Pyramiding

[Mummyhana]

Hi I’m wondering if anyone can help me. I brought Blue, a spurthighed tortoise 4 weeks ago. He’s a year old. After posting on another site someone commented and told me he looked like he had start pyramiding. He never replied to me after I asked if what I was doing was ok.
I bathe him every other day and mist his table twice a day under the heat, making sure I spray him also.
I use d3 supplements every other day and make his food wet also. I have organic soil and cocoa air mix substrate that’s deep enough for him to dig in.
We have the t5 light and ceramic heat bulb.
I don’t think the breeder bathed him in his first year and iv never seen him soak him self in his water bowl.. is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks.
Hannah

 

[Mummyhana]

Another picture of Blue

 

[wellington]

Yes, he has a lot of pyramiding for his age and species. Get the enclosure closed, put a tent of plastic over it so all heat and lights hang under the plastic and pour warm water into the substrate to get humidity up to 80%. He was raised all wrong before you got him. You can't reverse what was done, but you can try to stop it from getting worse.
Do not use mercury or halogen bulbs
But do use an incandescent FLOOD for basking and tube flourescent for uvb.
Ceramic heat emitters are good for any night heat and any added day heat needed.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yes, he has a lot of pyramiding for his age and species. Get the enclosure closed, put a tent of plastic over it so all heat and lights hang under the plastic and pour warm water into the substrate to get humidity up to 80%. He was raised all wrong before you got him. You can't reverse what was done, but you can try to stop it from getting worse.
Do not use mercury or halogen bulbs
But do use an incandescent FLOOD for basking and tube flourescent for uvb.
Ceramic heat emitters are good for any night heat and any added day heat needed.

Along with this I’d suggest changing the substrate, trouble with organic soils, unless composted yourself there’s no knowing exactly what plants have gone into it, could be something toxic. With Reptisoils, they tend to have sand mixed in which also isn’t good for them. You’re best sticking with coco coir. Also you don’t want all that hay over your substrate, nothing that encourages them eating it

 

[Tom]

Hi I’m wondering if anyone can help me. I brought Blue, a spurthighed tortoise 4 weeks ago. He’s a year old. After posting on another site someone commented and told me he looked like he had start pyramiding. He never replied to me after I asked if what I was doing was ok.
I bathe him every other day and mist his table twice a day under the heat, making sure I spray him also.
I use d3 supplements every other day and make his food wet also. I have organic soil and cocoa air mix substrate that’s deep enough for him to dig in.
We have the t5 light and ceramic heat bulb.
I don’t think the breeder bathed him in his first year and iv never seen him soak him self in his water bowl.. is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks.
Hannah

Hi Hannah. Welcome to the forum! In addition to what the other posters mentioned, you've got to keep him up off the floor. Its too dangerous down there and too cold too.

Check this out for lots of good general info, and look near the bottom for the temperate species care sheet too:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[zolasmum]

Hello Hannah, and welcome from Devon. We have a Hermann's tortoise, now 24 years old, who we have had since he was a baby. This forum didn't exist then, and we were not able to get much help or information anywhere about how to look after him. You are lucky to have come here,as there are lots of people with real experience who are happy to help you.
I am not an expert at all, but I would just like to say that if you follow the experts here to help stop Blue pyramiding any more, you will find that his shell will even out quite a bit as he grows. It will still be rather bumpy, but not enough to spoil his looks!
Very best wishes from Angie

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

don’t think the breeder bathed him in his first year and iv never seen him soak him self in his water bowl

About soaking, would still soak this tortoise daily.