# Is my Sulcata Tortoise Pyramiding and is this the right size Sulcata to be 1 year old



## andrew71888 (Feb 16, 2010)

Hello again friends! 

U all remember Lil Hercules my sulcata tortoise. I am just wondering if he is pyramiding or anything, and also if he is the right size to be a year old? 

If u know plz inform me and here are some pictures of the lil guy


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## Meg90 (Feb 16, 2010)

He is very much undersized. How long have you had him? Did you get him from a shop, or a previous owner?

Please describe how you keep him (diet, substrate, temps, lighting, soaking, etc). I have a 6 month old Greek tortoise (a species that stays much smaller) that is just about his size. And yes, he is also already starting to pyramid. What are your daily humidity levels?

You can prevent his pyramiding from getting any worse, and get his growth back on track with some tips, I'm sure. Once we know his husbandry, it will be easier to help.


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## terracolson (Feb 16, 2010)

I am so clueless to seeing this.. how do you identify the pyramiding?

I wish some one would import a pic into paint and draw on it!






Meg90 said:


> He is very much undersized. How long have you had him? Did you get him from a shop, or a previous owner?
> 
> Please describe how you keep him (diet, substrate, temps, lighting, soaking, etc). I have a 6 month old Greek tortoise (a species that stays much smaller) that is just about his size. And yes, he is also already starting to pyramid. What are your daily humidity levels?
> 
> You can prevent his pyramiding from getting any worse, and get his growth back on track with some tips, I'm sure. Once we know his husbandry, it will be easier to help.


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## TortieGal (Feb 16, 2010)

My Sulcata is not quite a year yet and he is much bigger. I would say he is small and is pyramiding. Can you show some pic's of his enclosure?


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## Meg90 (Feb 16, 2010)

If he wasn't pyramiding, his shell would be completely smooth. Those little valleys in between his scutes are the tell tale sign. Take a look at some of my threads, Terra. I have one up about Novalee recently, and she's my smooth girl. My older girl, Anouk, has minor pyramiding from being kept on dry substrate for 2 months (I fixed my enclosure when I noticed it)


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## andrew71888 (Feb 16, 2010)

Meg90 said:


> He is very much undersized. How long have you had him? Did you get him from a shop, or a previous owner?
> 
> Please describe how you keep him (diet, substrate, temps, lighting, soaking, etc). I have a 6 month old Greek tortoise (a species that stays much smaller) that is just about his size. And yes, he is also already starting to pyramid. What are your daily humidity levels?
> 
> You can prevent his pyramiding from getting any worse, and get his growth back on track with some tips, I'm sure. Once we know his husbandry, it will be easier to help.




I have had him for 1 year i purchased him at the ariligton reptile expo Feb 8 2009 from a breeder. I feed him zuchinie turnip green collard greens and mustard greens and every now and then water mellon but only like once a month. He is on cypress multch in a pen of 76-80 degrees cuz right now i have no heat lamp but a uvb lamp. Humidity cant tell right now... I soak him 3 times a week? Maybe 4.


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## Meg90 (Feb 16, 2010)

You have no heat on a cold blooded animal? Just a tube UVB? 

Do you know that reptiles need heat to digest and process their food? Without it, he isn't getting ANY nutrition at all. And your diet needs more variety. Turnip and collard greens bind Ca which contributes to pyramiding. Use spring mix as a staple in his diet, it has good fiber and will not stunt him (pick out any spinach) cycle in other greens once every week or so. 

Does he have water available??

Heat is a big issue here. Its cruel to keep him without it. Sulcata come from Africa. Room temp is COLD to them.


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## terracolson (Feb 16, 2010)

I agree with Meg on the foods and the temp...


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## dreadyA (Feb 16, 2010)

humidity is arised because of the heat, so you should probably bump up the temps for the lil guy to produce humidity:]
pyramiding cannot be reversed but can be stopped.


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## andrew71888 (Feb 16, 2010)

Ok i will get a new heat lamp mix his diet up a bit, what else can i do to help him stop pyrimiding and start growing? And yes he has access to water


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## Meg90 (Feb 16, 2010)

Heat, humidity in the high 70's, lower 80's and a more stable diet will all help. Also, dust every one of his meals in pure Ca powder. He will need it for a healthy, hard shell and bones.


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## terracolson (Feb 16, 2010)

Outside the most as possible!


