Signs of pyramiding?

Nelocin

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Breaking my own heart here because this raising came out of nowhere from day to night. He's always had a silly scute (3rd one down from top/bottom). I'm not a fan of this and am literally going to force him to stay moist. Lol he's so spoiled and prefers dry/heat. We live in Florida. He's always grazed on grass and eats weeds, all affordable and free throughout the yard. Thinking of incorporating greens from the super market though. He occasionally has kale/romaine as a treat. Never had a fruit in his life. So I'm really unsure if it's the moisture he isn't getting or his diet causing this. His enclosure is going to stay moist AF from now on. Just let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

And I'm forcing him to eat tortoise diet as well from now on by mixing it with his food as it's something he completely doesn't like. He's never liked any brand tortoise diet. He's a mess. :(
 

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Toddrickfl1

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Yes he's Pyramiding. It's not from diet it's from pack of humidity. You need a closed chamber enclosure.
 

Maro2Bear

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Greetings. Was wondering if you have been daily soaking your tort? A good long daily soak in warm water will go a long way with helping to prevent pyramiding. A fully enclosed/lidded enclosure will go a long way with maintaining consistent temps & humidity levels. Tom’s Sully Care Guide will help.
 

Nelocin

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Yes he's Pyramiding. It's not from diet it's from pack of humidity. You need a closed chamber enclosure.
I've incorporated that plastic hide for an outdoor humidity option. And as for indoors... a closed top bin if you will with air holes up top. It's kind of the same set up when I initially got him and didn't have a fancy indoor tortoise house. I remember seeing good moisture when I had the heat lamp overhead. We'll see. Thanks
 

Nelocin

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Greetings. Was wondering if you have been daily soaking your tort? A good long daily soak in warm water will go a long way with helping to prevent pyramiding. A fully enclosed/lidded enclosure will go a long way with maintaining consistent temps & humidity levels. Tom’s Sully Care Guide will help.
I can't say it's been a daily thing. But it will be.
 

Nelocin

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read Toms care sheet and follow the care. will you be keeping your tortoise in the same enclosure or will you be making a new one?
Honestly I want to keep him outside. Let me explain: he has an indoor enclosure, but it's just a place to sleep. It's that wooden zoomed tortoise house. And I like to keep my pets as natural to their real environments as I can. But he's dipped on me even with my eagle eye watching him many times and luckily he's always come back home the next day. He's pretty smart and we're pretty lucky nothing's happened. Which is why I finally made the gated outdoor enclosure. With organic topsoil and a whole bag of cypress mulch. I'm watering that thing every day unless it's already raining. Remember when I wrote that the whole yard is his enclosure? Because it was. No more escaping now though.

I've read the care sheet and they mention humidity being the culprit. I might honestly shade half of the enclosure and close it up as much as possible and/or add an even bigger darker hide that he can't reject if I remove the other two that are here now. I do now since yest have a different set up for him inside with a new bin for humidity that we sort of inpromptly used when I had nothing for him but a heat lamp and the same dirt fixings. I remember it retained lots of moisture with a heat lamp above it. I might even start soaking him twice a day. I just did tonight and he'll get soaked again tmrw before work. We're going to figure this thing out.
 

iAmCentrochelys sulcata

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Honestly I want to keep him outside. Let me explain: he has an indoor enclosure, but it's just a place to sleep. It's that wooden zoomed tortoise house. And I like to keep my pets as natural to their real environments as I can. But he's dipped on me even with my eagle eye watching him many times and luckily he's always come back home the next day. He's pretty smart and we're pretty lucky nothing's happened. Which is why I finally made the gated outdoor enclosure. With organic topsoil and a whole bag of cypress mulch. I'm watering that thing every day unless it's already raining. Remember when I wrote that the whole yard is his enclosure? Because it was. No more escaping now though.

I've read the care sheet and they mention humidity being the culprit. I might honestly shade half of the enclosure and close it up as much as possible and/or add an even bigger darker hide that he can't reject if I remove the other two that are here now. I do now since yest have a different set up for him inside with a new bin for humidity that we sort of inpromptly used when I had nothing for him but a heat lamp and the same dirt fixings. I remember it retained lots of moisture with a heat lamp above it. I might even start soaking him twice a day. I just did tonight and he'll get soaked again tmrw before work. We're going to figure this thing out.
you do what you think its best for the tortoise, we dont keep House tortoises outside until they're 1-2 year of life. theres nothing natural of how he lives now. you cant follow the exact way of the tortoise is raised in the "wild" when babies are young more than 90% of the time they are hiding from predators in leave litter,tunnels, and even theyre own urine and fesces. theres also more factors to consider, maybe theres predators. or he might overheat. i also think by adding a heat lamp you would create the opposite effect than maintain high humidity. it will dry the surroundings and the carapace thus causing pyraminding.
 

