Monday shell fungus

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
So it has been raining Almost every every day here in Florida. Babies all had fungus. So here are all of mine from this year that we are growing out: ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473096641.315641.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473096793.895194.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473096811.301265.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473096821.005970.jpg

Here are some that I am growing out from Carl May's line:ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473096675.898158.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473096833.519282.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473096844.488201.jpg

I just realized how many torts I am growing out. Otherwise everyone looks happy and healthy(other than the fungus)
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,549
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Don't you bring them inside when there is so much rain? Is the fungus from being too wet all the time?
 

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
That was the problem, I left them out thinking they would be smart enough to take cover. There are spots that stay almost completely dry in a monsoon. Those little dopes didn't care. Now they are all being punished by coming inside the garage to dry out and get rid of the fungus.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,549
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
That was the problem, I left them out thinking they would be smart enough to take cover. There are spots that stay almost completely dry in a monsoon. Those little dopes didn't care. Now they are all being punished by coming inside the garage to dry out and get rid of the fungus.
LOL So, they aren't as smart as we think, darn it.
 

MichaelaW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Messages
742
Location (City and/or State)
Harlingen, TX
I'd be interested to see photos of the fungus you are referring to.
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,312
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
So it has been raining Almost every every day here in Florida. Babies all had fungus. So here are all of mine from this year that we are growing out: View attachment 185888View attachment 185890View attachment 185891View attachment 185892

Here are some that I am growing out from Carl May's line:View attachment 185889View attachment 185893View attachment 185894

I just realized how many torts I am growing out. Otherwise everyone looks happy and healthy(other than the fungus)
Was the fungus on the plastrons only, or maybe just coming over the bridge onto carapace too?
 

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
The fungus varies from none at all to light to heavy. They all have good weight and look good otherwise. It is limited only to the plastron. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473202895.010387.jpg ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473202817.348163.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1473202886.764588.jpg
 

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
Everyone is adjusting to extended detention nicely. Fungus is also clearing up quickly. Love it when they are all so excited to eat!ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205308.327113.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205318.038091.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205327.322759.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205335.088075.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205343.672385.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205352.355807.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205361.671562.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205369.311117.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1474205376.991168.jpg
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,312
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
Love it when there are so many babies together. How many are there. I counted 31.
 

Redfoot NERD

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
3,666
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
Allegra unfortunately these .carbonaria are unique in that they need high AMBIENT humidity.. but they can't sit in water! One of the problems a lot run into is using that coconut mulch for substrate.. which retains too much ground humidity.

When we use cypress - like you have them on - [ which I believe is best because the surface dries out .. but it does retain lower humidity some.]

To retain the smooth carapace growth I "mist-them-til-they-drip" daily and NEVER force-soak them.. just provide a clean water source 24/7 .

Directly from the original caresheet from 2005 -

They require high levels of humidity. As soon as these hatchlings are out of the 'nursery'.. and eating on their own.. they are "misted".. while eating as well as in their hide. This can be accomplished by "misting" with a simple "spray-bottle" [ NOT throughout the entire enclosure ] "til they drip".. daily. These little guys do require some care daily!
 

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
Allegra unfortunately these .carbonaria are unique in that they need high AMBIENT humidity.. but they can't sit in water! One of the problems a lot run into is using that coconut mulch for substrate.. which retains too much ground humidity.

When we use cypress - like you have them on - [ which I believe is best because the surface dries out .. but it does retain lower humidity some.]

To retain the smooth carapace growth I "mist-them-til-they-drip" daily and NEVER force-soak them.. just provide a clean water source 24/7 .

Directly from the original caresheet from 2005 -

They require high levels of humidity. As soon as these hatchlings are out of the 'nursery'.. and eating on their own.. they are "misted".. while eating as well as in their hide. This can be accomplished by "misting" with a simple "spray-bottle" [ NOT throughout the entire enclosure ] "til they drip".. daily. These little guys do require some care daily!
Try maintaining that in the daily Florida rains! We are raising them outside now. There are many many area for them to go when it is flooding but they like the cool mud! Dirty buggers!
 

