Does the shell look okay?

[Ivyna J. Spyder]

Didn't get many responses in another forum so I'll try here :T

Basic care info and such-
5" carapace
About 2 years old
Diet: mostly mixed greens (spring mix, collards, kale, mustard, weeds in the right time of year) some veggies and some mazuri twice a week. Greens are dusted with calcium
40 gallon vivarium with layered bioactive substrate (soil/coir mix with cypress mulch on top)
Misted twice a day, humidity usually around 70
Temp range from mid 70's to high 80's
I also use a low level UVB fluorescent light

I've been having this issue with my red-foot's plastron. The very top layer just gets... peely and yuck looking. It's not soft and I don't see any white spots at least. But it isn't all shiny and 'waxy' looking like I tend to see.

The tank has plenty of dry spots and hiding places, yet she always digs down into the moist layer of the soil. (There's a drainage layer so it's not soaking, but it is damp) But, if I take away the soil entirely I have an extremely difficult time keeping the humidity up at all. :\ Adding a thicker layer of mulch doesn't help, she just digs through it.

And does the top of her shell look okay? I wasn't sure if it was as smooth as it could be.

Thanks!

 

[Redstrike]

Looks like you may have some plastron fungus established there.

This is relatively easy to rid the tortoise of. Take some betadine or diluted povidone iodine (I usually dilute to 1 part iodine to 8-10 parts water) and give it a detailed, but light, scrubbing with either of these two astringents. No need to bear down with a lot of pressure while using the brush.

After you've cleaned things up, dry it off and apply an anti-fungal cream (main ingredient = clotrimazole). You'll have to do this for 7-12 days. Here are very detailed directions:http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm - go to the bottom of the webpage.

The carapace is looking slightly bumpy, might be getting a very mild case of pyramiding. Sounds like your humidity is decent (~70), maybe put a humid hide in there? Tom has a great directions here on the forum for making one of these. I'm not sure what else you could do, sounds like you have it pretty well covered and the tort looks great overall! Is the enclosure large enough for adequate exercise?

 

[NudistApple]

I'm very new to chelonians in general, and I haven't specifically looked into Redfoots, but why would be burrowing be a problem? Torts are little diggers, it's in their nature!

I agree that it looks like she is pyramiding a bit, and her plastron doesn't look right, but I have zero experience with fungi/shell rot/etc., sorry. I'm sure more people will be along shortly. (-:

 

[Ivyna J. Spyder]

Looks like you may have some plastron fungus established there.

This is relatively easy to rid the tortoise of. Take some betadine or diluted povidone iodine (I usually dilute to 1 part iodine to 8-10 parts water) and give it a detailed, but light, scrubbing with either of these two astringents. No need to bear down with a lot of pressure while using the brush.

After you've cleaned things up, dry it off and apply an anti-fungal cream (main ingredient = clotrimazole). You'll have to do this for 7-12 days. Here are very detailed directions:http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm - go to the bottom of the webpage.

The carapace is looking slightly bumpy, might be getting a very mild case of pyramiding. Sounds like your humidity is decent (~70), maybe put a humid hide in there? Tom has a great directions here on the forum for making one of these. I'm not sure what else you could do, sounds like you have it pretty well covered and the tort looks great overall! Is the enclosure large enough for adequate exercise?

Oof, I was afraid of that. I'll start treatment soon as I can. (Though isn't shell rot caused more by too MUCH humidity...?) The site says to put them in a 10 gallon with no substrate, but not for how long. For the entire duration of treatment, or just for a while after treatment each day?

The tank is definitely getting too small, but I suddenly have had trouble convincing my parents to let me get a bigger one :\ (Despite them agreeing to it when I got the tortoise. *sigh* ) I'm looking into alternatives.

 

[Redstrike]

Looks like you may have some plastron fungus established there.

This is relatively easy to rid the tortoise of. Take some betadine or diluted povidone iodine (I usually dilute to 1 part iodine to 8-10 parts water) and give it a detailed, but light, scrubbing with either of these two astringents. No need to bear down with a lot of pressure while using the brush.

After you've cleaned things up, dry it off and apply an anti-fungal cream (main ingredient = clotrimazole). You'll have to do this for 7-12 days. Here are very detailed directions:http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm - go to the bottom of the webpage.

The carapace is looking slightly bumpy, might be getting a very mild case of pyramiding. Sounds like your humidity is decent (~70), maybe put a humid hide in there? Tom has a great directions here on the forum for making one of these. I'm not sure what else you could do, sounds like you have it pretty well covered and the tort looks great overall! Is the enclosure large enough for adequate exercise?