Nelocin

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you do what you think its best for the tortoise, we dont keep House tortoises outside until they're 1-2 year of life. theres nothing natural of how he lives now. you cant follow the exact way of the tortoise is raised in the "wild" when babies are young more than 90% of the time they are hiding from predators in leave litter,tunnels, and even theyre own urine and fesces. theres also more factors to consider, maybe theres predators. or he might overheat. i also think by adding a heat lamp you would create the opposite effect than maintain high humidity. it will dry the surroundings and the carapace thus causing pyraminding.
He is a little over a year already and this is my first attempt at trying to get him to stay outside as a tortoise should essentially be. I understand he's still tiny. But he was always put back inside after eating/or going back into his hide on his own letting me know he's tired. He's only slept outside those times he's dipped on me and the past couple nights in his new enclosure. There's a fitted metal gate I put above it so the only predator that could get in would be a snake. And I've yet to run into a poisonous or monster snake. He's pretty safe where I live.

And I see where it sounds like it might have the opposite effect, but I can't make up the moisture part. It's enclosed with holes up top and the light is not directly hitting him or heating the lid up to an extreme. It's subtle. It's just there to give off a warm humid vibe and shut right off once he's asleep. He's sleeping inside tonight in the make do new bin.

I just feel like what I was doing wasn't working. So I'm attempting to change how I do/did everything. I feel like trashing my zoomed tortoise house.

What's your setup look like?
 
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Tom

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Keeping them outdoors full time, or even for a few hours a day will greatly slow their growth and also cause pyramiding. Climate doesn't matter. You are seeing both. If you want to prevent pyramiding, he needs to be in an indoor closed chamber with the correct bulbs and temperatures most of the time.

You tortoise doesn't look bad, and the size at one year old isn't terrible, but if pyramiding prevention is your goal, you'll need him inside until he gets bigger.
 

Nelocin

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Keeping them outdoors full time, or even for a few hours a day will greatly slow their growth and also cause pyramiding. Climate doesn't matter. You are seeing both. If you want to prevent pyramiding, he needs to be in an indoor closed chamber with the correct bulbs and temperatures most of the time.

You tortoise doesn't look bad, and the size at one year old isn't terrible, but if pyramiding prevention is your goal, you'll need him inside until he gets bigger.

Starting to revamp the zoomed house. I've moistened the dirt blend and saran wrapped the main lid to death. I do have a hanging lamp and stand as well as the horizontal zoomed heat/uvb lamp combo. Not too sure what next. Any tips, suggestions?

Might remove the left part that words "tortoise house" and/or drill a decent hole in the middle of it. OR create a hole in the saran part for the standing lamp...
 

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Nelocin

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So my determined crazy *** has come up with this so far.
 

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Agathaade

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You’re going to have a hard time with that kind of enclosure. They’re not made to be enclosed and humid (the porous wood will not help you) and they’re also very small (though I’m not sure what a 1yo sulcate requires).
How would your light work over the saran wrap? ***edit*** I see you cut a hole over the hide portion of the table. I would be cautious about placing heat over a thin sheet of wood...?
Would you consider a grow tent tilted on its side? Those are made to retain humidity, are high enough to include a basking light once lying down, and don’t cost too much.
Could be something else. Some have success with christmas tree plastic bins.
Or you could go for the big guns, the pvc cages.

You seem very resourceful what with the saran wrap, however that specific set-up might just make your life more complicated.
You might have fun customizing a grow tent or something else that is tried and true.
 
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Nelocin

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You’re going to have a hard time with that kind of enclosure. They’re not made to be enclosed and humid (the porous wood will not help you) and they’re also very small (though I’m not sure what a 1yo sulcate requires).
How would your light work over the saran wrap? ***edit*** I see you cut a hole over the hide portion of the table. I would be cautious about placing heat over a thin sheet of wood...?
Would you consider a grow tent tilted on its side? Those are made to retain humidity, are high enough to include a basking light once lying down, and don’t cost too much.
Could be something else. Some have success with christmas tree plastic bins.
Or you could go for the big guns, the pvc cages.

You seem very resourceful what with the saran wrap, however that specific set-up might just make your life more complicated.
You might have fun customizing a grow tent or something else that is tried and true.
I'll consider anything!!!!! That's my baby. ??

I honestly haven't even heard of the grow tent idea. Is that something you have? I don't even know what that looks like, but I'll def research all you've mentioned. Thank you. I'm feeling so desperate.

This was my biggest fear even owning the little guy. He's had a couple homes already. Started in a bin, then an actual tortoise table, then this POS which I honestly just want to burn, and now he has an outdoor enclosure that's not even recommended. *Starts to cry* lol
 

Maggie3fan

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You don't want to use Saran Wrap under a hot light. Yeah, it's pretty frustrating for you to put together how you think it should be, and we tell you that you need to change this or that. But you need to start over and do it right.
 

Agathaade

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That’s not what I have, but if you search ‘grow tent’ in the search bar results will come up.
I wish I had one! haha.
I went the diy route over an existing set-up and it’s been a hassle compared to a grow tent. That’s why I’m trying to steer you away.
Someone might be able to call out members who have nice grow tents, I’m not familiar with everyone.
Good luck!
The care guides on here are excellent, pls read them!
 
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