Redfoot NERD

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
3,666
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
Doesn't change the balance of the 4 parameters! Too wet.. too long.. high temps breeds fungus. Have to ask why there is mud in a hatchling enclosure?

Sounds like you need to put their enclosure where it will drain so there is not the 'mud' .. if you insist making soil/mud a part of their enclosure.. doesn't it Allegra?.
 

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
Terry, please do not condescend to me. Where we live it is sand, the enclosures drain and dry quickly. I was a bit lazy by not checking the hatchling plastrons as diligently as I should have. Should have moved their hiding logs more often, or simply mulched more. I cannot and choose not to follow your parameters as they do not work for me or mine. There is mud in the world and I choose to allow play in the mud versus the not as natural alternative.

Allegra
 

Redfoot NERD

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
3,666
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
Allegra no need to feel condescended upon. BALANCED parameters raise thriving.. healthy .carbonaria. You have demonstrated this by your propagation examples!

At the risk of insulting anyone's intelligence or understanding .. what that means is - when everything is in balance.. given time.. and mature males and females are together.. fertile eggs will result. ( and the incubation process must be in balance for them to hatch perfect babies )

When you or I or everybody else chooses to allow the ground surface to be too wet they will develop fungus. When I don't put deep enough mulch to allow the water dish to sink into the surface.. they turn it over/ spill it ... the substrate gets too wet and it seems overnight fungus grows. I have the smallest of my remaining juvies with an issue from this very thing now.

Actually I have raised a substantial number of hatchlings ( up to just less than 3" ) with no substrate at all... is it natural? NO! Does it prevent fungus from growing? YES

You've seen as many hatchlings as I have so let's allow everyone else to hear this.
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,312
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
The thing that confuses me is this. It's said that redfoots are "prone to shell rot". What's this mean, they are more likely to rot than any other species. So a species that lives in the tropical rainforest and Savannahs is more likely to get shell rot than, I'm not sure about that, Mother nature would have done the opposite and made redfoots less prone to shell rot.
Are all tortoises different in carapace and plastron composition?

I had 6 hingebacks. 1 sat in water constantly (like 22hrs a day) the other 5 sat on substrate. Substrate was leaves and cyprus mulch on a 5" layer of coir. Because I didn't get the drainage right the 5 had minor shell rot. The 1 sat in water for most of its life never had a single mark of rot on it.
That tells me that in order for fungus/rot to kick in on a tort it has to have been sat in something else that is rotting for a period of time. I.e decaying mulch.
Does water and mud rot?
 

Redfoot NERD

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
3,666
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
Craig what does 6 hingebacks have to do with redfoot tortoise hatchlings?

Who said redfoot tortoises are "prone" to shell rot"?

Yes I've wondered about redfoot tortoises that live at the edge of the rainforest to the savannahs and beyond. The answer I got was.. "You've taken a tortoise out of it's "natural-element" and expect that "nature" to be able to adjust in 2-3 generations in an entirely different atmosphere.

So what does all that mean? I believe it's the "natural" process of the substrate 'turning-over' / dying and re-growing .. that makes the difference. The changes of their "native" territory seems to make the difference. Our challenge is creating that "natural / native" environment! All the living and dead plants and critters in the substrate they hatch into and thrive in for the first couple years???
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,312
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
Terry, I've heard it numerous times(redfoots are prone to shell rot). My point with hingebacks is, if a tort sits in clean water for prolonged periods, shell rot does not happen. But if a tort sits on anything that is decaying it will infect the tort with fungus creating shell rot.
Does it matter if it's a redfoot, a hingeback or any other species. What I'm saying or asking is.. Is the only reason we see more shell rot in redfoots because of the way we keep them, it's not because they are different to other species regarding plastron make up. Surely if I put a hermanns on sodden decaying substrate it would rot just as much as a redfoot would.
 

Redfoot NERD

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
3,666
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
you are painting all tortoises with the same brush Craig. Of course they are different!!!
 
Top