Avoid pyramiding!!!!

[christinakg]

Hi everyone! I’m new to the tortoise forum. & excited to join!
Anyways....I got a baby sully back in July. He seems to be adjusting good. Although, I am worried about pyramiding. [emoji53] Anyone have any tips, or suggestions?? I love to hear everyone’s opinions. Thanks guys!! [emoji5]

 

[TriciaStringer]

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Pyramiding is addressed in this care sheet. Please read it.

 

[Emily Contreras]

Make the humidity high 85 percent and 85 degrees

 

[LaLaP]

Hi and welcome! I don't know sully care but I love pics of cute torts. Got any?

 

[christinakg]

Hi and welcome! I don't know sully care but I love pics of cute torts. Got any?

 

[christinakg]

Hi and welcome! I don't know sully care but I love pics of cute torts. Got any?

Yes! My husband & I are in love [emoji173]️

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone! I’m new to the tortoise forum. & excited to join!
Anyways....I got a baby sully back in July. He seems to be adjusting good. Although, I am worried about pyramiding. [emoji53] Anyone have any tips, or suggestions?? I love to hear everyone’s opinions. Thanks guys!! [emoji5]

Hello and welcome.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. To prevent pyramiding:

1. Soak the baby for 30-40 minutes daily.
2. Keep the baby in a warm humid closed chamber to simulate monsoon conditions.
3. Limit outside time, especially in our super dry climate, to about one hour per inch of tortoise, 3-4 times a week.
4. Spray the carapace with distilled, RO, or collected rainwater several times a day.
5. Use lower wattage basking bulbs, and don't use mercury vapor bulbs.
6. The warmer the ambient temp is, the less time they will spend basking under the desiccating basking lamp. I like ambient to creep into the low 90s by mid day.

Realize that most of what you read on sulcata care is wrong. It is based on incorrect assumptions about how they live in the wild and it has been parroted for 30 years. Here is all the correct sulcata care info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[DeanS]

Make the humidity high 85 percent and 85 degrees

That's the ABSOLUTE minimum. I prefer 100% RH and 90ºF. I created several differnt micro biomes for mine and grew the largest, most perfect babies I've EVER seen...anywhere! Check out this thread! https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/8-new-babies-from-tom-aka-the-bond-girls-maybe.118641/

 

[Emily Contreras]

That's the ABSOLUTE minimum. I prefer 100% RH and 90ºF. I created several differnt micro biomes for mine and grew the largest, most perfect babies I've EVER seen...anywhere! Check out this thread! https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/8-new-babies-from-tom-aka-the-bond-girls-maybe.118641/

Oh, I was told 80 humidity but i recently changed it to 100 because i read that too. I cant get my tank hotter than 85, thats why I said that. Thanks though!