Moving outside and preventing pyramiding

Violanna

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Hey guys so it’s been a while since I asked a question here. Creeper is finally ready to move into a small outdoor enclosure. We have a 20x30 section of our yard fenced off and are preparing it for him. And also getting started on his outdoor house. For now he will only stay outside for the fall then back indoors for winter. Next spring he is moving outdoors permanently unless weather requires he move inside.

My question is how do I go about preventing further pyramiding? He has some minor pyramiding caused by warping on his enclosure releasing humidity faster than I could get it back up. I’m in DFW Texas and our weather has been really bad this year. From unusually cold winters to unusually hot and dry summers. Is there anything I can do other than daily soaks to help once he is outdoors?
 

Maro2Bear

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Just keep on doing the best you can. Daily soaking for a good 30mins, lots of sunshine, good food & exercise.

Upload a pix of current overall look of your tort. Good luck
 

Tom

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Hey guys so it’s been a while since I asked a question here. Creeper is finally ready to move into a small outdoor enclosure. We have a 20x30 section of our yard fenced off and are preparing it for him. And also getting started on his outdoor house. For now he will only stay outside for the fall then back indoors for winter. Next spring he is moving outdoors permanently unless weather requires he move inside.

My question is how do I go about preventing further pyramiding? He has some minor pyramiding caused by warping on his enclosure releasing humidity faster than I could get it back up. I’m in DFW Texas and our weather has been really bad this year. From unusually cold winters to unusually hot and dry summers. Is there anything I can do other than daily soaks to help once he is outdoors?
What species, size and age tortoise are we talking about? Where in TX are you? Totally different advice for Western TX vs humid Eastern TX.
 

Violanna

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What species, size and age tortoise are we talking about? Where in TX are you? Totally different advice for Western TX vs humid Eastern TX.
I’m in North Central Tx near Fort Worth. He a Sulcata from Mark84 a little over 2 years old and about 6lbs.
 

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ZEROPILOT

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You can up the outdoor enclosures humidity with something as simple as a garden hose and a sprinkler.
Give the ground a good soak and it'll release ground level humidity all day.
I do that here in Florida during the dryer winter months
 

Violanna

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You can up the outdoor enclosures humidity with something as simple as a garden hose and a sprinkler.
Give the ground a good soak and it'll release ground level humidity all day.
I do that here in Florida during the dryer winter months
I’ll be growing grass and hays in the enclosure so luckily it will be watered daily and in morning and night in the hot summer. It’s also a very shady area so I’m hoping it will retain moisture better. The area used to be my veggie garden.
 

Tom

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I’m in North Central Tx near Fort Worth. He a Sulcata from Mark84 a little over 2 years old and about 6lbs.
At that size and age, he is ready to live outside full time with a proper heated night box. You can humidify the night box with tubs or buckets of water inside, and also use sprinklers and misters during hot weather to up the humidity in his enclosure. Frequent long soaks will help too.

He is going to be too large to live indoors in winter and the enclosure size you are making now, 20x30 feet, is just barely going to be large enough, so start planing something larger ASAP. Shady areas are good for summer, but sunny areas are better for winter.
 

Violanna

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At that size and age, he is ready to live outside full time with a proper heated night box. You can humidify the night box with tubs or buckets of water inside, and also use sprinklers and misters during hot weather to up the humidity in his enclosure. Frequent long soaks will help too.

He is going to be too large to live indoors in winter and the enclosure size you are making now, 20x30 feet, is just barely going to be large enough, so start planing something larger ASAP. Shady areas are good for summer, but sunny areas are better for winter.
Oh it’s full sun in winter!! I’m just planning to bring him in for winter if it gets as bad as it did last year. I already have a big heating pad that will be on a thermostat for the hide, also considering attaching my CHE out there. I never thought of a water bucket though.. which I feel silly about, I keep a CHE over a water dish for humidity in my snake enclosure, it should have occurred to me! You are a lifesaver!! Thank you!
 

Tom

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Oh it’s full sun in winter!! I’m just planning to bring him in for winter if it gets as bad as it did last year. I already have a big heating pad that will be on a thermostat for the hide, also considering attaching my CHE out there. I never thought of a water bucket though.. which I feel silly about, I keep a CHE over a water dish for humidity in my snake enclosure, it should have occurred to me! You are a lifesaver!! Thank you!
Kane heat mats are good, but human heating pads are not safe. Also, your tortoise is too big for a CHE or basking flood bulb now and that will continue or worsen the pyramiding at this stage. Time to use other better heating strategies now.

Here are two examples:
 

Violanna

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Kane heat mats are good, but human heating pads are not safe. Also, your tortoise is too big for a CHE or basking flood bulb now and that will continue or worsen the pyramiding at this stage. Time to use other better heating strategies now.

Here are two examples:
Oh you think so?? Even if the CHE is only above the bucket and attached to a thermostat?
 

Violanna

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Also the heat mat is a radiant heat mat I planned to put on top, not for the tort to lay on! I’ll look into the Kane mats!
 

Tom

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Oh you think so?? Even if the CHE is only above the bucket and attached to a thermostat?
If the CHE is directly above the bucket and the tortoise can't get under it, then it is fine. BUT.... We are talking about a sulcata here. Eventually, that bucket is going to get moved, and your tortoise might end up under that CHE and get slow-burned. Better to just use something safer.
Also the heat mat is a radiant heat mat I planned to put on top, not for the tort to lay on! I’ll look into the Kane mats!
You seem to have your terms confused, and I think it would be safest if you posted a picture of what you have got. Radiant heat panels are one thing. They are meant to be mounted over head and are very safe. There are several types of this one. They cannot be laid on by an animal. Heat "mats" are meant to be mounted on the floor and laid upon. Like a Kane or Stansfield heat matThere are no "radiant heat mats".
 

Violanna

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Yeah it’s a panel! I just call it a mat because it looks like a mat. But it is not meant for floor mounting. It’s the type meant for baby chicks.
 

Tom

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Yeah it’s a panel! I just call it a mat because it looks like a mat. But it is not meant for floor mounting. It’s the type meant for baby chicks.
Ahhh... Okay. That should work. Your thermometer will tell the tale. In an insulated box a radiant panel over head with a Kane mat on bottom will usually maintain the temperature just fine.
 

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