Hatchling Shell...Uneven????

[cordell]

Hello, I have a hatchling red foot from October of last year. He is 2 1/2 inches long. I havent picked him up for a couple days and when I did I noticed his plastron was uneven down at the bottom part. The sides were sunk in a bit and really hard. While the center of the plastron was normal feeling, or the way it was before. What can this be, I know it is not a good thing as it was not this way up until 3 days ago max. He has humidity, 85% and temps in hide is about 85. He stays in the hide mostly, eats daily, I dont see him drink though? I heard I dont need to soak him so I havent been. It seems as if his plastron is drying out though, what is going on, anybody?

Thanks
Cordell

 

[redfoottorts]

if his shell is dried out then try soaking him in warm water.

 

[cordell]

if his shell is dried out then try soaking him in warm water.

I did just that, 30 minutes later his shell is like new! Thanks

Now there is obviously a issue with my husbandry here, humidity. I generally wet the floor, say 2 times a week. The humidity on the floor stays 80% give or take 5%. The air I dont believe is that high. My gauge when set on floor reads these readings. So do I cover the top to keep humidity in? And how will it stay when I have a ceramic heater, wont that evaporate all humidity? Questions Questions! Nothing like a dog, give it food and water and call it a day! lol Any ideas?


Thanks
Cordell

 

[redfoottorts]

if his shell is dried out then try soaking him in warm water.

I did just that, 30 minutes later his shell is like new! Thanks

Now there is obviously a issue with my husbandry here, humidity. I generally wet the floor, say 2 times a week. The humidity on the floor stays 80% give or take 5%. The air I dont believe is that high. My gauge when set on floor reads these readings. So do I cover the top to keep humidity in? And how will it stay when I have a ceramic heater, wont that evaporate all humidity? Questions Questions! Nothing like a dog, give it food and water and call it a day! lol Any ideas?


Thanks
Cordell

you want evaporation to occur thats what makes it humid. as long as the subsrate is moist evaporation will occur (as long as you have a heat lamp) and i dont trust hydrometers. You can also put a sponge to the ceiling of your tortoises hide spot and that will make it more humid. I also give my torts a bath every day.

 

[dreadyA]

So your shell issue is solved? A pic can help determine what's wrong.
What substrate do you use?

 

[cordell]

if his shell is dried out then try soaking him in warm water.

I did just that, 30 minutes later his shell is like new! Thanks

Now there is obviously a issue with my husbandry here, humidity. I generally wet the floor, say 2 times a week. The humidity on the floor stays 80% give or take 5%. The air I dont believe is that high. My gauge when set on floor reads these readings. So do I cover the top to keep humidity in? And how will it stay when I have a ceramic heater, wont that evaporate all humidity? Questions Questions! Nothing like a dog, give it food and water and call it a day! lol Any ideas?


Thanks
Cordell

you want evaporation to occur thats what makes it humid. as long as the subsrate is moist evaporation will occur (as long as you have a heat lamp) and i dont trust hydrometers. You can also put a sponge to the ceiling of your tortoises hide spot and that will make it more humid. I also give my torts a bath every day.

I moved the gauge up top and it still reads 85%. I am going to give him a little bath now and then. It cant hurt...
I fed him a lump of chopped strawberries from my hand to say sorry. He ate all of them so he must not be that mad at me! lol

Thank You,
Cordell

 

[Madkins007]

Humidity depends on a lot of factors- what the ambient humidity is around you indoors and out, what sort of substrate, heating systems used, habitat design, etc.

Generally, humidity is water + heat. Dampened substrate that has a heat lamp or ceramic heater pointed at it, a container of heated water, sponges or wicking material in a warmer part of the habitat, a room humidifier, etc.

Other things that help with humidity are sprayers or misters (you can buy or make ones that work automatically on timers) live plants, tropical fish tanks (just a big container of warm water), and so forth.

Dampening the substrate helps, but then the trick is to keep it pretty evenly damp without being wet so the overhead heating can turn it into humidity, or to provide some sort of gentle heating from below and getting the bottom layer really wet so the humidity will 'percolate' up.

No matter how you increase humidity, 'trapping' it helps as well. You can either trap it in a small place, like a humid hide, and/or you can trap it in the enclosure as a whole- but make sure there is still plenty of fresh air to minimize mold, smells, and diseases.

If you shoot us a photo of your set up, we might be able to offer more specific advise.

By the way, soaking does not help with humidity much- but it may help a little with hydration- having enough water inside the animal. Another thing you can do to help hydrate your Red-foot is to offer it misted or very fresh and moisture-rich foods.

 

[cordell]

Humidity depends on a lot of factors- what the ambient humidity is around you indoors and out, what sort of substrate, heating systems used, habitat design, etc.

Generally, humidity is water + heat. Dampened substrate that has a heat lamp or ceramic heater pointed at it, a container of heated water, sponges or wicking material in a warmer part of the habitat, a room humidifier, etc.

Other things that help with humidity are sprayers or misters (you can buy or make ones that work automatically on timers) live plants, tropical fish tanks (just a big container of warm water), and so forth.

Dampening the substrate helps, but then the trick is to keep it pretty evenly damp without being wet so the overhead heating can turn it into humidity, or to provide some sort of gentle heating from below and getting the bottom layer really wet so the humidity will 'percolate' up.

No matter how you increase humidity, 'trapping' it helps as well. You can either trap it in a small place, like a humid hide, and/or you can trap it in the enclosure as a whole- but make sure there is still plenty of fresh air to minimize mold, smells, and diseases.

If you shoot us a photo of your set up, we might be able to offer more specific advise.

By the way, soaking does not help with humidity much- but it may help a little with hydration- having enough water inside the animal. Another thing you can do to help hydrate your Red-foot is to offer it misted or very fresh and moisture-rich foods.

