Can't seem to stop pyramiding

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tyguy35

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Hey been a while. Hve been so busy I haven't even touched my computer.
I'm having issues with keeping my leos pyramiding down I can see he's getting lumpy. I dot get it he is getting 82 percent humidit in a corner large space. A mister mists every two hours and I soak him very other day. Hot spot 98 to 102. Medium 88 to 92 and cool 80 and to 88. Depends on the day. Eating well eating alot more then ever. So what's going on what could I be doing wrong.

I noticed when I switched him to his bi set up he was very active for about the entire day but last week he started to do nothing like before. Wake up at like 10 eat and sit under a plant all day eat more then go to bed early. between 3 and 5. Doesn't do the basking anymore. He ha done this before in his old tank but the plant in the other tank was closer to the heat lamp.
 

Yvonne G

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You really can't do much after they're over a year of age. You have to start right as soon as they hatch. If you got your leopard from a source that kept the babies dry before they were sold, they started out with a strike against them.

Just do the best you can. I don't worry about humidity. I don't even have a gauge. All I do is pour a pitcherfull of water over the substrate about every other day or so. Then I have a seedling heat mat under the substrate under their hiding place and the heat under the moist substrate brings the air in the hiding place up nice and humid.

How about some pictures?
 

Tom

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Open topped enclosure? You have hot bulbs drying everything out and really baking the shell dry. Then you have to add water, misters and humidifiers to counteract the drying effects. Its a vicious cycle. I was never able to maintain humidity in and open topped enclosure, even when I humidified the whole room until the air was foggy and covered the whole top.

Build a great big closed chamber. You'll be able to maintain temps and humidity very easily with very little electricity.

This won't stop the pattern of growth that is already established, but over time the new growth should start to come in smoother, which will reduce the appearance of any pyramiding already present.
 

tyguy35

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The enclosure is open top. I had him going smooth for a long time then he just started back up again. I soak the substrate and the mister goes off every 2 hours so his shell does get misted. We will see how this goes.
 

wellington

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Cover the enclosure, at least 1/2 to 3/4 is better if you don't want to cover the whole thing.
 

tyguy35

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I'll give it a try justafraid of I getting too hot.
 

Tom

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If it get too hot, use a smaller wattage bulb. This is a good thing. I only use a single 65 watt flood on my entire 4x8' leopard enclosure because its a closed chamber.
 

tyguy35

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The bulb producing the heat is my mvb they don't come smaller from exo Terra?
Is there another mvb maker?
 

bholmes88

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I would soak every day. I bought my two leopards at a year or so old with extensive pyramiding. I have both in a open top enclosure and low humidity, around 40-50% usually. In the last nine months they have gone from 160g and 230g to 700g and 1100g. The pyramiding is still there but the new growth is nearly smooth, like you have heard it is hard to completely stop pyramiding but with daily soaks it will help immensely. I would also like to add that I have two of the smoothest sulcatas you will ever see, that I have raised the same exact way as my leopards. I do not buy into the whole it has to be a closed container debate. I bought my sulcatas at a month old, weighing 45g and 60g. At ten months now they weigh 650g and 1500g.
 
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