Pyramiding?

[ivastortoiseivica]

Excuse her dirty shell, but in my last post somebody mentioned that it looks like she's pyramiding, and I'm pretty sure they were right, because now it really is starting to look a lot like that. I honestly don't know what I could be doing wrong. I bathe her every other day, I mist her food with water, I keep a moist coco peat substrate, she likes to hang in her water pot every day for a few minutes, she burrows herself from time to time, humidity where I live is at 70%, sadly I haven't gotten a humidity meter yet (any cheap but good recommendations?) but I check it on the weather app daily and its always 70-80%. Yesterday I made a closed enclosure but it's still in the making and I don't have a hole for the light yet since the enclosure is not that tall and it would be too close, so I'm still trying to figure that out. I will be covering the sides soon so she doesn't get stressed.

 

[TammyJ]

If she has not been in a closed enclosure all along with the correct temperatures and humidity, that is why the pyramiding is progressing. @Tom @wellington

 

[wellington]

The humidity you are living in won't be the same in an enclosure with all the heat that the tortoise needs
Put her in a closed chamber. The box in the pic is too low sided and you will burn her with the appropriate light and heat.
Get a tall sided very large tote box or a pop up green house like in the pic.
Use an incandescent flood bulb for basking
Long tube fluorescent for uvb
Ceramic heat emitter for any added day heat needed and night heat.
Dampen the substrate not misting it.

 

[ivastortoiseivica]

The humidity you are living in won't be the same in an enclosure with all the heat that the tortoise needs
Put her in a closed chamber. The box in the pic is too low sided and you will burn her with the appropriate light and heat.
Get a tall sided very large tote box or a pop up green house like in the pic.
Use an incandescent flood bulb for basking
Long tube fluorescent for uvb
Ceramic heat emitter for any added day heat needed and night heat.
Dampen the substrate not misting it.
View attachment 366515

I haven't even thought of getting a greenhouse! Thanks for the idea, I'll order one asap

 

[wellington]

I haven't even thought of getting a greenhouse! Thanks for the idea, I'll order one asap

Be sure to search. That's an old picture and I don't know if they still have that one at that price.
Also you will need a tarp to use as a floor. Mist of the greenhouses come without a floor.

 

[wellington]

Here is a new pic of a couple ideas

 

[Tom]

View attachment 366512View attachment 366513
Excuse her dirty shell, but in my last post somebody mentioned that it looks like she's pyramiding, and I'm pretty sure they were right, because now it really is starting to look a lot like that. I honestly don't know what I could be doing wrong. I bathe her every other day, I mist her food with water, I keep a moist coco peat substrate, she likes to hang in her water pot every day for a few minutes, she burrows herself from time to time, humidity where I live is at 70%, sadly I haven't gotten a humidity meter yet (any cheap but good recommendations?) but I check it on the weather app daily and its always 70-80%. Yesterday I made a closed enclosure but it's still in the making and I don't have a hole for the light yet since the enclosure is not that tall and it would be too close, so I'm still trying to figure that out. I will be covering the sides soon so she doesn't get stressed.View attachment 366514

You don't need to cover that sides. She will not be stressed. That is old incorrect info, which tells me you've been reading the old wrong stuff.

The pyramiding on your baby is mild, but it will get worse over time if some changes are not made.

As Wellington said, the humidity outside during your cold German winter has nothing to do with the humidity inside your tortoise's electrically heated enclosure. Open topped tubs don't work well for babies even in humid tropical countries.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. Open tops with heat lamps are too dry, and some heat lamps are worse than others. Halogens, spot bulbs, and mercury vapor bulbs can all cause more pyramiding even inside a humid closed chamber.

Here is all the correct care info. There is also a temperate species care sheet near the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[ivastortoiseivica]

You don't need to cover that sides. She will not be stressed. That is old incorrect info, which tells me you've been reading the old wrong stuff.

The pyramiding on your baby is mild, but it will get worse over time if some changes are not made.

As Wellington said, the humidity outside during your cold German winter has nothing to do with the humidity inside your tortoise's electrically heated enclosure. Open topped tubs don't work well for babies even in humid tropical countries.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. Open tops with heat lamps are too dry, and some heat lamps are worse than others. Halogens, spot bulbs, and mercury vapor bulbs can all cause more pyramiding even inside a humid closed chamber.

Here is all the correct care info. There is also a temperate species care sheet near the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much. I just read through the care info. Would these be okay? And should I get a dome for the bulbs or something different? Lights are the most confusing things for me. I'm just asking to make sure I don't make any more mistakes.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!