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## andrew71888 (Feb 17, 2010)

Sorry this may soun dstupid but Meg wat is Ca? Is that calcium? And yes i am now starting to realzie he is more active becuz i have been taking him outside. He really misses that heat i bet. It is also getting warmer. And any other tips and or facts i need to know? And other then that is he going to be ok?

Since he wont eat do i still try to feed him? I notice he eats a lil outside? Is that due to the heat outside?


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## TortieGal (Feb 17, 2010)

His core temp needs to be about 85 to even digest his food, so warming him up will help to get him to eat again. I think he will be ok if you get him going on the right track. Good Luck!


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## andrew71888 (Feb 17, 2010)

Thx so much ppl. I will get him the right stuff and hope he gets bck on track.
I will update him sooner or later


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## Maggie Cummings (Feb 17, 2010)

That baby needs a hot light to warm him up. Even if you just use a regular 100 watt incandescent bulb until you can afford a CHE. You also need a blacklight bulb to keep him warm at night. Both bulbs together will cost less then $10 and they are seriously important. You say he's not eating? That's because he's not warm enough. His inner core temp needs to be in the 85 degree range for him to be able to metabolize his food. He could die...do you realize that? He needs to be warmer and he needs to be warmer NOW. This is not something you can ignore. If he is already not eating death is bumping at his door. Please please get those 2 bulbs for him, you can afford them. If you don't warm him up, and do it quickly he will die. 2 bulbs around $6...if you don't have the money tell us where you live and one of us will get the bulbs to you...please!


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## andrew71888 (Feb 17, 2010)

maggie3fan said:


> That baby needs a hot light to warm him up. Even if you just use a regular 100 watt incandescent bulb until you can afford a CHE. You also need a blacklight bulb to keep him warm at night. Both bulbs together will cost less then $10 and they are seriously important. You say he's not eating? That's because he's not warm enough. His inner core temp needs to be in the 85 degree range for him to be able to metabolize his food. He could die...do you realize that? He needs to be warmer and he needs to be warmer NOW. This is not something you can ignore. If he is already not eating death is bumping at his door. Please please get those 2 bulbs for him, you can afford them. If you don't warm him up, and do it quickly he will die. 2 bulbs around $6...if you don't have the money tell us where you live and one of us will get the bulbs to you...please!



Trust me this tortoise is my life...My parents are both gone my brother is dead idk who my sister is. I will do my absolute best to get this tortoise to live. All i need is some more money! I have uvb but wat is this CHE and Backlight light u r talking about?


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## dreadyA (Feb 17, 2010)

do you have a regular old house light bulb laying around or on a lamp that you hardly use? just use that temporary till your parents get home. Good luck


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## andrew71888 (Feb 17, 2010)

dreadyA said:


> do you have a regular old house light bulb laying around or on a lamp that you hardly use? just use that temporary till your parents get home. Good luck



Yes i think and when we say house light we just mean like ones from the ceiling fan right? And no i dont think they are comeing bck anytime soon...........(dead and left)


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## chadk (Feb 17, 2010)

Keep the substrate moist too. Temps + moist substrate will give you decent humidity. He should have a warm side and a cool side. Do you have him in a glass tank?


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## andrew71888 (Feb 17, 2010)

chadk said:


> Keep the substrate moist too. Temps + moist substrate will give you decent humidity. He should have a warm side and a cool side. Do you have him in a glass tank?



No a wooden 2 story pen i build. 

I am building one that is one storry so he can have a cool side and a warm side.
Why should he have a glass tank? I thought that stresses them out?


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## Yvonne G (Feb 17, 2010)

No, you misunderstand. No glass tank. He was just trying to figure out how your tortoise is set up.

CHE = Ceramic Heat Emitter. Its a ceramic heater that looks like a flat light bulb. You can buy them in a pet store. They provide heat without light.

Black or red bulb are just regular light bulbs with dark glass instead of clear glass. They provide heat for night time without visible light.

Whichever kind you use, makes no difference. Heat without light for night time and heat with light for day time.


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## chadk (Feb 17, 2010)

I was wondering about the glass tank because my little sullie was raised by the previous owner in a glass tank on dry wood chips and a very hot lamp. No humidity at all. No good temp gradients. no hides. And at the rate yours is heading, he'll look as bad as mine.