He is on potting soil that is covered with forest floor. I have a ceramic heat bulb right over his hide. His hide is a plastic leaf, he has other spots but he chose that dang leaf, lol. He is in a aquarium, 55 gallon. I just put plastic over the open area of the lid. I am wondering if the humidity is arouns 85% why would his shell dry up like that? It did not effect his eating though he has been doing that just fine I will try to get a pic up tomorrow.

thanks
cordell

 

[Chewbecca]

Mist his carapace directly as many times as you can throughout the day.
I mist Stagger Lee's carpace at LEAST 4 times a day.
You can never mist their carapace enough.

 

[cordell]

Did I mention the person who sold him to my told me to use alfalfa pellets for substrate. I dont know much about humidity, or how to control it. I do live in Houston, lol. But dry alfalfa seems to suck all the moisture out of everything!

cordell

 

[Candy]

Ruby is around 10 to 11 months old and I have her in a 40 gallon aquarium. I have a plastic shoe box for her hide (I think Roachman had that suggestion) and it is working well. I have the heat right above her hide and her humidity is around 80% to 85%, but I spray her cypress mulch everyday and inside of her hide. I soak her about 2 to 3 times a week and the only thing that looks dry would be her head. When I feed her in the morning I spray her with a water bottle until she's dripping and I also spray her food. She's doing great and looks very nice. Post some pictures so we can see your enclosure that would be the best way of telling.

 

[terryo]

Mist his carapace directly as many times as you can throughout the day.
I mist Stagger Lee's carpace at LEAST 4 times a day.
You can never mist their carapace enough.

I do the same thing Rebecca. Every time Pio comes out it rains on him and the plants. I use really warm water, and he seems to love it.

 

[llamas55]

Terry remind me what your substrate is, that Pio's plastron doesn't stay overly soggy with the "rain" and all? I still struggle with that and have rubber chips on the very top that can't absorb water, since he had heavy bottom shell rot. thanks

 

[Madkins007]

OK, I am not a fan of potting soil. It gets wet and can cause plastron rot, mud, and other yuck. I like moss and cypress more and more.

I re-read the comments about the plastron, and I really think I need a photo. I cannot quite visualize what is going on here.

 

[terryo]

I use a mix of soil and peat moss with some Forest Floor (by zoo med) on top of that. I leave the little plants in their pots and bury them. I used to water the plants right in the substrate and mist like crazy all over the place. Then he got a fungus on the bottom too. Now I leave the substrate dry, and just water the plants right in their little pots. I spray him and the plants when he comes out, but not so much as to make the substrate wet. Inside his hide, I have long fiber moss that I change once a month, and wet with hot water and squeeze it out and fluff it up. I soak his hide log and it keeps the humidity in his hide pretty good. He's big now, so I put all the plants along the front of the enclosure, and along the back, so he has room to roam around. I think the plants keep in the humidity without making the substrate wet which helps with the shell rot.

 

[cordell]

I use a mix of soil and peat moss with some Forest Floor (by zoo med) on top of that. I leave the little plants in their pots and bury them. I used to water the plants right in the substrate and mist like crazy all over the place. Then he got a fungus on the bottom too. Now I leave the substrate dry, and just water the plants right in their little pots. I spray him and the plants when he comes out, but not so much as to make the substrate wet. Inside his hide, I have long fiber moss that I change once a month, and wet with hot water and squeeze it out and fluff it up. I soak his hide log and it keeps the humidity in his hide pretty good. He's big now, so I put all the plants along the front of the enclosure, and along the back, so he has room to roam around. I think the plants keep in the humidity without making the substrate wet which helps with the shell rot.

He looks like he has a cool little home there! I bought some Sphagnum Moss today and added it to his hide area. I have read where others have done the same so I figured it must be good. The thing is he started eating it! This cant be good right? How can I keep him from eating the moss, the moss is on top of forest floor, a cypress mulch by zoomed. The moss is a zoomed product as well.

Thanks
Cordell

I know, pictures. Time is slim to none on work days, lol

 

[terryo]

I also use the forest floor, by Zoo Med. I don't know why he's eating the moss. Pio never eats anything in his viv., (except pansies). When you see him eating something that isn't good for him, maybe you should give him a little leaf of Spring Mix or something. Although they might be giving him a bad habit...maybe that's bad advice.

 

[Chewbecca]

Stag will randomly snag a piece of moss. Every night I mist him, he comes out and automatically thinks it's time for food.
And if I put him in his water, he "bobs" for the moss that comes off of him as I mist him.
ahahahahaha. It's hilarious to watch him nose dive several times into the water around him for pieces of floating moss.

I don't worry about it. If he's trying to eat the moss, he may just be a little hungry.

 

[cordell]

Well the hungry thing I know he was for sure. I pulled him out the hide and tossed the moss in. He hadnt eaten all day so he probably figured that was chow for the night. I hope he doesnt get in a habit of eating it though as it does work to bring up humidity levels.

thanks
cordell

 

[llamas55]

I use a mix of soil and peat moss with some Forest Floor (by zoo med) on top of that. I leave the little plants in their pots and bury them. I used to water the plants right in the substrate and mist like crazy all over the place. Then he got a fungus on the bottom too. Now I leave the substrate dry, and just water the plants right in their little pots. I spray him and the plants when he comes out, but not so much as to make the substrate wet. Inside his hide, I have long fiber moss that I change once a month, and wet with hot water and squeeze it out and fluff it up. I soak his hide log and it keeps the humidity in his hide pretty good. He's big now, so I put all the plants along the front of the enclosure, and along the back, so he has room to roam around. I think the plants keep in the humidity without making the substrate wet which helps with the shell rot.

thanks!