He said it would mAke the shell shiny and condition it . Does anyone know what it is called and where to buy some? I would love to try it as long as it isnt bad for the tortoise?
A guy told me there is a special wax ....
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Are you referring to vitashell? Zamric uses it.....
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" TURTLE WAX " ... comes in a Green/White bottle 
Team Gomberg said:
I think so, sounds familiar? I haven't seen any where I live but probably can find it online. I used something on a tort I had years ago. As long as it is ok to use, great thanks
N2TORTS said:" TURTLE WAX " ... comes in a Green/White bottle
Lol i can polish the tortoises AND the car at the same time
I searched for vitashell on the forums and found dif opinions. I wouldn't use it often so think it would be ok once in a while. I had used something which was probably vitashell once on dexter, and his shell was shiny and didnt look dry. It lasted ages.
Ok is TetraFauna vitashell and Tetraturtle Vitashell the same product????
Oh just found one called Turtle Shell Saver I can buy locally ..
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Its probably VitaShell but I thought that was actually bad for them?
I was also curios to weather there was a natural product I could apply to their shell to make it look wet/shiny and bring out the color and pattern of their shell.
I was also curios to weather there was a natural product I could apply to their shell to make it look wet/shiny and bring out the color and pattern of their shell.
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theelectraco said:
While putting on this stuff to make me look wet/shiny it has no value to their over all health. I would worry that it will not allow the shell to "breath" much like putting nail polish on your finger nails, it looks nice, but feels smothering. They don't have it in the wild, so I wouldn't use it. If you want a shiny shell for a photo, why not wet down and scrub his shell softly with a toothbrush?
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When soaking my tort I use a soft nail brush on his shell if and when needed. I also apply 100% organic Argan oil to his skin and shell maybe once every two weeks, you can get it off amazon and us humans can use it too. Specifically designed for skin and nails.
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WOW ...!!!..... A Virgin in a Bottle
Hmm, I've heard of a genie in abottle
I ended up getting the VitaShell, I thought I would have a hard time finding it where I live.
Winnipeg Reptiles had it which is great because I buy cactus pads there too.
They're great, always helpful and very nice people.
I ended up getting the VitaShell, I thought I would have a hard time finding it where I live.
Winnipeg Reptiles had it which is great because I buy cactus pads there too.
They're great, always helpful and very nice people.
Please, don't use any kind of shell coatings...Never. Ever. Period. Completely unneeded and potentially very harmful. A tortoises shell is made up of thousands of pores. The shell has to breathe; some of the "waxes" on the market can clog those pores. While I've heard nothing to horrible about VitaShell (yet) it is still unneeded and has a potential to cause underlying harm we can't see....Spray the shell with water if you want a photoshoot. Shiny the natural way.
The alpha-keratin and beta-keratin of a tortoise' shell are very absorbent...When wet, they swell and absorb the water. Something tells me it isn't good in any way to clog it up with anything other then water (or other natural substances). The argan oil Karley is using is most likely fine, and some other oils are rather harmless. But wax? Never.
The alpha-keratin and beta-keratin of a tortoise' shell are very absorbent...When wet, they swell and absorb the water. Something tells me it isn't good in any way to clog it up with anything other then water (or other natural substances). The argan oil Karley is using is most likely fine, and some other oils are rather harmless. But wax? Never.
I think that this "shell must breathe" is utter nonsense. I have found vitashell useful on older box turtles and tortoises where the shell has become very worn. It sure helps keep them cleaner, and keeps the mud from staining. I don't use it on the younger ones, though.
Yagyujubei:
"Shell must breath" is everything but nonsense. The keratin and bony layers of a tortoises' shell is made up of millions of microscopic pores...They MUST breath. This is why it is so dangerous when people paint even a small part of their tortoises shell. It is absorbed by the beta and alpha-keratin, and it keeps the shell from breathing...Do some research before you argue that point. There is just about everything to back it up...Mud "staining" isn't a problem. What do you think happens in the wild? They crawl through mud, rotting leaves, even feces....How clean your tortoises shell is is aesthetic; if its harmful to them (which it is not) then they would go wash off in their water bowl.
"Shell must breath" is everything but nonsense. The keratin and bony layers of a tortoises' shell is made up of millions of microscopic pores...They MUST breath. This is why it is so dangerous when people paint even a small part of their tortoises shell. It is absorbed by the beta and alpha-keratin, and it keeps the shell from breathing...Do some research before you argue that point. There is just about everything to back it up...Mud "staining" isn't a problem. What do you think happens in the wild? They crawl through mud, rotting leaves, even feces....How clean your tortoises shell is is aesthetic; if its harmful to them (which it is not) then they would go wash off in their water bowl.
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RedfootsRule said:
I agree 100% ... Why does it matter if your torts shell is shiny? It is not natural! They don't care how they look and their health should be more important than having a shiny shell!
Yup...Healthy tortoise is more important then shiny shell any day. Spraing them down makes them shiny enough for any photo-shoot .
