slight pyramiding in middle scutes of the carapace

[mools]

It's been about 11 months with Walter. I got Walter maybe a few weeks after they hatched.

There seems to be slight pyramiding in middle top scutes of his carapace which is more apparent when looking from the side profile view. I'm a little concerned because the his sides seem quite smooth in comparison.

 

[wellington]

Beautiful tort. Are you using a mercury vapor bulb? If so, that will likely be the cause.
If not, what type of bulbs and heat are you using?
Is humidity 80%?

 

[mools]

Beautiful tort. Are you using a mercury vapor bulb? If so, that will likely be the cause.
If not, what type of bulbs and heat are you using?
Is humidity 80%?

Since getting Walter, I've never had a bulb. I take Walter out to sun bathe as much as I can since I'm located in California. Could sitting too much under the sun cause this? I make sure he's sitting in half an inch of water in a tub under the sun for at least 30 min/day.

The humidity reader read 100% most of the time but since it's run out of battery I'm not sure. I just keep the enclosure closed so it remains humid.

 

[wellington]

Since getting Walter, I've never had a bulb. I take Walter out to sun bathe as much as I can since I'm located in California. Could sitting too much under the sun cause this? I make sure he's sitting in half an inch of water in a tub under the sun for at least 30 min/day.

The humidity reader read 100% most of the time but since it's run out of battery I'm not sure. I just keep the enclosure closed so it remains humid.

@Tom can answer that about the soaking while in the sun. I doubt it, but see what he says.

What do you use to keep the enclosure at 80 when temps get colder? Do you not get that cold even in winter?

 

[mools]

@Tom can answer that about the soaking while in the sun. I doubt it, but see what he says.

What do you use to keep the enclosure at 80 when temps get colder? Do you not get that cold even in winter?

Last winter, some days I used a heater directed to the enclosure. Most days I just let the enclosure sit at whatever temperature it got to without heating, Nights were between 72F-75F. We still don't have an enclosure with proper heating because my dad is still working on it.

The current enclosure is still just a clear, closed container with orchid bark and water. If I have the energy, I'll lug it outside to heat up in the sun and let the enclosure sit in the residual heat for the rest of the day inside.

 

[Tom]

Last winter, some days I used a heater directed to the enclosure. Most days I just let the enclosure sit at whatever temperature it got to without heating, Nights were between 72F-75F. We still don't have an enclosure with proper heating because my dad is still working on it.

The current enclosure is still just a clear, closed container with orchid bark and water. If I have the energy, I'll lug it outside to heat up in the sun and let the enclosure sit in the residual heat for the rest of the day inside.

This is bad. Real bad. This species comes from the tropics. They need a daytime basking area around 100 degrees and a daytime ambient temp around 90. Over night low needs to be around 80. 72-75 is too cold. Your tortoise needs properly regulated heat sources year round. What did your tortoise do during all those rainy overcast days last winter when the weather was cold? You are lucky it isn't dead.

Outside all day is bad for babies. They need to be kept indoors in a closed chamber enclosure with the correct heating and lighting most of the time. An hour or two of access to sunshine a few times a week is okay, but all day every day is bad for them. I know this because I have done multiple side-by-side comparisons of clutch mates for long periods of time and with several species.

At this age your tortoise should be somewhere around 800-1000 grams. Your tortoise is tiny, and it look the way it looks because of the way you have been housing it. I hope you will make the necessary improvements before it is too late.

 

[mools]

This is bad. Real bad. This species comes from the tropics. They need a daytime basking area around 100 degrees and a daytime ambient temp around 90. Over night low needs to be around 80. 72-75 is too cold. Your tortoise needs properly regulated heat sources year round. What did your tortoise do during all those rainy overcast days last winter when the weather was cold? You are lucky it isn't dead.

Outside all day is bad for babies. They need to be kept indoors in a closed chamber enclosure with the correct heating and lighting most of the time. An hour or two of access to sunshine a few times a week is okay, but all day every day is bad for them. I know this because I have done multiple side-by-side comparisons of clutch mates for long periods of time and with several species.

At this age your tortoise should be somewhere around 800-1000 grams. Your tortoise is tiny, and it look the way it looks because of the way you have been housing it. I hope you will make the necessary improvements before it is too late.

I think there was some misunderstanding but they're never outside all day everyday. At most an hour but always in a tub with water. When they are out of their enclosure to get sun or soak time, I take their enclosure outside to heat up in the sun. Then, I take the enclosure inside. That's what I mean with residual heat. And I don't put our tortoise in the enclosure if it's too hot. This is all done within 30 mins to an hour.

