Soaking and high humidity preventing pyramiding

rearlpettway

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Hello,
I am aware that soaking and high humidity prevents pyramiding.
Do you need to soak if the humidity is high?
Do soaking and high humidity work together to prevent pyramiding or are they doing separate things?
Thank you in advance[SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]
Rodney Earl Pettway
 

Tom

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I have tried various combinations of things to see if I can more closely pinpoint exactly what is preventing the pyramiding. Anytime I try to cut back on any of the three things, I start to see the tell tell signs. The three things are:
1. Daily soaks for small ones.
2. Ambient humidity around 80% and a humid hide.
3. Shell spraying 3-4 times a day, or more.

I'm only talking about sulcatas and leopards here. I thing the same principals apply to other species too, but I have not applied them enough to say so definitively.
 

diamondbp

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Tom said:
I have tried various combinations of things to see if I can more closely pinpoint exactly what is preventing the pyramiding. Anytime I try to cut back on any of the three things, I start to see the tell tell signs. The three things are:
1. Daily soaks for small ones.
2. Ambient humidity around 80% and a humid hide.
3. Shell spraying 3-4 times a day, or more.

I'm only talking about sulcatas and leopards here. I thing the same principals apply to other species too, but I have not applied them enough to say so definitively.

I agree with Tom. The first year or two of life is really when all 3 techniques should be carried out daily if possible.
Soaking insures proper internal hydration(digestive organs and such). Humidity insures skin/eye/shell moisture content remains at healthy levels. And shell spraying insure that all scutes of the tortoise(especially the vertebral) get the proper moisture to grow without being stunted in anyway.
 

Scm133

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Glad I just read this! I will be adding shell spraying 3-4 times daily. Did not realize that it needed to be done. Hope it helps Milo's early pyramiding. Everything else, I am already doing. THANKS!
 

Tom

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I like to use RO water or collected rainwater. Tap or well water will usually leave hard water stains. Its not harmful, but I find it unsightly.
 

Scm133

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I have a spray bottle with treated de-chlorinated tap water...will that be ok to spray the shell with? Or is the RO water or collected rainwater still the best?
 

Tom

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No need to dechlorinate it and it will serve its function just fine, but you might start to get hard water stains on the shell over time.
 

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