Pyramiding
- Thread starter rainlilypets
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
- Messages
- 29,970
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
He does have moderate pyramiding
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
With pyramiding, two things are most important to cover:
Hydration: How is your soaking routine? How do you provide water? What is the humidity like?
Lighting & Heating: What kind of basking lamp do you have? (some lamps can contribute to pyramiding) What is your heating like? How do you provide ambient lighting? How do you provide UVB?
Also, a question about the picture, does he usually have substrate, but just not now due to the injuries?
Hydration: How is your soaking routine? How do you provide water? What is the humidity like?
Lighting & Heating: What kind of basking lamp do you have? (some lamps can contribute to pyramiding) What is your heating like? How do you provide ambient lighting? How do you provide UVB?
Also, a question about the picture, does he usually have substrate, but just not now due to the injuries?
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
He does have pyramiding yes, if you can answer these questions that’d be great for members coming along to advise
What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used specifically? Packaging photos are good if you have any
Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity?
What’s his substrate usually?
What kind of monitoring do you have measuring temp and humidity?
What’s his diet been like with you?
Welcome to the forum
What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used specifically? Packaging photos are good if you have any
Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity?
What’s his substrate usually?
What kind of monitoring do you have measuring temp and humidity?
What’s his diet been like with you?
Welcome to the forum
rainlilypets
New Member
Lighting - I think the issue may be the lighting. Normally, I take him outside to soak under the sun for about 3 hours everyday. Due to his injuries, I haven't done so because I'm paranoid about infection. I have attached an image of the lighting. It's 4-Pack 25W UVA+UVB Reptile Heat Bulbs - Heat. I feel the lights may not be good enough.
Humidity - He normally has substrate but do to his punctures I have removed all substrate. I use Reptibark for his substrate. I soak him 2x week as he is a 1 year and 5 months.
Diet- I feed him a variety diet. I am trying to get him to eat more hay as he never preferred it. I feed him collard greens with romaine lettuce chopped up with orchard hay. The diet varies everyday. The main thing he eats are cactus pads, wheatgrass, romaine lettuce, collard greens, turnip greens, mazuri tortoise diet, orchard hay and fescue grass.
Also if you have any tips for how to get him to eat more hay. He will not do it. He spills the food bowl the day I give him hay.
Please let me know if I missed anything.
Humidity - He normally has substrate but do to his punctures I have removed all substrate. I use Reptibark for his substrate. I soak him 2x week as he is a 1 year and 5 months.
Diet- I feed him a variety diet. I am trying to get him to eat more hay as he never preferred it. I feed him collard greens with romaine lettuce chopped up with orchard hay. The diet varies everyday. The main thing he eats are cactus pads, wheatgrass, romaine lettuce, collard greens, turnip greens, mazuri tortoise diet, orchard hay and fescue grass.
Also if you have any tips for how to get him to eat more hay. He will not do it. He spills the food bowl the day I give him hay.
Please let me know if I missed anything.
rainlilypets
New Member
The substrate is temporary. When his punctures close I will add Reptibark to the enclosure.
Hydration - I soak him about 2x/week. I read that it is need less frequently as they age. I provide him water in a dish within the enclosure.
Lighting- I use 25 W UVA+UVB for lighting. I prefer to take him outside for UVA/UVB but the accident happened outside so I've been paranoid.
That's not a good light source, since its likely halogen and they usually don't produce uvb. And in the small chance it does, it wouldn't be considered safe.
Can you post more pictures, including from the side?
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
@Tom should be able to help you on the diet. I myself don't have experience with the grass eating species.
I agree, the light doesn't sound appropriate.
The correct lighting, housing and care is explained in the two threads I will leave for you. Your tortoise is pyramiding due to low humidity which is what you get with an open topped enclosure. The wrong bulbs also make it worse.
Hay is for older larger sulcatas. I don't even begin to introduce hay until they are over 12 inches. The other diet items sound good. More diet info in the threads too.
The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise
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tortoiseforum.org
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
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tortoiseforum.org
Questions are welcome!
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Hopefully as well as toms links, these can help, I made this thread based on the forums care information and added visual aids, it covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need, but again as yours is a bit older, humidity won’t need to be maintained as high), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers
tortoiseforum.org
This includes different closed chamber options
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
tortoiseforum.org
Hope they come in useful!
Leopard/sulcata starter
Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...
tortoiseforum.org
This includes different closed chamber options
Visual inspiration
Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
Common keeping errors
Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...
tortoiseforum.org
Hope they come in useful!
