Rapid growth

[SamHall]

I know this is already being talked about, but I have had so much conflicting 'advice' .

I know I have the right lighting and set up as a lovely member from here helped me. I am only feeding once a day no more than the size of his shell. I am adding vitamins and calcium to his food.

I know he is showing signs of rapid growth but what am I doing wrong?

Any help appreciated please

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

This might help

 

[SamHall]

So are you saying I should try eggshells instead. Making it more natural to their original habits? Does this include feeding too? Instead of feesing just leave the plants in there?

 

[TammyJ]

What are you asking? What are you seeing that you think is wrong?
Your tortoise should be fed all he can eat every day, of the correct foods.
Rapid , smooth growth along with steady weight gain is fine.
Vitamins and calcium on his food should not be given every day, and may not be necessary if he is being given, and is eating, the correct variety of food.
Pyramiding is present on his shell.

 

[SamHall]

Thank you. I am asking is the rapid growth he is showing okay? Is there anything I can do differently to change it, slow it down.
He has calcium twice a week. I feed him the appropriate food.
What would be causing the pyramiding please. I have correct lighting. Alot of the time he is under his cover when the uv light comes on.

 

[Yvonne G]

Why worry? He looks great! He's growing and healthy. It wouldn't worry me a bit! The pyramiding is caused by being in a too dry space, not by overeating. So if you're concerned he's pyramiding, just cover the enclosure and up the humidity - but I wouldn't worry about that pretty little shell. He looks great!

 

[Tom]

I know this is already being talked about, but I have had so much conflicting 'advice' .

I know I have the right lighting and set up as a lovely member from here helped me. I am only feeding once a day no more than the size of his shell. I am adding vitamins and calcium to his food.

I know he is showing signs of rapid growth but what am I doing wrong?

Any help appreciated please

This isn't rapid growth. This is normal healthy growth. The issue you are having is that you have been "researching" and finding the usual plethora of old wrong info that advocates for forced slow growth which is accomplished through semi-starvation. There is no issue with your tortoise. There is an issue with your understanding of what is desirable for tortoise care, and this is due to lots of conflicting info.

If you are housing and feeding the tortoise correctly, it should be growing until it reaches full size. Correct housing includes adequate humidity for smooth growth, warm "sunny" daytime temps, a drop in night temperature for temperate species like this one, a good hydration routine, damp substrate, humid hides, etc... If you are feeding a high fiber weedy leafy diet, or grocery store greens with the correct amendments added in, then the tortoise should be fed as much as it wants to eat daily.

 

[SamHall]

This isn't rapid growth. This is normal healthy growth. The issue you are having is that you have been "researching" and finding the usual plethora of old wrong info that advocates for forced slow growth which is accomplished through semi-starvation. There is no issue with your tortoise. There is an issue with your understanding of what is desirable for tortoise care, and this is due to lots of conflicting info.

If you are housing and feeding the tortoise correctly, it should be growing until it reaches full size. Correct housing includes adequate humidity for smooth growth, warm "sunny" daytime temps, a drop in night temperature for temperate species like this one, a good hydration routine, damp substrate, humid hides, etc... If you are feeding a high fiber weedy leafy diet, or grocery store greens with the correct amendments added in, then the tortoise should be fed as much as it wants to eat daily.

I was actually told in a very demoralising way that my tortoise had rapid growth and piramiding!
There is no wonder myself and others have conflicting information when people are rude when you ask for advice, forgetting we are all newbies at one point.
The set up and husbandry I was very kindly helped by someone from this forum so I am confident I am doing it right. I admit I have let it get abit dry which I have now changing.
You talk about finding out all the wrong info much of it comes from people in these 'friendly' groups who claim to know more than myself and make me doubt myself.
Thank you for answering though and none of this is directed at you I am just explaining why I have conflicting knowledge.
I have my answers now though and I will carry on with what I am doing.

Thank you

 

[Tom]

I was actually told in a very demoralising way that my tortoise had rapid growth and piramiding!
There is no wonder myself and others have conflicting information when people are rude when you ask for advice, forgetting we are all newbies at one point.
The set up and husbandry I was very kindly helped by someone from this forum so I am confident I am doing it right. I admit I have let it get abit dry which I have now changing.
You talk about finding out all the wrong info much of it comes from people in these 'friendly' groups who claim to know more than myself and make me doubt myself.
Thank you for answering though and none of this is directed at you I am just explaining why I have conflicting knowledge.
I have my answers now though and I will carry on with what I am doing.

Thank you

You are not alone. It's difficult to know who to listen to. We've been fighting the torrential current of bad info that is out in the world here for 15 years. In time, everyone will learn what we are saying with enough trial and error. When you do it "their" way, you get undersized pyramided animals that are merely surviving. When you do it "our" way, you get normal healthy smooth growth and see an animal that is thriving, not just surviving. The results tell the story better than I can. The hope here is to explain and demonstrate the right ways to do it so that people don't have to learn the hard way at the expense of their animals.

Please feel free to argue your points and ask questions. We are happy to explain and back up each and every assertion we make and how we reached that conclusion. We will NOT be insulted if you question any of this. We will defend our points, but we do not resort to insults or attacks here. Our goal is to help. With the preponderance of bad info and conflicting info, I don't see how a person could not question it.

 

[SamHall]

You are not alone. It's difficult to know who to listen to. We've been fighting the torrential current of bad info that is out in the world here for 15 years. In time, everyone will learn what we are saying with enough trial and error. When you do it "their" way, you get undersized pyramided animals that are merely surviving. When you do it "our" way, you get normal healthy smooth growth and see an animal that is thriving, not just surviving. The results tell the story better than I can. The hope here is to explain and demonstrate the right ways to do it so that people mdon't have to learn the hard way at the expense of their animals.

Please feel free to argue your points and ask questions. We are happy to explain and back up each and every assertion we make and how we reached that conclusion. We will NOT be insulted if you question any of this. We will defend our points, but we do not resort to insults or attacks here. Our goal is to help. With the preponderance of bad info and conflicting info, I don't see how a person could not question it.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the offer of support. My tortoise is very special to me, and I just want to make sure I am doing the very best by him. I have deleted the groups and I will just come here and ask in future