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I spent a lot of time on the internet researching info about the pros and con of using vitashell. It seemed about 50/50 on for and against using it. I don't think using it once in a while is a health risk. People don't just use it because it makes the shell shiny, I think most use it to condition the shell. One of my torts is 12 yrs old or therabout, and I have had her about 3 minths. she has a very dry shell and I don't think it is a big deal to use vitashell on her.
Shelloise:
Its not a "conditioner". There seems the be this myth that it gives the shell "nutrients"...The shell doesn't need any more nutrients then water. It gets everything it needs from sunlight and water...By a "dry shell" what exactly do you mean? A shell can't really be dry, unless if the humidity is way to low, in which case husbandry needs to be corrected and the cause fixed, not the symptoms treated. A "dry shell" is usually what people will call shell fungus when they don't know what it is.....
Once every two months or so it may not be a health risk...But its unnecessary to begin with! There is absolutely no need for it, and it really has no benefits other then to aesthetically please the owner....
Also, whether it in itself is harmful, it can trap fungus and bacteria in the scutes...Obviously, not a good thing.
Heres another VERY bad thing...The ingredients.
Emulsifying wax....Know what that is? Its made when a petroleum-based wax (definitely bad) is treated with a detergent to cause it to make water and oil bind together into a smooth emulsion...Giving you the idea of a "shiny" shell.
Does any of this sound like something you want to smother your tortoises shell in?
Its not a "conditioner". There seems the be this myth that it gives the shell "nutrients"...The shell doesn't need any more nutrients then water. It gets everything it needs from sunlight and water...By a "dry shell" what exactly do you mean? A shell can't really be dry, unless if the humidity is way to low, in which case husbandry needs to be corrected and the cause fixed, not the symptoms treated. A "dry shell" is usually what people will call shell fungus when they don't know what it is.....
Once every two months or so it may not be a health risk...But its unnecessary to begin with! There is absolutely no need for it, and it really has no benefits other then to aesthetically please the owner....
Also, whether it in itself is harmful, it can trap fungus and bacteria in the scutes...Obviously, not a good thing.
Heres another VERY bad thing...The ingredients.
Emulsifying wax....Know what that is? Its made when a petroleum-based wax (definitely bad) is treated with a detergent to cause it to make water and oil bind together into a smooth emulsion...Giving you the idea of a "shiny" shell.
Does any of this sound like something you want to smother your tortoises shell in?
While it isn't something that I choose to use, it does no harm. I did a whole thread on this with hatchling sulcatas a couple of years ago. Used it weekly for several months. It didn't make any difference, but it did look nice.
It can be argued that it isn't needed, does no good, or that it isn't natural and they don't have it in the wild, but it cannot be argued that it's harmful in any way. Too many people have been using it for too many years to say that.
It can be argued that it isn't needed, does no good, or that it isn't natural and they don't have it in the wild, but it cannot be argued that it's harmful in any way. Too many people have been using it for too many years to say that.
Tom said:
How does it do no harm? A petroleum-based wax...They stopped using it on babys several years ago for the reason that it was found to be harmful...Do you think its good for our tortoises?
It can be harmful, in several ways, as I have stated....
While in YOUR setup it may have done no harm, in others it can. Say the hygiene of the enclosure was not the greatest...The lanolin in the vita-shell which has "water-proofing" effects will trap in whatever bacteria is currently on the shell. This actually may benefit the bacteria, being that most organisms that cause shell-rot are actually anaerobic...Meaning living without air. When they're trapped it, it may benefit the dangerous bacteria. (I have no proof on the benefits to the dangerous bacteria, just going off speculation).
Lanolin could also prevent the absorption of water by the shell...Which is needed.
People have been using it...And we have not yet SEEN any harm....Keyword being seen. We don't know everything that goes on...Judging by the nature of the product, I would guess it may be doing some damage that we can't see. Why not be on the safe side?
If someone REALLY wants to keep their tortoise shiny, use the argan oil that Karly showed....Should be harmless, and will make the shell shiny...Be safe. There is no point in taking risks without benefits.
My over-view is this. The wax has no benefits to the shell other then aesthetically pleasing the owner...And there are some risks associated with these products. Why chance it? It doesn't give the shell "nutrients". There are no benefits.
Something tells me that clogging up the pores of a tortoises' shell with something completely unnatural, slathering it with wax, and then baking it under heat lamps indoors may be a problem...It could possibly interfere with thermoregulation. The shells are not designed to be covered in these products, not at all.
The bottom line is: why chance it?
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I Swear .. "Turtle Wax" Makes it Shine ..... or was that Windex?
N2TORTS said:I Swear .. "Turtle Wax" Makes it Shine ..... or was that Windex?
About 10 years ago my dad was waxing his car with turtle wax...He made a comment about putting it on the tortoises. Its still a joke to this day
I'm pretty sure we an all agree Windex is harmful....And turtle wax would possibly be fatal....
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