Thanks for posting before ordering

1. This analog gauges are inaccurate. Digital (with a display) are far better. Ones with a display and probes (cords with sensors) are even better. They are available in hardware/electronics shops as well and usually cost less than those from pet shops.
2. The UVB tube lamp - is a really good one. But you need a fixture for it. Like Arcadia proT5 Kit. You can look for the T5HO fixtures in hardware stores too, but I wasn't able to found them recently.
3. The LED strip looks good, but once again you can check hardware stores for the "under cabinet lights" or light strips to save some money.
4. This basking bulb is too intense and will add to pyramiding. Look for Arcadia Solar Basking *Flood*light or ExoTerra basking lamp, not labeled as intense.
5. Ceramic heat emitter is fine. You will need a thermostat and a wide dome with ceramic (!) socket for it. Cheap domes can be found in stores with farm supplies, labeled as chicken brooder lamps.
6. This UVB meter is not really handy - it measures total UVB output but it's not easy to convert it to UV Index without conversion tables made for the specific lamp model. It will work perfectly to assess if lamp's UVB output has degraded over time. I will look if conversion table is available for your Arcadia lamp (it's a popular model, so chances are high).

Also, you can check Amazon for the same supplies.

Please, don't be upset - setting up tortoise habitat for the first time can be really confusing, I know. However, it will be much easier later.

 

[ivastortoiseivica]

Hello!

Thanks for posting before ordering

1. This analog gauges are inaccurate. Digital (with a display) are far better. Ones with a display and probes (cords with sensors) are even better. They are available in hardware/electronics shops as well and usually cost less than those from pet shops.
2. The UVB tube lamp - is a really good one. But you need a fixture for it. Like Arcadia proT5 Kit. You can look for the T5HO fixtures in hardware stores too, but I wasn't able to found them recently.
3. The LED strip looks good, but once again you can check hardware stores for the "under cabinet lights" or light strips to save some money.
4. This basking bulb is too intense and will add to pyramiding. Look for Arcadia Solar Basking *Flood*light or ExoTerra basking lamp, not labeled as intense.
5. Ceramic heat emitter is fine. You will need a thermostat and a wide dome with ceramic (!) socket for it. Cheap domes can be found in stores with farm supplies, labeled as chicken brooder lamps.
6. This UVB meter is not really handy - it measures total UVB output but it's not easy to convert it to UV Index without conversion tables made for the specific lamp model. It will work perfectly to assess if lamp's UVB output has degraded over time. I will look if conversion table is available for your Arcadia lamp (it's a popular model, so chances are high).

Also, you can check Amazon for the same supplies.

Please, don't be upset - setting up tortoise habitat for the first time can be really confusing, I know. However, it will be much easier later.

Thank you!! My head always hurts trying to understand all those types of lamps. Here is the improved list. Please let me know if any of these supplies aren't good. I live in Germany and it's really not as advanced as everyone thinks it is. It's hard to find supplies that can even be shipped here, and reptile stores are very rare. Pet stores don't carry anything for reptiles.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

1. The dome is for the 40W lamps, probably it's small in diameter and is not rated for more powerful lamps. Check this one - https://amzn.eu/d/glIwrlM (chicken brooder domes are also present on Amazon.de - around 22EUR).
2. Yes, that correct lamp. Maybe wattage is too high, but you can mount it higher or use a dimmer. Or get the same but lower wattage bulb.
3. This LED strip should work. If the enclosure is far from windows, you may even get two and "chain-link" them.
4. UVB lamp - perfect
5. This thermometer/hygrometer will work. You may get two - one for the cold zone and one for basking zone (but it's not required).
6. CHE - fine. You may look at other brands like ExoTerra, ZooMed or Trixie for cheaper options.
7. A thermostat is fine too, I hope it's really as reliable as in the reviews.

I know that all that heating/lightning stuff is overwhelming (and expensive...), but it makes our tortoises happy so it worth the efforts )

 

[ivastortoiseivica]

1. The dome is for the 40W lamps, probably it's small in diameter and is not rated for more powerful lamps. Check this one - https://amzn.eu/d/glIwrlM (chicken brooder domes are also present on Amazon.de - around 22EUR).
2. Yes, that correct lamp. Maybe wattage is too high, but you can mount it higher or use a dimmer. Or get the same but lower wattage bulb.
3. This LED strip should work. If the enclosure is far from windows, you may even get two and "chain-link" them.
4. UVB lamp - perfect
5. This thermometer/hygrometer will work. You may get two - one for the cold zone and one for basking zone (but it's not required).
6. CHE - fine. You may look at other brands like ExoTerra, ZooMed or Trixie for cheaper options.
7. A thermostat is fine too, I hope it's really as reliable as in the reviews.

I know that all that heating/lightning stuff is overwhelming (and expensive...), but it makes our tortoises happy so it worth the efforts )

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out 😊

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

You are welcome! Please, don't forget to post some updates on her enclosure (preferably, with a cute tortoise inside )