Oof, I was afraid of that. I'll start treatment soon as I can. (Though isn't shell rot caused more by too MUCH humidity...?) The site says to put them in a 10 gallon with no substrate, but not for how long. For the entire duration of treatment, or just for a while after treatment each day?

The tank is definitely getting too small, but I suddenly have had trouble convincing my parents to let me get a bigger one :\ (Despite them agreeing to it when I got the tortoise. *sigh* ) I'm looking into alternatives.

I'd just try to let the substrate dry up a bit, this plastron fungal rot generally occurs when substrates are wet and your RF's are in constant contact with them. I know yours is digging down (totally normal), so I'd stop spraying down the enclosure and find an alternative way of providing humidity (water proof heat ropes under the wet substrate, heat mat under the tank, warm air humidifier). Here's a good site for suggestions with humidity sources:

https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/humidity-1

I use heat ropes (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Flexible-Heat-Ropes) under my substrate and pour ~500ml of water in 1-2 spots 1/week. I dig a small pit and pour the water down - I don't just dump it all over the cypress mulch.

If you can keep a dry layer of mulch on top, don't worry about removing the tort and placing it in a tank with zero substrate. This seems like it would be stressful for your tortoise. I'd just work with what you've got.

 

[Ivyna J. Spyder]

I'd just try to let the substrate dry up a bit, this plastron fungal rot generally occurs when substrates are wet and your RF's are in constant contact with them. I know yours is digging down (totally normal), so I'd stop spraying down the enclosure and find an alternative way of providing humidity (water proof heat ropes under the wet substrate, heat mat under the tank, warm air humidifier). Here's a good site for suggestions with humidity sources:

https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/humidity-1

I use heat ropes (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Flexible-Heat-Ropes) under my substrate and pour ~500ml of water in 1-2 spots 1/week. I dig a small pit and pour the water down - I don't just dump it all over the cypress mulch.

If you can keep a dry layer of mulch on top, don't worry about removing the tort and placing it in a tank with zero substrate. This seems like it would be stressful for your tortoise. I'd just work with what you've got.

Oh I have a heat pad under the tank which does heat up the water and makes it humid... Works well, but that makes the bottom layers of soil damp, which is what she digs into :T Maybe her hiding places aren't snug enough? I'll have to see what else I can find.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Redstrike]

I'd just try to let the substrate dry up a bit, this plastron fungal rot generally occurs when substrates are wet and your RF's are in constant contact with them. I know yours is digging down (totally normal), so I'd stop spraying down the enclosure and find an alternative way of providing humidity (water proof heat ropes under the wet substrate, heat mat under the tank, warm air humidifier). Here's a good site for suggestions with humidity sources:

https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/humidity-1

I use heat ropes (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Flexible-Heat-Ropes) under my substrate and pour ~500ml of water in 1-2 spots 1/week. I dig a small pit and pour the water down - I don't just dump it all over the cypress mulch.

If you can keep a dry layer of mulch on top, don't worry about removing the tort and placing it in a tank with zero substrate. This seems like it would be stressful for your tortoise. I'd just work with what you've got.

Oh I have a heat pad under the tank which does heat up the water and makes it humid... Works well, but that makes the bottom layers of soil damp, which is what she digs into :T Maybe her hiding places aren't snug enough? I'll have to see what else I can find.

Thanks for the info!

That's a great thought! They do seem to like very snug, dark hiding places. My two hatchlings squeeze into the lowest, snuggest hides that they have in the enclosure - even if it means sleeping on top of one another!

 

[Ivyna J. Spyder]

It's so hard to find good hides though! I had some great ones for a while, but then she had a growth spurt and would literally get stuck in them or scrape up her shell getting in and out <_<

 

[Redstrike]

Maybe this will help provide some ideas - many of which are free!

https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/shelter-hides

I don't know if you have cats, but a lot of people purchase their litter in square-shaped buckets. I cut the bottom portion off of one, and cut a small entrance into it so the torts can get in & out. I also poked small holes in the side and ran wire through it to attach a couple of sponges to the walls. It's dark, spacious, and relatively low to the ground. They use it equally to their half-log and plants.

 

[Ivyna J. Spyder]

Oh thanks! Those are great ideas :O


BTW what is a good alternative to sphagnum moss? I've seen it said that it can raise acidity or somethin which is bad.

 

[Redstrike]

Oh thanks! Those are great ideas :O


BTW what is a good alternative to sphagnum moss? I've seen it said that it can raise acidity or somethin which is bad.

I have a mix of soil and coco coir on the bottom layer (~4 cm), topped with cypress mulch (~ 6 cm). I don't recommend coco coir as a substitute as it really retains moisture. Top soil (without the white beads - your torts may eat them and get impacted), cypress mulch, orchid mulch, and leaves could all act as adequate alternatives? Some have no issues with sphagnum, others do...