Pyramiding...What else can I do???

[Hgarrity]

So, I'm a little frustrated...I have had Pogo my one year old Hermanns for a year now. He is beginning to pyramid a little. I have worked very hard to keep his enclosures at the correct humidity level all year. I keep his indoor enclosure between 60% and 70%. I spray him throughout the day, and keep water available to him always. I soak him a couple of times a week. He lived inside the whole past winter. Last summer/fall he lived in an out door enclosure about half of the day. He has been living outside this spring/summer pretty much full time. He has access to water outside. I "water" his enclosure every day to keep it moist and to keep the plants watered. He loves walking around in the "rain" when I spray down the cage. I have a humid hide, but he never gets in it. If I put him in it he just walks right out! I'm not sure what else to do. The pyramiding is not bad, I just don't want it to get worse. Help!!!

The picture of the indoor enclosure is an older picture. It is not his current enclosure, its larger, but the basic set-up is the same. (I also have a better themometer and humidity gage than the one in the picture)
The outdoor pictures are current pictures of where he is living during the warmer months.

 

[mikeylazer]

How are you keeping his indoor humidity at 60-70%?

 

[Killerrookie]

I would cover the top with foil or a green house top or even plastic. I use foil to cover my Red's enclosure and I also use a humidifier to increase it and every morning I use a spray bottle and spray it twice in the morning to give it that morning mist.

 

[Tom]

I'm sorry but your pictures are too big for me to open where I am right now...

Does your enclosure have an open top? How and where are you measuring humidity? What is the ambient room humidity?

Where are you?

What sort of heat bulbs are you using? What is the basking temperature directly under the bulb? What is the ambient temp in the rest of the cage?

 

[mikeylazer]

It is almost impossible to keep humidity at 60%-70% with a closed top enclosure unless an entire room is devoted to the tort and is closed off from AC. I suggest reading into closed chamber setups. He is most likely pyramiding in winter months when he is kept indoors becaus his humidity probably is not where you say it should is (no offense).

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

And perhaps a couple more soaks a week would help a little.
Happy Birthday.
Have a great day.

 

[sassytorty]

You could soak 2-4 times a week, AND use grassland tortoise food pellets on the food. You just take 1-2 pellets and soak them in water for about 30 seconds. (they'll go mushy) Then put them on the food and mix around. The pellets prevent pyramiding. My Torty doesn't like them, but if I mix them around, she'll get tricked into eating them.

Here is a link to the pellets I use, (I buy them at my pet store for around $10 for a fairly large bottle)
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/foo...-tortoise-food-zid36-4050/cat-36-catid-500004

 

[kirsty Johnston]

Happy birthday!
Might be worth giving him more baths?