Shell fungus again!!!!!

jdelagarza001

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Please help! This is the second time my cherry head has had shell fungus in 2 months. I treated him the first time for at least a week with fungus cream. I did Betadine the first day. I have cut the humififier to low humidity for a while. What am I doing wrong? I just don't understand.
 

pfara

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I wish I knew more about shell rot to help you. How moist are you keeping the substrate? What tools are you using to measure humidity? I wonder if maybe the original treatment didn't fully rid your tort of the fungus.
 

wellington

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They are more prone to shell rot and fungus. Are you keeping the top layer of the substrate dry, while adding humidity? This can usually be done by having a far amount of depth to the substrate and poring the water into the corners of the enclosure. It moistens the underneath while keeping the top dry.
 

jdelagarza001

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I use coconut noir with cypress bark on top.


I also have a humidity/temp gauge from Lowe's.
 

sibi

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I think you may not be using the right stuff. I have a water turtle for 26 years, and once she got a fungus on her shell. I used iodine solution and keep it dry. It took a long time for it to go away...up to a year. Perhaps your tort may not take as long as a water turtle, but that iodine is the cure. Clean the area well with betadine, then apply the iodine solution. Keep the area dry and continue the treatment for a week or two, depending on how bad it is. Then just wait it out. Repeat if necessary.
 

pfara

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Shell rot in redfoots is usually caused by "too wet" conditions. My suggestion is to just treat the infected areas again and keep your substrate drier.
 

jdelagarza001

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I have a reptifogger, but i basically have kept it off and humidity low most of the time. I am very discouraged. I dont want to cause pyramiding, but shell rot seems to be the worst of the two.


Oh, also, i have a 60 watt che, but it gets too warm in the vivarium. I am afraid i will overheat my baby tort, but if i turn it off, it dips in the lower 70s. What do you reccommend?
 

pfara

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There are ways to have high humidity without shell rot. Keep the humidity over 80% without having "wet" conditions and you won't have any issues.
 

jdelagarza001

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So I apply the betadine more than once? I read somewhere in here to only use it once, because it will kill all new growth. I then used the antifungal for 6 days.


The substrate is dry. Humidity is usually in the 50s right now due to the shell rot. That's what has me so puzzled.
 

pfara

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See www.tortoiselibrary.com about shell rot and treatment of. It's under the "health and medical" section. As for your heat: get a CHE and hook it to a thermostat set to where you want it.
 

sibi

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I don't think having above 80% humidity is good for a RT. I think if you use your humidifier and keep levels at around 60%, your tort will be better off. Applying the fungus med or iodine for longer than the 6 days you tried should take care of the problem. As others suggested, you can have a humid substrate underneath while having the top part dry. Hope you'll get this under control.
 

pfara

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sibi said:
I don't think having above 80% humidity is good for a RT. I think if you use your humidifier and keep levels at around 60%, your tort will be better off. Applying the fungus med or iodine for longer than the 6 days you tried should take care of the problem. As others suggested, you can have a humid substrate underneath while having the top part dry. Hope you'll get this under control.

I agree with you, but this is for a redfoot (RF).
 
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