Does he feel heavy (water logged) or light weight (almost hollow) in your hand? Does the shell feel hard and thick or almost soft\pliable?


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## andrew71888 (Feb 17, 2010)

emysemys said:


> No, you misunderstand. No glass tank. He was just trying to figure out how your tortoise is set up.
> 
> CHE = Ceramic Heat Emitter. Its a ceramic heater that looks like a flat light bulb. You can buy them in a pet store. They provide heat without light.
> 
> ...



O ok thx for explaining i just set up a regular light and he is already enjoying it he is already starting to nibbl eon his food!


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## ChiKat (Feb 17, 2010)

That's great news! Keep us posted on the little guy's progress!


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## andrew71888 (Feb 17, 2010)

He feels heavy Btw and his shell feels hard. Not light or soft at all really. 

And yes i will be pleased to keep yall updated.


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## samstar (Feb 18, 2010)

you might also want to add Mazuri tortoise food in it's diet to make sure it's getting all the nutrients.


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## Meg90 (Mar 14, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beGTP-biDas&feature=response_watch this is you, isn't it?

You should be pouring water over the substrate and mixing it around with your hand to keep it humid. Cyprus drys out and STAYS dry unless you rewet it. Misting isn't doing anything for you humidity wise.


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## DonaTello's-Mom (Mar 14, 2010)

All this advice is VERY GOOD ADVICE. I have a 1yr old sully and he's 4 1/2 inches long. Much bigger than yours. My 'hot' or 'basking' area is 107 degrees and my baby loves it now and eats VERY good. So bump that heat up any way you can, lowering the bulbs helps. You've been given great advice by very experienced tortoise keepers. Use that advice. Pour water on the subtrate and mix it up to get it moist and then keep it moist. Good luck! Everything will be fine. Your baby tort has a good parent, you!


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## biglove4bigtorts (Mar 17, 2010)

Go to Lowes and get a Sylvania incandescent grow bulb. It should come in 50-120watt options, the most expensive being about $8. That will give you the heat you need and a spectrum that simulates daylight for the tortoise. These are cheaper than pet store basking lights. You can also buy infared heat bulbs there that are 250 watts. These are red and emit heat for night use. They require a ceramic dome fixture also available there. Be careful with the distance form the tort you use any heat bulb and check the temps with a tempgun or reliable thermometer. You can stop misting and use some sphagnum moss or moistened coir (bedabeast available at petco) in a hide that you keep moist. get some Calcium and feed that guy a better diet. He is young enough to improve and be minimally impacted by the shortcomings in his care at this point, but he is also most sensitive to them now as well...the longer improper diet, temps, and humidity continue, the more the chances for life-long diformities or death increase. I have tons of the ceramic lamp sockets around...I'll be happy to send you one for the cost of shipping, just pvt me. If you need help getting the proper bulbs, I would be glad to help you, but I can't do that for free, you would have to pay for the, but I wouldn't charge you anything more than they cost me. You seem like a young, bright guy, who is getting started in the reptile hobby. You may or may not have bitten off more than you can chew with a tortoise that needs so much space and a controlled environment. Not the best choice at an age where you have no way to get a regular income. We will all try to help, but you may need to do what's best for those torts and give them to a more capable person, at least until your situation improves. Good Luck.


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## DonaTello's-Mom (Mar 18, 2010)

biglove4bigtorts, that is so nice of you! Your gonna make me cry.......


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## biglove4bigtorts (Mar 18, 2010)

I remember what it was like to have this insatiable interest in living things and no money. At that age and even a few years older, impulse rules over reality and while a responsible adult would evaluate a situation first, someone that young is coaught up in the moment and probably worked everything out in his head to find it really wasn't so easy. It's ok, he obviously has done some research and has made a fair effort at coorect housing, diet, and conditions, so I see every reason to support and educate him. He might be an excellent hobbiest/breeder someday....I think lots of us start out this way, maybe not with sulcatas, but we all have that poor anole from the carnival or goldfish in a bowl, before we know better.


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## DonaTello's-Mom (Mar 19, 2010)

I remember that goldfish. I got for a dime at the fair. Toss the dime and if it lands in a goldfish bowl it's yours! I was so happy (a kid then) but poor goldie died...Yes older and wiser. Hopefully!


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## andrew71888 (Mar 19, 2010)

This topic is old but thx for all da great advice hercules is way better now


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