Does her shell look ok .

[Shelleyscull]

My tort will be 4 this December .
I am just wondering if her shell looks like it is growing well and correctly . Does she look healthy , is there anything I can do for her to be happier , or more healthy ?

 

[DoubleD1996!]

Pyramided, but it looks cosmetic.. you want a substrate that holds moisture, and boosts humidity.

Like organic top soil, mulch, and sphagnum moss. The shell should be nice and smooth. It may not be too late for that to happen but it can take years.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

My tort will be 4 this December .
I am just wondering if her shell looks like it is growing well and correctly . Does she look healthy , is there anything I can do for her to be happier , or more healthy ?

There is pyramiding present. What kind of lamps are you using? What is your humidity?

 

[Tom]

My tort will be 4 this December .
I am just wondering if her shell looks like it is growing well and correctly . Does she look healthy , is there anything I can do for her to be happier , or more healthy ?

It appears you received the typical old incorrect care advice for your tortoise, and this has caused significant pyramiding.

Red foot tortoises need large closed chamber that are kept suitable warm and humid day and night. Open topped enclosures don't work for this species. This species also does not need a basking lamp, and that is another factor that will cause pyramiding. Finally, they need a damp substrate. Fake grass should never be used under tortoises as they can eat it and get impacted.

Read through these two threads for the correct care info and make the needed changes to stop anymore damage from happening.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet

NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Shelleyscull]

There is pyramiding present. What kind of lamps are you using? What is your humidity?

She has a heat lamp and a tv light

There is pyramiding present. What kind of lamps are you using? What is your humidity?

she has a repti foger for humidity , she has a lid that goes over the enclosure as well so it is not always open . She has a heat lamp and uv light and the red light at night . These lights are not left on consistently .

 

[TammyJ]

There should be no light at night, just the recommended warm temperatures and humidity. You are being asked for the details of your lighting of the enclosure, so you can get the best possible help. Thanks!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Pyramided, but it looks cosmetic.. you want a substrate that holds moisture, and boosts humidity.

Like organic top soil, mulch, and sphagnum moss. The shell should be nice and smooth. It may not be too late for that to happen but it can take years.

No top soils, or moss. Mulch is fine as is orchid bark and coco coir

She has a heat lamp and a tv light

she has a repti foger for humidity , she has a lid that goes over the enclosure as well so it is not always open . She has a heat lamp and uv light and the red light at night . These lights are not left on consistently .

she is definitely pyramiding, incorrect lighting drier conditions sound to be the problem here.
Red bulbs aren’t appropriate at night.

Red foot’s do not technically need a basking area, they aren’t really a basking species, they are forest floor dwellers, harsh bulbs can actually contribute towards the pyramiding you’re seeing. Ceramic bulbs are much more suited to rely on in keeping your temperatures stable 24/7, no need for a fluctuation with these guys, keep in the range of 80-86, 82-84 being the sweet spot.

You want it to be a closed chamber 24/7 to maintain your humidity!

Hopefully this housing thread might be handy to look over, it covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises and red foots(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity(they’re prone to shell rot so this is important, don’t use a mister/humidifier ), safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, a diet list and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! but if your set up can be covered with heating elements inside(obviously not too close to tort) then that’s fine, perhaps the greenhouse idea will come in come upgrade time, either way I’ll add more ideas for closed chambers below

Young red foot/ cherryhead set up

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information on an effective example of a starter enclosure for a red foot/cherry head😊 Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes a bunch of closed chamber examples that may help come size up time, indoor set ups for reds will always have be to a closed chamber, I’m hoping you’ll find a topper option in here that might work better for your current set up

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is really good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, explains more on why not to use top soil or moss, or red lighting. I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

I really hope they help! Please ask any further questions you need once you’ve gone over them! I know it’s a lot to go over, so take all the time you need! Welcome to the forum

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

She has a heat lamp and a tv light

she has a repti foger for humidity , she has a lid that goes over the enclosure as well so it is not always open . She has a heat lamp and uv light and the red light at night . These lights are not left on consistently .

Can you tell the specific brands of the lamps? Some lamps are harsher on the shell than others.

 

[Shelleyscull]

No top soils, or moss. Mulch is fine as is orchid bark and coco coir

she is definitely pyramiding, incorrect lighting drier conditions sound to be the problem here.
Red bulbs aren’t appropriate at night.

Red foot’s do not technically need a basking area, they aren’t really a basking species, they are forest floor dwellers, harsh bulbs can actually contribute towards the pyramiding you’re seeing. Ceramic bulbs are much more suited to rely on in keeping your temperatures stable 24/7, no need for a fluctuation with these guys, keep in the range of 80-86, 82-84 being the sweet spot.

You want it to be a closed chamber 24/7 to maintain your humidity!

Hopefully this housing thread might be handy to look over, it covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises and red foots(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity(they’re prone to shell rot so this is important, don’t use a mister/humidifier ), safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, a diet list and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! but if your set up can be covered with heating elements inside(obviously not too close to tort) then that’s fine, perhaps the greenhouse idea will come in come upgrade time, either way I’ll add more ideas for closed chambers below

Young red foot/ cherryhead set up

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information on an effective example of a starter enclosure for a red foot/cherry head😊 Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes a bunch of closed chamber examples that may help come size up time, indoor set ups for reds will always have be to a closed chamber, I’m hoping you’ll find a topper option in here that might work better for your current set up

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is really good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, explains more on why not to use top soil or moss, or red lighting. I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

I really hope they help! Please ask any further questions you need once you’ve gone over them! I know it’s a lot to go over, so take all the time you need! Welcome to the forum

I am going to get her a new substrate , which kind or variety would be best?
I did have I think coco chip bark for her before but her vet said I should take it out for a while , because the substrate could pull moisture out from her skin ( that is what the vet told me I did question in my head what he said at the time )

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I am going to get her a new substrate , which kind or variety would be best?
I did have I think coco chip bark for her before but her vet said I should take it out for a while , because the substrate could pull moisture out from her skin ( that is what the vet told me I did question in my head what he said at the time )

Coco coir (soil like), orchid fir bark and cypress mulch are the three best options.