TeamZissou
Well-Known Member
Coil bulbs like this are not good for tortoises. They have been shown to cause eye problems. They supposedly produce UVB at shorter wavelengths than what is optimal, and can produce even shorter wavelengths into the UVC range, which are far more damaging. T5 HO fluorescent tube bulbs are recommended as they do not have these damaging effects. Stop using this coil bulb and see if there's any improvement in the next two days. It's possible that it just took 9 months for the negative effects of this bulb to build up.
Simple incandescent flood bulbs from the hardware store can be used for basking. Temp under the basking lamp should be about 95 F.
Pyramiding is caused by conditions that are too dry. It's tough to tell from your photo, but your tortoise doesn't look that pyramided. It's tough to keep humidity high enough in the open topped enclosure you have. "Closed chambers" are used for this reason. Humidity at the tortoise level needs to be about 70%.
Are you using any other bulbs/lighting that weren't mentioned?
Here's the recommended care info for temperate species such as your Hermanns:
Try to post an in focus, close up of the tortoise's eyes if you can.
Simple incandescent flood bulbs from the hardware store can be used for basking. Temp under the basking lamp should be about 95 F.
Pyramiding is caused by conditions that are too dry. It's tough to tell from your photo, but your tortoise doesn't look that pyramided. It's tough to keep humidity high enough in the open topped enclosure you have. "Closed chambers" are used for this reason. Humidity at the tortoise level needs to be about 70%.
Are you using any other bulbs/lighting that weren't mentioned?
Here's the recommended care info for temperate species such as your Hermanns:
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...
tortoiseforum.org
Try to post an in focus, close up of the tortoise's eyes if you can.