Please help! Noticed some weird plastron growth on hatchling hermann

Cottons

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He is about 1.7 inches. I had him for about five months. I recently noticed his plastron is getting darker and there seem to be some greyish brown growth around the middle section of the shell. Is this shell rot? I am using reptibark, could this be the cause of it? Or is that simply new growth. Please help.BD1A0278-E966-4A57-B3C5-A4B02E562864.jpeg18779A5D-FD78-41E7-86FA-03060578AA72.jpeg
 

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Cottons

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Looks like perfectly normal growth to me. What humidity level/ temps are you keeping him/her at?
I live in a hot and humid area. I keep him at around 75 to 80 %, it might go to 90% or above. The temps are about 80 degrees and 93 under the light ( I would turn the light off if it gets too hot ) Perhaps the temps and humidity are too high?? Should I turn on the dehumidifier?
 

Kim&Tim

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I live in a hot and humid area. I keep him at around 75 to 80 %, it might go to 90% or above. The temps are about 80 degrees and 93 under the light ( I would turn the light off if it gets too hot ) Perhaps the temps and humidity are too high?? Should I turn on the dehumidifier?

You should not turn the light off when it gets too hot. He should have access to a basking spot for 12/14 hours. If it gets to hot you should raise your lamp. A bit more 'furniture' in the enclosure would be very welcome. It looks boring. Torts like rocks, bendy bridges, plants etc.

How do you measure your temps?
What kind of lamps do you use:basking and uvb?
 

Cottons

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You should not turn the light off when it gets too hot. He should have access to a basking spot for 12/14 hours. If it gets to hot you should raise your lamp. A bit more 'furniture' in the enclosure would be very welcome. It looks boring. Torts like rocks, bendy bridges, plants etc.

How do you measure your temps?
What kind of lamps do you use:basking and uvb?
I use a basic digital thermometer. I use a ceramic heater and a zoomed reptisun uvb light. He lives mostly out on the balcony so I rarely turn on the uvb during summer. Btw I added a rock to the setup. Is this better? Thank you for helping.379A45F3-4007-4A36-B12A-9EE54CDA871A.jpeg
 

Kim&Tim

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It is better but you can do more to make it more interesting. It doesn't have to cost alot of money either, a piece of slate, a terracotta pot on it's side partially burried in substrate, a bendy bridge, a safe plant etc. You do have to look at the size of the tort, yours is small, so climbables should not be too high. Mine is 5 and a russian, they're good diggers and climbers.

Instead of a ceramic heater, it's better to use a simple basking lamp. It should imitate the sun. Ceramics are good for the night to heat up an enclosure or as an extra to keep the enclosure warmer if needed, but not to replace a basking lamp.

2020y5M25d10h10m56s.jpgIMG_20200523_103923.jpg
 

Maggie3fan

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To me, that plastron shows a good new growth line and looks great...his carapace looks a little dry...I've got about 15 or so years keeping tortoises...I personally use a 100 watt or 150 watt UVB basking bulb and a CHE...in winter. The rest of the time I don't believe they need additional heat...My tortoises spend the day outside and I bring them in at night...Caution...some of the other keepers on this forum are starting to think that the flood type of UVB bulb like I use is causing the growing carapace to be too dry...and I think they have discovered something wrong with CHE's as well....but I am relating my personal experience...I think you need more humidity and that can't be obtained with an open habitat...
 

Kim&Tim

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To me, that plastron shows a good new growth line and looks great...his carapace looks a little dry...I've got about 15 or so years keeping tortoises...I personally use a 100 watt or 150 watt UVB basking bulb and a CHE...in winter. The rest of the time I don't believe they need additional heat...My tortoises spend the day outside and I bring them in at night...Caution...some of the other keepers on this forum are starting to think that the flood type of UVB bulb like I use is causing the growing carapace to be too dry...and I think they have discovered something wrong with CHE's as well....but I am relating my personal experience...I think you need more humidity and that can't be obtained with an open habitat...

It depends on where you live. I live in the Nethetlands and the weather varies here. It can be a sunny 85 on monday and on Wednesday it's a cloudy, windy 58. So a basking lamp is needed. I have a greenhouse in his outdoor enclosure with a simple basking bulb that I use on those days. In the winter he has an indoor enclosure if not hibernating, sickness, etc.
I grew up with my grandpa's tortoise, he took care of him from 1925 till 1985 and after that we took over. He died in 2011. We did the same for him, a heated house he could use when he wanted.
 