Thanks for the information, Tom. I'll see if I can get those improvements done quicker..

 

[mools]

@Tom would a fish tank work for heating at least in the meantime? We've had an empty fish tank with a strip light inside but I've been reluctant to use it because 1) it is downstairs in the living room where it tends to be colder, 2) I don't want to stress out the tortoise by rehousing it and 3) I don't know the specs of the tank so I'm also not sure if the lighting fixture is safe for their eyes.

 

[Tom]

I think there was some misunderstanding but they're never outside all day everyday. At most an hour but always in a tub with water. When they are out of their enclosure to get sun or soak time, I take their enclosure outside to heat up in the sun. Then, I take the enclosure inside. That's what I mean with residual heat. And I don't put our tortoise in the enclosure if it's too hot. This is all done within 30 mins to an hour.

Thanks for the information, Tom. I'll see if I can get those improvements done quicker..

The tortoise needs the correct temperatures and lighting around the clock. The proper basking, lighting, and UV bulbs during the day, and a non-light emitting heat source like a CHE or a RHP controlled by a thermostat at night. Taking the tub outside for an hour a day, and then having it inside at room temp for 23 hours a day is not sufficient.

 

[Tom]

@Tom would a fish tank work for heating at least in the meantime? We've had an empty fish tank with a strip light inside but I've been reluctant to use it because 1) it is downstairs in the living room where it tends to be colder, 2) I don't want to stress out the tortoise by rehousing it and 3) I don't know the specs of the tank so I'm also not sure if the lighting fixture is safe for their eyes.

A fish tank would be too small for an 11 month old sulcata. If its a very large on it will work for a while because your tortoise is still so small.

Its not the container that is the problem for you. It is the lack of proper heating and lighting.

 

[mools]

The tortoise needs the correct temperatures and lighting around the clock. The proper basking, lighting, and UV bulbs during the day, and a non-light emitting heat source like a CHE or a RHP controlled by a thermostat at night. Taking the tub outside for an hour a day, and then having it inside at room temp for 23 hours a day is not sufficient.

I'm currently looking at timers. For a CHE, what do I look up for having one on a controlled thermostat?

 

[Tom]

I'm currently looking at timers. For a CHE, what do I look up for having one on a controlled thermostat?

You need three things for controlling the ambient heat:
1. A ceramic based light fixture. I recommend the Home Depot ones for about $13. Remove the clamp thingy that comes with it and hang it securely from over head for safety and fire prevention.
2. A thermostat. You can find these on Amazon for about $20-$30.
3. A ceramic heating element. I like the ZooMed brand.

You can skip 1 and 3 and get a radiant heat panel for ambient heat maintenance instead. These are better and safer, but you need a ceiling to mount it to. Everything above this sentence is all about ambient heat maintenance.

The timer, another fixture, and a flood bulb will give you your basking heat. This sentence is about basking heat and light.

Your ambient LED can be plugged into the same timer as the basking lamp to make it bright and "sunny" in the indoor enclosure. This sentence was about ambient light.

An Arcadia ProT5 Kit with a 12%HO tube will give you indoor UV when needed. Control this with a second timer set for a few hours mid day, like from 11am to 2 pm.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

 

[mools]

You need three things for controlling the ambient heat:
1. A ceramic based light fixture. I recommend the Home Depot ones for about $13. Remove the clamp thingy that comes with it and hang it securely from over head for safety and fire prevention.
2. A thermostat. You can find these on Amazon for about $20-$30.
3. A ceramic heating element. I like the ZooMed brand.

You can skip 1 and 3 and get a radiant heat panel for ambient heat maintenance instead. These are better and safer, but you need a ceiling to mount it to. Everything above this sentence is all about ambient heat maintenance.

The timer, another fixture, and a flood bulb will give you your basking heat. This sentence is about basking heat and light.

Your ambient LED can be plugged into the same timer as the basking lamp to make it bright and "sunny" in the indoor enclosure. This sentence was about ambient light.

An Arcadia ProT5 Kit with a 12%HO tube will give you indoor UV when needed. Control this with a second timer set for a few hours mid day, like from 11am to 2 pm.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

Thanks for the in-depth write up. Would you be able to link me a thermostat so I know what specifications I should look at when shopping? The ones on Google don't seem right for an enclosure.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the in-depth write up. Would you be able to link me a thermostat so I know what specifications I should look at when shopping? The ones on Google don't seem right for an enclosure.

Try this link:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=reptile+...aps,160&ref=nb_sb_noss_1&tag=exoticpetnetw-20