Baby pyramiding??

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Bogart is about 5 months. Weights 2.55 oz I've been following toms care guide on here but I'm afraid he is still pyramiding. He has his own cool humidifier and I keep it on high since I live in SoCal and it's been so hot lately. Tell me what you think....??? Still pyramiding???

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, there is pyramiding going on, however, I can't tell if it's "still pyramiding" or not. We'll need to see some flat between the scutes to know if he has smoothed out.

 

[Careym13]

I think your tort looks pretty good...the pyramiding is minor and as long as you continue to follow the care sheet and other info you've gotten here I'm guessing you'll end up with a beautiful adult tort

 

[Tom]

There is a pretty deep notch there where the new growth is coming in, but that might be left over from the time before you got him. How long have you had him?

He is small for is age which tells me he probably had a dry start. If he had been with you since day one and in that enclosure he'd probably be a bit bigger by now. Nothing to really worry about. He's grown enough that you can be sure he is going to survive and be fine, but it is a clue about what might be going on.

Give this time. I think you are probably going to be just fine.

 

[Speedy-1]

There is a pretty deep notch there where the new growth is coming in, but that might be left over from the time before you got him. How long have you had him?

He is small for is age which tells me he probably had a dry start. If he had been with you since day one and in that enclosure he'd probably be a bit bigger by now. Nothing to really worry about. He's grown enough that you can be sure he is going to survive and be fine, but it is a clue about what might be going on.

Give this time. I think you are probably going to be just fine.

I think Speedy was in a similar situation, I thought he was kind of a runty little guy after joining and reading I have gone to daily soaks and made sure the tank he lives in is a lot more humid . I also am up to 2 to 3 hours outside almost daily. We have had him 2 months and he has gained 40 grams ! It is great to see positive results, it almost seems like you can see him getting bigger ! We have you all to thank I am happy I joined and took the time to do some reading !

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

There is a pretty deep notch there where the new growth is coming in, but that might be left over from the time before you got him. How long have you had him?

He is small for is age which tells me he probably had a dry start. If he had been with you since day one and in that enclosure he'd probably be a bit bigger by now. Nothing to really worry about. He's grown enough that you can be sure he is going to survive and be fine, but it is a clue about what might be going on.

Give this time. I think you are probably going to be just fine.

I've had him for about 4 months. When I first got him he was very dehydrated and had those deep grooves in his shell. I didn't discover this forum till about a month later when I got him a cool humidifier and I spray his tank down with water whenever I get a chance. Humidity stays around 60%-70%. He has his hot and cool side and I give him soaks whenever I can. With all that I've been doing to keep him hydrated I would have thought there would be more smooth. I'm scared it's not working

 

[Tom]

I've had him for about 4 months. When I first got him he was very dehydrated and had those deep grooves in his shell. I didn't discover this forum till about a month later when I got him a cool humidifier and I spray his tank down with water whenever I get a chance. Humidity stays around 60%-70%. He has his hot and cool side and I give him soaks whenever I can. With all that I've been doing to keep him hydrated I would have thought there would be more smooth. I'm scared it's not working

Does your enclosure have an open top? If yes, then it might not be working.

If you are spraying and running a humidifier and still only achieving 60% humidity you have a problem. Your tortoise will do better and your life will be easier with a closed chamber.

How often are you soaking? How many times a week?

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Does your enclosure have an open top? If yes, then it might not be working.

If you are spraying and running a humidifier and still only achieving 60% humidity you have a problem. Your tortoise will do better and your life will be easier with a closed chamber.

How often are you soaking? How many times a week?

Yeah I have an open top. I tried building a closed top with a shower curtain but I was too afraid it was gonna melt or something would catch fire from the lights. I think I'll take a trip to homedepot and get a slap of wood i can cut out circles for the lights. Does wood hold in the moisture if I use it as the cover?
I soak him about twice a week. I know I should be doing it everyday. My fault when it comes to that.

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Oh and how do you feel about coconut oil to moisturize the shell?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Spraying puts a lot of moisture in the air. To moisten the substrate, you have to pour water in.

 

[Tom]

I have seen evidence and heard from other keepers that daily soaks go a long way in preventing pyramiding.

Slapping a piece of wood on top will help, but it is still far from ideal. Eventually your tortoise is going to grow. I suggest you build a proper closed chamber with the lights inside. This will save a tremendous amount on electricity, make maintaining temps and humidity easy, and be so much better for your tortoise.

I've never used coconut oil. I couldn't tell you one way or the other. I have done experiments in the past with Vita-Shell, and while it made the carapace look nice, it did nothing to prevent or reduce pyramiding.