Maggie3fan

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It depends on where you live. I live in the Nethetlands and the weather varies here. It can be a sunny 85 on monday and on Wednesday it's a cloudy, windy 58. So a basking lamp is needed. I have a greenhouse in his outdoor enclosure with a simple basking bulb that I use on those days. In the winter he has an indoor enclosure if not hibernating, sickness, etc.
I grew up with my grandpa's tortoise, he took care of him from 1925 till 1985 and after that we took over. He died in 2011. We did the same for him, a heated house he could use when he wanted.
I live in the PacificNorthWest...last week it was in the 80's this week it's 50 degrees and raining...it rains, snows or freezes 7 months out of the year...so I am not sure what you mean...I use 100 to 150 watt basking bulbs and CHE's...what did I say that wasn't clear?
 

Kim&Tim

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I live in the PacificNorthWest...last week it was in the 80's this week it's 50 degrees and raining...it rains, snows or freezes 7 months out of the year...so I am not sure what you mean...I use 100 to 150 watt basking bulbs and CHE's...what did I say that wasn't clear?

? Wow? I don't mean anything, I'm just saying it depends on where you live whether you need aditional heat or not and the types.
Then I just say how we used to do it and am doing now. TS will prob read my response and yours and can figure out what's needed in her situation. All I do know is that a che does not replace a basking bulb and that's what the TS has now, uvb and che. That's all I meant.
 

Cottons

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It is better but you can do more to make it more interesting. It doesn't have to cost alot of money either, a piece of slate, a terracotta pot on it's side partially burried in substrate, a bendy bridge, a safe plant etc. You do have to look at the size of the tort, yours is small, so climbables should not be too high. Mine is 5 and a russian, they're good diggers and climbers.

Instead of a ceramic heater, it's better to use a simple basking lamp. It should imitate the sun. Ceramics are good for the night to heat up an enclosure or as an extra to keep the enclosure warmer if needed, but not to replace a basking lamp.

View attachment 296188View attachment 296189
Really nice enclosure:) I hope to build one bigger in the balcony when he grows to a safer size. Btw I found some basking bulbs lying around ( I chose one, if I am not wrong it is a 50w, is that enough?) and a new bendy bridge that was for my hamster. I am having my exams now, I will probably gets some plants soon. What are the plants in your enclosure, can you give me some recommendations? Sorry if I am bothersome.D11FC095-0BB0-4304-8F63-F7CA795FF68E.jpeg
 

Cottons

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To me, that plastron shows a good new growth line and looks great...his carapace looks a little dry...I've got about 15 or so years keeping tortoises...I personally use a 100 watt or 150 watt UVB basking bulb and a CHE...in winter. The rest of the time I don't believe they need additional heat...My tortoises spend the day outside and I bring them in at night...Caution...some of the other keepers on this forum are starting to think that the flood type of UVB bulb like I use is causing the growing carapace to be too dry...and I think they have discovered something wrong with CHE's as well....but I am relating my personal experience...I think you need more humidity and that can't be obtained with an open habitat...
Thanks for helping :) About the humidity levels, I doubt that it is too dry. The humidity levels in my area is currently 89% , everywhere is moist. But indoors might be dryer, so misting his enclosure a few times might be a good idea.
 

Kim&Tim

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Really nice enclosure:) I hope to build one bigger in the balcony when he grows to a safer size. Btw I found some basking bulbs lying around ( I chose one, if I am not wrong it is a 50w, is that enough?) and a new bendy bridge that was for my hamster. I am having my exams now, I will probably gets some plants soon. What are the plants in your enclosure, can you give me some recommendations? Sorry if I am bothersome.View attachment 296205

50 is probably enough, but you need to measure the temperature at shell height. It should be 90/95. The only way you can measure it correctly is with digital with probe or temp gun. Just put something under there that is the same height as the tortoise. It also makes a difference if the lamp is on a few hours or just turned on.

I have 2 callisia repens, a spider plant and cat grass, cyperus zumula.

You're not bothersome and goodluck with your exams!
 

Cottons

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Sorry to bother again. I have grown increasingly concerned since his plastron (around the greyish white spot) has grown abnormally soft. The upper middle part has gone con-caved, (I don’t know how how to describe it...) It seemed mushy and I do not dare press any harder.
I add in cuttlefish bone dust to his greens and pellets. And he gets direct sunshine every day. I don’t know what should I be doing?? (I also noticed that he is drinking a lot more water than before during his daily soak. ) Is this possibly related to the soft shell?? He is still active as ever and his appetite is the same. He has not lost weight, he gained around 5 grams since the last post. Please help and give advice.21F07B25-9D8F-485D-B5A0-79D313DF1C18.jpeg
I don’t know if you can see the con-caved part clearly in the picture, but here is a reference .
 

Maggie3fan

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Is it possible that he is a male and simply growing a concave plastron in his maturity? Male plastron's are concave for mating.
 

Cottons

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Is it possible that he is a male and simply growing a concave plastron in his maturity? Male plastron's are concave for mating.

I doubt that he is developing a concave for mating , he is only a few months old and 1.7 inches. Also wouldn’t the dent be to positioned too high, since it is the upper middle part of the plastron?? I don’t know if the plastron should go that soft ??
 
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