humid air inside.


3) She has been trying to climb out lately and as a results flips over. I am going to limit the corners to try and help the flipping issues. Should I raise the sides up?


You want the sides to be taller than the tortoise when it's standing on its back legs reaching for the sky. If they can get a fingerhold on the top edge, they can climb out. Once you cover the habitat the tortoise will realize climbing isn't an option anymore.


4) Plants and hiding places - I need to plant some live plants I believe but that will definitely need more substrate. How do I go about this? I have build the roof you see, but I think I need to make more space where she can go hide. Any suggestions?


I keep the plants in their pots. Then when you water the plants, the escaping water helps keep the underlayer of substrate moist. Anything the tortoise can get under is a good hiding place. I have one YF tortoise that has scraped away some of the dirt under a clump of grass and hides under there all the time. So a plant that hangs over the pot is a good hiding place. Those half logs you can buy at the pet store are good hiding places.


5) Food - We feed her a veggie diet and fruit diet. I believe he needs protein, what should I give her?


I give my RF and YF tortoises boiled chicken eggs including the shells, worms, crickets and occasionally moistened dry cat food. I give one of these items about three times a week.


6) How does she look? Is her shell raised too much?

Actually, I think the tortoise looks great. Living in a more humid environment is going to be very beneficial to it.

 

[P'sturtious]

Yvonne thank you so very much for your help.

I will certainly make the sides higher and give at least 4 inches of substrate. Where do you guy your Orchid Bark?

You give them a whole chicken egg at a time? Are the worms and crickets dead when you give them to your tortoise?

Do I leave the light on all day or just for 8 hours which I read somewhere.

 

[Yvonne G]

Where I buy my orchid bark is a local store. Anyone should be able to find it at plant nurseries.

I have more than one tortoise, so when I feed eggs, I usually feed two or three at a time. With one tortoise I would think a half an egg might be enough. A whole egg certainly isn't going to harm him.

I keep my light on to mimic a summer day - 14 hours.

 

[GRohr]

Great start! Yvonne as always has the best advice.

I have tried a few substrates and I like 50/50 cypress mulch and coconut coir to hold in a lot of moisture without getting super soppy. When you are getting the humidity up, don't get the surface of the substrate super wet as you don't want any shell rot. I get at least 4 to 6 inches of substrate as a few of my RFs like to dig. I like to put damp sphagnum moss in their hides as well. We are in NM and keeping the humidity high is always a battle so a fully closed enclosure was the best option for us.

I run my main lights 14 hrs a day and then an extra MVB 7 hrs a day to simulate extra UVB and heat like the sun would. I also like to use eggs and then also provide a few superworms but not a lot as they can be harder to digest.

I love to use live plants in the enclosure but be prepared for the possibility of them getting destroyed (mainly trampled but also eaten).

Just some of our advice.

 

[TerrapinStation]

Good advice above....

I use a simple squirt bottle (mister) from the dollar store to soak the habitat 1-2-3 times a day depending on season/conditions... check your water, I use filtered (Pur filter on fridge) but Michigan has pretty good water. Other folks may use distilled/purified.
The plants will help with humidity, as well as providing cover for the tort to hide.
I have a half-log from the pet store for a hide, but a terra cotta pot, tipped on its side and layered with substrate is just as good (and cheaper)

Enjoy!

 

[Redstrike]

I can't recommend Mike Pingleton's red foot manual enough! If you can afford a $20 book, I would pick this up.
http://www.paperbackswap.com/Redfoot-Manual-Beginners-Mike-Pingleton/book/1441494030/

 

[Anyfoot]

Mike pingletons manual is an excellent read
This link is to the Vinke book of
"South American Tortoises".
Gives a very good insight into the red,yellow and chaco tortoises.
Takes a lot for me to get lost in a book, I did with this one. Gives quite a detailed insight to their natural habitat and habits.

I was told it has the most up to date imformation we know about reds, for now.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/3899736036/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[crimson_lotus]

Mike pingletons manual is an excellent read
This link is to the Vinke book of
"South American Tortoises".
Gives a very good insight into the red,yellow and chaco tortoises.
Takes a lot for me to get lost in a book, I did with this one. Gives quite a detailed insight to their natural habitat and habits.

I was told it has the most up to date imformation we know about reds, for now.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/3899736036/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I enjoyed this book as well and would highly recommend it!

