Newbie help....please can I see some pics of your indoor set ups?
- Thread starter Helen01
- Start date
im a neewbie to torts so really can't confidently or compantly offer any advice. i would hazzard a guess that as you have said past conditions have not been ideal and have lead to improper growth, (I think showing pyramiding?) . i would punch in a search into shell rot on here, should find pics, diagnosis, treatment etc. i think rot is caused by substrate being too moist at top layer, taking pyramiding into account i would think shell rot would not be a concern as are due to opposite extremes? given the pellet substate i would suggest daily soakes and changing to co co coir as soon as poss. PLEASE DONT TAKE ADVICE AS GOSPEL THOUGH!
As i say i am by no means an expert! you are in the right place, just keep posting pics and temps etc, you will be properly advised. i have leared that torts are tough little buggers! changes dont have to be made overnight, he/ahe will be thankfull you have rescued
As i say i am by no means an expert! you are in the right place, just keep posting pics and temps etc, you will be properly advised. i have leared that torts are tough little buggers! changes dont have to be made overnight, he/ahe will be thankfull you have rescued
*from my limited knowlage, shell 'damage'cant be smoothed out if you will, however can be corrected ti insure future growth. have seen threads about conditioning for wont of a better word, massaging oils into shell?
That substrate has got to go! I use coco coir to keep my humidity up for my redfoot. There are multiple reasons why I use this substrate:
1. It keeps humidity up and holds water well.
2. My tortoise can ingest it without any worries of impaction
3. It's clean (when packed down after the first day or so) although you may think it's dirty right off the bat.
4. No mold can grow in it. With substrates like cypress mulch, which an also be used, I believe it must be changed more frequently.
I change the coco coir every 6 months or so.
The substrate remains damp, however she has never had any shell rot.
Some plants I would recommend: christmas cactus (tis the season), pothos, spider plants, wandering jew, lipstick vine, boston fern, and sedge. I prefer sedge because it is the ONLY plant my redfoot will not try to eat! I also bought some grazing mix a while back from Carolina Pet Supply that she eats as well.A lot of good grazing grasses/clover, etc. in there.
I would add a hide or two in there as well. What I did was buy a plastic tupperware bucket thingy and I cut a hole for her to go into it. It's cheap and serves its purpose.
Last thing! To keep the humidity up you might want some sort of fogger or sprinkler system. I use Mistking but I hear you can make your own fogger very cheaply if you wanted to.
I've added a picture of my own setup - it's kind of old and I've done a lot of tweaking since then. The shower curtain has since been replaced with plexiglass, and my tortoise is too big to fit under that log now. I added two extra hiding places for her and piled up the sphagnum moss so she can sleep in it under the heat lamp.
Anyway, good luck! My tortoise was in the same boat and had a horrible start. Your new tortoise is lucky to have been placed in your care!
1. It keeps humidity up and holds water well.
2. My tortoise can ingest it without any worries of impaction
3. It's clean (when packed down after the first day or so) although you may think it's dirty right off the bat.
4. No mold can grow in it. With substrates like cypress mulch, which an also be used, I believe it must be changed more frequently.
I change the coco coir every 6 months or so.
The substrate remains damp, however she has never had any shell rot.
Some plants I would recommend: christmas cactus (tis the season), pothos, spider plants, wandering jew, lipstick vine, boston fern, and sedge. I prefer sedge because it is the ONLY plant my redfoot will not try to eat! I also bought some grazing mix a while back from Carolina Pet Supply that she eats as well.A lot of good grazing grasses/clover, etc. in there.
I would add a hide or two in there as well. What I did was buy a plastic tupperware bucket thingy and I cut a hole for her to go into it. It's cheap and serves its purpose.
Last thing! To keep the humidity up you might want some sort of fogger or sprinkler system. I use Mistking but I hear you can make your own fogger very cheaply if you wanted to.
I've added a picture of my own setup - it's kind of old and I've done a lot of tweaking since then. The shower curtain has since been replaced with plexiglass, and my tortoise is too big to fit under that log now. I added two extra hiding places for her and piled up the sphagnum moss so she can sleep in it under the heat lamp.
Anyway, good luck! My tortoise was in the same boat and had a horrible start. Your new tortoise is lucky to have been placed in your care!
PS, my redfoot hated that red ball.
Delilah1623
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2014
- Messages
- 437
im a neewbie to torts so really can't confidently or compantly offer any advice. i would hazzard a guess that as you have said past conditions have not been ideal and have lead to improper growth, (I think showing pyramiding?) . i would punch in a search into shell rot on here, should find pics, diagnosis, treatment etc. i think rot is caused by substrate being too moist at top layer, taking pyramiding into account i would think shell rot would not be a concern as are due to opposite extremes? given the pellet substate i would suggest daily soakes and changing to co co coir as soon as poss. PLEASE DONT TAKE ADVICE AS GOSPEL THOUGH!
As i say i am by no means an expert! you are in the right place, just keep posting pics and temps etc, you will be properly advised. i have leared that torts are tough little buggers! changes dont have to be made overnight, he/ahe will be thankfull you have rescued
I saw a tortoise with pyramiding and shell rot... the air was dry so he spent all his time soaking in the water dish )= poor thing
The light places on his shell, from what I can see, are normal. Shell rot usually occurs on the plastron.
Wow that's a relief thank you!
He had his second bath last night and seemed to enjoy it a lot more, he had another huge poop afterwards and then ate all his dinner
His shell doesn't look as dry anymore so the baths seem to be helping 
