How to prevent pyramiding?

[Tortoise_Nerd]

Said it died because of dehydration of being outside too much

That’s funny because earlier you said that your work buddy said to only give water twice a week. Don’t listen to him anymore.

 

[Emily Contreras]

I wouldnt listen to your work buddy. At all. No offense, but if he's telling you no water and no soaking even after his tort died of dehydration he doesnt sound like he knows anything about them nor too bright.

Im most definitely still learning and researching myself. My advice is to research this forum and read all the stickied forums at the top. I dont even research from google now because the info contradicts most of what a lot people say here. Ive been reading all the forums even if it's not something that pertains to my torts because I might need to know that info later. The people here definitely know what they're talking about and want to see everyones tortoises thrive.

Good luck!

None taken hes not good at animal care anyways

 

[Tom]

Adding calcium powder to his food should decrease the chances of pyramiding

This would do nothing to prevent pyramiding. Pyramiding is not caused by a lack of calcium. You've been reading the wrong old info.

 

[Tom]

So I have seen alot of people saying high humidity and soaking daily prevents humidity, I read a "recent" article on how high humidity and soaking daily works wonders, but then, I have heard that keeping the enclosure as dry as possible prevents it, Right now, he has a VERY humid enclosure, and is getting daily soaks, followed by daily sunshine and outdoor time. Right now my tort has a 20 gallon tank and is soon to be moved into a old coffee table thing that is at least 250 gallons. (It has a top but we are going to put holes in it)

Anyways, What have you all had most success with? I just want my baby to be as healthy looking and as healthy as possible. I do not want pyramiding in his shell. He is healthy, hes pooping, eating, but is very inactive in his tank, but VERY active outside. Could I be doing something wrong?

@Emily Contreras
I just typed this up for a similar question a few minutes ago, and then I clicked open your thread. Same info applies to your questions:
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 climates, 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/

 

[William Lee Kohler]

ALWAYS have water available for ANY tortoise.

Not true. There are some tortoises, Homopus for one(I believe)that can literally drink themselves to death if given the chance. However most commonly kept tortoises aren't this way. This is a pretty good place NORMALLY to get specific breeds needs. My redfoots have a water dish as jungle tortoises but the hingebacks get theirs from their soaks as savannah tortoises. I've read that some dry country tortoises will fill up on water and then don't want to eat. Too much of a good thing.

 

[Bdelag7389]

So I have seen alot of people saying high humidity and soaking daily prevents humidity, I read a "recent" article on how high humidity and soaking daily works wonders, but then, I have heard that keeping the enclosure as dry as possible prevents it, Right now, he has a VERY humid enclosure, and is getting daily soaks, followed by daily sunshine and outdoor time. Right now my tort has a 20 gallon tank and is soon to be moved into a old coffee table thing that is at least 250 gallons. (It has a top but we are going to put holes in it)

Anyways, What have you all had most success with? I just want my baby to be as healthy looking and as healthy as possible. I do not want pyramiding in his shell. He is healthy, hes pooping, eating, but is very inactive in his tank, but VERY active outside. Could I be doing something wrong?

Emily have attached an article on pyramiding, how to keep ants away from your torts food, two volumes of different food you can feed your tort with pictures, foods you can feed your torts daily, in moderation, sparingly and not at all. Also through my reading on food that can be feed to Sulcata Tortoises there is some disparity on different foods, one says you can feed them a type of food and then another says you can not! I have been practicing in my Tort husbandry not to feed the foods in question there are plenty of other foods we can feed them out there in the wild and in the markets. Good Luck Brent