I use coconut coir for the substrate, about 5 inches deep since these guys aren't exactly the best diggers. Bought in compacted bricks, they're pretty cheap. She can ingest it, it smells pretty good, no bugs or mold, and it retains water well. I also use sphagnum moss for hiding and burrowing.

Oh and I would recommend lining the bottom with something if that is untreated wood, since their ideal habitat is basically a haven for mold.

 

[P'sturtious]

Can't thank you guys enough for the info. I am going to buy the book, add something to protect wood bottom from rotting, and she ate her first chicken egg! Few more questions if you don't mind:

As for humidity, I am buying a temp and humidity digital reader. I started spritzing today. I should keep the whole area wet or leave some dry? Is using a humidifier by cage good idea?

I worry about leaving the light on while I am at work for 8-10 hours. I flip it on and leave on all night. Is this ok? Any suggestions? On for roughly 13-15 hours.

Is the light too big? Should I put it farther away? She looks very dry lately.

I plan on adding a half wood cover and half plant canopy. Should I make habitat bigger?

Here is updated habitat photo, thank you!

 

[crimson_lotus]

If that is a clamp lamp, I would find a more stable light holder. I use the reptile lamp stands, or I drill the stand right into the wooden enclosure to make sure it won't fall while I'm gone.

MVB's need to be faced straight down, if they're crooked then you won't get the uvb exposure you're looking for and it will decrease the life of the bulb. As for if your lamp is too big or too hot, you will need to check the temps and humidity to determine that.

Do you have a light for night time? They need it dark to sleep just like we do. I'd recommend a ceramic heat emitter.

A bigger enclosure if you can is always recommended.

What I do is have half of my enclosures substrate damp under the heat lamps, and keep the cooler areas toward the back a bit dryer. Humidity should still be high throughout. I have 80-99% humidity as a constant on both sides. I pour warm water into the corners under the heat lamp every few days to keep it moist and not dry out.

 

[P'sturtious]

It is a clamp lamp but its secured pretty good, I will make it 100% safe.

I do not have a light for night time. I use my large UVB lamp from about 5pm until 9am. Does this mess her up? I do this because it makes me nervous leaving the lamps on during the day when no one is home. Is it safe to leave them on all day? I believe the lamp has a safety feature of turning off if it gets too hot.

I have read about hibernation, will my turtle do this?

Also how big will she get? I have no idea how old she is, how can I tell?

Thank you crimson_lotus, great info and much appreciated!

 

[crimson_lotus]

I would still get a stand as fires have occurred because the clamp for those lamps stink.

I leave my lights on 24/7, although I live in the Northeast US and it's quite chilly, so I NEED them on at all times. For my new turtle I turn the MVB off that I leave on during the day and replace it with a ceramic heat emitter at night. Temperatures in my opinion should never drop below 80. Adults can handle colder temperatures in the low 70's and 60's but only for a short period of time.

Red Foots do not hibernate.

They can get between 13-16 inches, give or take, when fully grown. The best estimate for age would be to just compare weight and size to other reds with determined age. There is no surefire way to tell unless you know when they were born. My red is about 10 inches and I estimate her to be around 5-6 years old. She grew quite a bit in the past 2 years, nearly double her size.

 

[P'sturtious]

Getting or making a stand, on the list.

I tend to leave my house on the cold side which I know cant be good for her and we have radiator heat so its dry. I live in DC so it is cold here during winter months. I think I need to start trusting the lamp and leave it on during the day. Just freaks me out.

I plan on making a larger enclosure and getting a ceramic heat emitter.

Thanks again.

 

[GRohr]

If you keep your house on the colder side you may want to use a plastic sheeting or something like that to hold in the heat during the night. The CHE work well but not that well for during the night. one night of high humidity and cooler temps is all you need for your little guy to get a cough. I think when they are young a closed chamber will just solve so many issues compared to an open table.

I have never had an issue running my lights while I am at work, as long as they are secured properly and not using clamps. Also, I would imagine that keeping your house dark enough during the day would be problematic as they need darkness to sleep.

 

[Ferretinmyshoes]

You need to turn lights off at night or they're not getting a normal day and night cycle. You can leave a ceramic heat emitter on at night to keep it warm as they don't emit light. But leaving the UVB on all night is really not a good practice. Imagine if you never got a dark time and had to sleep even though it was light. It causes chronic stress.