Do I need to worry about shell rot?

[Elohi]

Just wondering if I need to be concerned about shell rot with my Leo's since their substrate is always damp to wet and I've now added the sphagnum moss.



Too bad this new moss stinks like a pond lol.

Came back to edit the title but I don't see the option. We'd=need

 

[Elohi]

And another thing...
I have two holes cut cut out of my plexiglass top. One for my mvb dome and one for my CHE dome. I noticed since putting the moss, that it's dries out VERY quickly under the mvb. My hatchlings love their humid hide and it's on the mvb side, now covered in moss. So I'm doing an experiment....I've switched sides for my CHE and mvb to see if the moss dries out slower with the CHE than the mvb. I worry that the mvb is doing the same thing to my little tiny torts as it's doing to the moss. I'll also wait to see if they still want to stay in the humid hide or if they migrate to the mvb side for basking/sleeping. We shall see...

 

[pfara]

I don't know if leos are prone to shell rot like reds or if they're more like sullies who don't have any issues that I've read about. However, I have a boatload of sphagnum moss in my reds' enclosure and they haven't had any shell issues. I spray it down liberally. I kinda attribute the moss' acidity to the lack of shell rot my reds would probably acquire otherwise. Totally not sure about that at all, but I like being optimistic

 

[Tom]

Leopards and sulcatas are not prone to shell rot. It is very uncommon and would only come from long term horrid conditions or a shell injury.

Yes your heat lamp does dry out their shells. That is why we soak them daily, spray their shells, and maintain high humidity and humid hide boxes.

 

[Elohi]

Leopards and sulcatas are not prone to shell rot. It is very uncommon and would only come from long term horrid conditions or a shell injury.

Yes your heat lamp does dry out their shells. That is why we soak them daily, spray their shells, and maintain high humidity and humid hide boxes.

Thanks Tom. Should I have the mvb over the humid hide or is the CHE on that side fine? Does it matter? I have both on all day because my CHE is a lower wattage and it keeps temps good with both on all day. CHE is actually on 24 hrs a day right now. MVb off at night and a black bulb on at night to maintain the right temps. At some point I plan to ditch the black bulb and get either another CHE or just a higher wattage CHE

 

[Tom]

If the whole enclosure is warm, I don't think it matters which side which is on. My inclination is to have the humid hide they sleep in stay warm, so I'd put that under the CHE since its on at night too.

It kind of all depends on the temps and conditions in your enclosure.

 

[Elohi]

If the whole enclosure is warm, I don't think it matters which side which is on. My inclination is to have the humid hide they sleep in stay warm, so I'd put that under the CHE since its on at night too.

It kind of all depends on the temps and conditions in your enclosure.

The humid hide temp is reading 85F right now at 10:24pm. (I have a digital thermometer probe suctioned to the inside and it's a low profile hide since they are so small at this point) The humidity is 90% and the enclosure temp is 84F.
This is with CHE on the humid hide side and the black light on the other side of the enclosure. The thermometer/humidity gage is in the center between the CHE and the black light. I switched their mvb off and the black light on at 8pm.

 

[milkandsam]

I've been having this same question in the back of myind! I don't have moss, but I am using the coco coir and in order to keep my humidity high I have to keep it moist all the time. I have been successful keeping the temp above 80 the majority of the time, but I am always worrying about shell rot from constantly touching a wet substrate. Btw-i have a Greek so not quite the same.. But a hatchling regardless! Your little one looks cute

 

[Elohi]

Well it seems that moving the mvb has two of the three hanging out on the mvb side. One is all out basking and the other is half in a hide sleeping.
Beans in in the humid hide on the CHE side.