Is this pyramiding?

[rusticreptiles]

Same question, different owner...
He is a little over one year old. I spray him and the enclosure down once a week. I can certainly do more if anyone thinks that would help. Thanks for any help. I don't want it to get worse if this is what it is.

Nicole

 

[luvpetz27]

That looks like pyramiding
to me!!!! You may want to
do soaking too.

 

[rusticreptiles]

Poop!! I was really hoping to prevent this!!

The breeder I purchased him from told me to not soak as this can contribute to shell rot and that spraying him from the top only would be best since these guys have low humidity requirements.
So soaking will help this from worsening?
Just once per week for 10 minutes or so?

 

[wellington]

Soaking alone will not prevent pyramiding. I don't know what the humidity should be for your species. However, you need to get a humidity gauge and get the enclosure to that level. Which will mean more then once a week spray. Putting a lid on the enclosure will help keep the humidity to its level, once you get it there. Proper diet and excercise is also needed. If you tort is younger then a year, I would soak every to every other day. Shell rot usually happens when the substrate is too wet. Humidity levels can be reached without a wet top layer of substrate.

 

[luvpetz27]

Poop!! I was really hoping to prevent this!!

The breeder I purchased him from told me to not soak as this can contribute to shell rot and that spraying him from the top only would be best since these guys have low humidity requirements.
So soaking will help this from worsening?
Just once per week for 10 minutes or so?

I know....It stinks but he is pyramiding
pretty bad. You need to help him so he does
not get any worse!! Please take
Wellington's advice and start soaking
almost every day. The top of his shell
should be smooth not bumpy at all.
Hopefully it wont get any worse for him
if you do daily soaks and bump up humidity.

 

[rusticreptiles]

Thanks everyone. I feel so horrible to have let this happen to him.

I did have a hygrometer that died on me and I never replaced. I will definitely keep up on the soaking and will spray daily especially through the winter.

I'm about to upgrade his home to a larger one and will find a way to incorporate a moist hide for him to dig into as he pleases.

Thanks again and I so wish I noticed this sooner. I think when you see them everyday you don't always notice the changes. I looked back as his baby pics and then started googling images to compare him to and saw how bad he looked. Ugh.

---

Oh! He is a year and a half. Still every other day soakings? Duration of the soaking?

 

[luvpetz27]

Thanks everyone. I feel so horrible to have let this happen to him.

I did have a hygrometer that died on me and I never replaced. I will definitely keep up on the soaking and will spray daily especially through the winter.

I'm about to upgrade his home to a larger one and will find a way to incorporate a moist hide for him to dig into as he pleases.

Thanks again and I so wish I noticed this sooner. I think when you see them everyday you don't always notice the changes. I looked back as his baby pics and then started googling images to compare him to and saw how bad he looked. Ugh.

---

Oh! He is a year and a half. Still every other day soakings? Duration of the soaking?

---

Dont be so hard on yourself!! Atleast
you are going to do what he needs now.
I can tell you really care and I think
that's great!

 

[theelectraco]

The pyramiding is minor and if you stop it now it will be a lot less noticeable as your tort gets bigger. Don't stress.

 

[rusticreptiles]

Thanks guys. Yes I really do care about all my animals and I can't help but be hard on myself when it's my responsibility to provide the best care for them and I've failed. All the info I had read and the info the breeder provided caution about the humidity being too high for these guys and causing RI's as well as shell rot.
I am glad I caught it now and will remedy this right away (he's already been soaked for the day). Thanks for all the help and not being too harsh on me!

 

[Tom]

It's very minor. I wouldn't worry about it at all. Give him a humid hide and don't stress anymore. This didn't happen over winter. Pyramiding is a long term pattern of growth. You won't change it much at this point, and it's really not bad.

You don't want your tortoise to have a wet plastron all the time, but shell rot is not common in your species. RI is usually the effect of cold and damp conditions.

 

[luvpetz27]

Well, after reading the other replies,
his pyramiding is not as bad as I thot!!
Tom would know That is good news
so dont stress....like the others said

 

[rusticreptiles]

Thanks again everyone. I feel much better and hopefully will have prevented any further issues with the increased humidity.

 

[mainey34]

Humidity, hydration, proper diet, exercise and natural sunlight will help with pyramiding. It won't go away over night, but you will notice new growth coming in smoother..be. careful on how much humidity you use. Like Tom said you will create yet another problem...

 

[biochemnerd808]

Looks mildly pyramided to me, but don't beat yourself up. He's beautiful.

Soaking won't cause shell rot, especially if you soak in warm water, and then make sure he is returned to his warm spot in his cage. Cold wet clammy substrate causes shell rot. Soaking does not, and is very important.

Once the weather gets nicer, letting him/her spend some time in the 'real' sunshine will be good too. Even just half an hour of real sun is so much better than artificial UVB.

Humidity, hydration, proper diet, exercise and natural sunlight will help with pyramiding. It won't go away over night, but you will notice new growth coming in smoother..be. careful on how much humidity you use. Like Tom said you will create yet another problem...

 

[rusticreptiles]

I bring him out on our screened in porch during the summer for sun and also pen off an area for him to explore outside. So hopefully that will help. Thanks again everyone. He is a lazy one so I'm making sure he get moving more often as well!