Tortoise shell rot?

Viscardi98

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http://imgur.com/a/4uiqE

I always thought these white marks were part of her growth since I read that up somewhere and I even took her to vets a few days ago and she never said anything about it. I'm very worried since if it is shell rot it has been around for a long time. You can also see the white mark near her neck, is that shell rot? When I apply water to her shell the marks go away but when her shell dries they reappear.
 

Alexio

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It doesn't really look like rot to me. It just looks like some dry shell. Usually rot appears on the underside of the shell where the shell comes into direct constant contact with a wet surface. What's the humidity like in the enclosure?
 

wellington

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Dry shell not rot. Humidity and soakings are in need of a check. a little dry is no big deal as long as humidity is correct. Sometimes, older torts just get dry and peely looking. Lots of times it's due to rubbing their shell on something as they roam. Check humidity and if that's good, give a soak
 

Viscardi98

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It doesn't really look like rot to me. It just looks like some dry shell. Usually rot appears on the underside of the shell where the shell comes into direct constant contact with a wet surface. What's the humidity like in the enclosure?

I wet her substance every two days and leave some water out so she can sit in/drink from but it seems not enough, might need to get a humidifier.
 

JoesMum

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To wet substrate properly you must take all the decor out, tip some water in from a jug and mix it thoroughly with your hands. Repeat until all the substrate is damp.

Spray with water from a spray bottle a couple of times a day and it should last a couple of weeks or more, depending on your home, before you need to tip water in again.

Photos of your enclosure and lighting will help us to identify any issues that may be affecting your tort.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Most tortoises shouldn't sit in water for long periods of time and the simplest way to raise the humidity without doing anything else is to close off the top of the enclosure. Assuming that it is an aquarium type thing.
 

Viscardi98

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To wet substrate properly you must take all the decor out, tip some water in from a jug and mix it thoroughly with your hands. Repeat until all the substrate is damp.

Spray with water from a spray bottle a couple of times a day and it should last a couple of weeks or more, depending on your home, before you need to tip water in again.

Photos of your enclosure and lighting will help us to identify any issues that may be affecting your tort.


I mixed in some water today, could the lights be too close?

http://imgur.com/a/Ch2AH
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Possibly. It still looks terribly dry.
And the enclosure is much too small for a tortoise of that size.
You need a minimum of 4' by 8' .
Exercising and patrolling their territory is necessary to aid with digestion.
 

Viscardi98

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Possibly. It still looks terribly dry.
And the enclosure is much too small for a tortoise of that size.
You need a minimum of 4' by 8' .
Exercising and patrolling their territory is necessary to aid with digestion.


Yeah I'm looking at getting a new table soon, but trying to find a table that big will be hard, I was thinking about building my own.
 

JoesMum

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I agree the table is far too small. An old bookcase with the shelves knocked out and lined with pond liner or shower curtain will make a table of a much better size.

You may also benefit from using a different substrate. Something more like earth that will hold the moisture better. Coco coir is good. You buy it in compressed bricks that you moisten to break down into a compost.

You can get it from Amazon or garden or hardware/DIY stores
 

Viscardi98

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I agree the table is far too small. An old bookcase with the shelves knocked out and lined with pond liner or shower curtain will make a table of a much better size.

You may also benefit from using a different substrate. Something more like earth that will hold the moisture better. Coco coir is good. You buy it in compressed bricks that you moisten to break down into a compost.

You can get it from Amazon or garden or hardware/DIY stores


Should I only use that coco coir or can I mix it with the cypress mulch? Like 50/50 or one area of the table only with the coco coir and the other part with the cypress mulch.
 

Yvonne G

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Besides what has already been said, that tortoise needs some relief from the bright light. With a bigger enclosure you'll be able to add a few plants (either real or fake) so it's not so open and bright for him.
 

Viscardi98

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Besides what has already been said, that tortoise needs some relief from the bright light. With a bigger enclosure you'll be able to add a few plants (either real or fake) so it's not so open and bright for him.

I was looking at this table, it seems bigger enough but it seems like the base is laminated to make it water proof, it that ok or will it hurt her somehow?


http://www.petandtortoiseworld.co.uk/store/p10/The_Cabin.html
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Still looks too small to me. Especially at that price.
The old bookcase idea is better and cheaper, in my opinion.
 

JoesMum

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A tortoise that size needs as big as possible. You need to be aiming for as close to 1.5 x 2.2 metres. (4'x8') as possible.

Commercial tort tables are only suitable for very small torts and yours isn't very small.
 

Viscardi98

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Still looks too small to me. Especially at that price.
The old bookcase idea is better and cheaper, in my opinion.
I don't have an old bookcase or don't know anyone with a bookcase that I could use, there is also a limit to what space she can use.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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How much space do you have ?
You can buy a bookcase or wooden boards to assemble yourself much cheaper than that little enclosure.
 

Viscardi98

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A tortoise that size needs as big as possible. You need to be aiming for as close to 1.5 x 2.2 metres. (4'x8') as possible.

Commercial tort tables are only suitable for very small torts and yours isn't very small.

8 feet long? my room is barely 8 feet long....
 
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