Pyramiding??

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

I have been told that my 1 and a half year old sulcata has begun to show a slight bit of pyramiding. How do I stop this? Here’s a picture of him/her:
(His/her blocked nostril is just some food, it came out after a soak?)

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Pyramiding is caused by lack of humidity.
Humidity too low.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

Thank you for your reply! I do think that my tortoise’s tank is rather dry a lot of the time. How would I make it more humid?

 

[AgataP]

Thank you for your reply! I do think that my tortoise’s tank is rather dry a lot of the time. How would I make it more humid?

Build a closed chamber enclosure.

 

[Happytort27]

Thank you for your reply! I do think that my tortoise’s tank is rather dry a lot of the time. How would I make it more humid?

You should dampen your substrate and make an enclosed chamber. Combined plastic tubs with a lid on top can work. I know several members here who use grow tents. Grow tents are great for keeping the humidity up. There are plenty of options to choose from. If you need any more help, just ask. ?
If you haven’t already, please take a look at this care sheet:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[AgataP]

Oh wait I see your other post is the enclosure you have closed chamber ? Looks like it in the picture.
Do you soak him everyday ?

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

I soak my tortoise about every other day. By dampening the substrate, should I spray his wood pieces with water everyday? Thank you!

 

[KarenSoCal]

The substrate should be one of these, or a combination of them: coco coir, cypress mulch, and fine grade orchid (fir) bark.

You take a pitcher of water and pour it into the substrate, then use your hands to mix it up. You want it to be nicely damp, but not soaking sopping wet.

If you have a closed enclosure, not open top, this will raise your humidity, which you want to keep above 80% at all times, everywhere in the enclosure.

Wood pieces? If you mean decorative items, they will get hit by some water, but you don't need to soak them down.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

This is a photo of the wood pieces I am using for his enclosure. Thank you for your reply!

 

[KarenSoCal]

What kind of wood is it?
It's so big, and doesn't look like it would hold water very well. Plus I don't think the baby could dig in it.

I think he would be better off on one of the others, especially orchid bark.

Check your local nurseries for it. Some places Home Depot or Lowe's has it, but not everywhere.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

Thank you so much! I’ll make sure to check my local shops this weekend.

 

[Tom]

I have been told that my 1 and a half year old sulcata has begun to show a slight bit of pyramiding. How do I stop this? Here’s a picture of him/her:
(His/her blocked nostril is just some food, it came out after a soak?)

Pyramiding prevention is explained in detail in the care sheet that Happytort linked for you in post #5. Everything you should be doing for your tortoise is explained there.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

The post was very helpful. Thank you for your reply!

 

[KT1]

I live just outside Chicago and had a tough time finding plain orchid bark locally, lots of orchid bark mix, but no plain orchid bark. One nursery told me they were having a hard time stocking it b/c of the pandemic. I finally found it online at orchidsupply.com.

When I wet my substrate, I do it w/ fairly hot water. This creates great humidity. Just be sure your tort is not in there when you add the hot water, LOL!

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

Thank you for answering! That was really helpful! I’m going to check my local shops this weekend. All I want to do is make my little buddy happy! Anything for him/her <3