u/chenbipan

Hi, hoping someone here can help me out. I'll give context, but skip to the end for the direct question.

I have ended up caring for a juvenile red foot tortoise (about 3 inches long at this point) for the next year (possibly permanently) and am trying to do my best to keep it healthy. The person who had it before gave it to my wife in a 30 gallon glass tank with an open top, 2 inches of cypress mulch, a food dish, a water dish, and that's it. I quickly identified that this was not likely a good setup and did some research. Wow, these guys need a lot more to be properly taken care of. For example, I'm not even close to the minimum 8'x4', no heat lamp etc.

I have things figured out for food and supplements, but I need to figure out an enclosure. I live in North Florida and want to figure out my best options for housing that requires minimum upkeep and a safe/nurturing space for the tortoise. The most convenient would be to keep it on my back porch, which is large and wooden and gets partial sunlight from the east. I also have a covered porch I could move it into, and space is available if I have to bring it indoors.

I've read quite a bit now but the directions aren't really tailored to my specific circumstances; for example, I'm not sure about how much I need to control the environment with lamps etc if im planning on keeping him mostly outdoor anyways.

So, what would you recommend for an enclosure and what are the minimums needed for outdoor setup? Could I do it just on my porch with a heated space for winter or will I definitely need an indoor space? If I do an outdoor space, are there reasonable commercial options or do I need to DIY? If DIY, any recommendations for easiest upkeep that still keeps the little guy healthy?

Hi, hoping someone here can help me out. I'll give context, but skip to the end for the direct question.

I have ended up caring for a juvenile red foot tortoise (about 3 inches long at this point) for the next year (possibly permanently) and am trying to do my best to keep it healthy. The person who had it before gave it to my wife in a 30 gallon glass tank with an open top, 2 inches of cypress mulch, a food dish, a water dish, and that's it. I quickly identified that this was not likely a good setup and did some research. Wow, these guys need a lot more to be properly taken care of. For example, I'm not even close to the minimum 8'x4', no heat lamp etc.

I have things figured out for food and supplements, but I need to figure out an enclosure. I live in North Florida and want to figure out my best options for housing that requires minimum upkeep and a safe/nurturing space for the tortoise. The most convenient would be to keep it on my back porch, which is large and wooden and gets partial sunlight from the east. I also have a covered porch I could move it into, and space is available if I have to bring it indoors.

I've read quite a bit now but the directions aren't really tailored to my specific circumstances; for example, I'm not sure about how much I need to control the environment with lamps etc if im planning on keeping him mostly outdoor anyways.

So, what would you recommend for an enclosure and what are the minimums needed for outdoor setup? Could I do it just on my porch with a heated space for winter or will I definitely need an indoor space? If I do an outdoor space, are there reasonable commercial options or do I need to DIY? If DIY, any recommendations for easiest upkeep that still keeps the little guy healthy?