Worried about pyramiding already!

[Tortellinimommy]

I'm totally freaked out about my hermann developing pyramiding and want to make sure his home is humid what are some good thermostats for checking both humidity and one for temp since the one from petco doesn't seem the greatest. I do have a temp gun but not sure where I should be checking to get a reading for the warm spot temperature. Also I'm wondering if tortellini's carapace looks normal for a less than 2 month hatchling or if pyramiding is starting? I know I sound like a first time mom all freaked out lol but he/she is my new baby and I want tortellini to have a good long healthy life. My enclosure walls are too low for adedequte humidity so I've been misting and have moist substrate in hides but I'm changing to a higher tub tonight and adding a cover on one end as well as a humidifier. If I do this as well as daily soaks will that work until I can get a gauge to tell me what the percent is?

 

[Killerrookie]

I highly recommend getting a hydrometer with a probe. It's basically a thermostat but for humidity. You can get them at a local hardware store for $10.
Also I recommend soaks for a hatchling twice a day!
I don't see any pyramiding on the little guy at all.
Hope I could help some here.

 

[enzot91]

That's not pyramiding, it's just normal growth for a hatchling. He's a lovely looking baby, and you got him nice and early too so if you follow the care sheet for Hermann's tortoises on here, you'll end up with a beautiful,healthy adult.

 

[Tortellinimommy]

That's not pyramiding, it's just normal growth for a hatchling. He's a lovely looking baby, and you got him nice and early too so if you follow the care sheet for Hermann's tortoises on here, you'll end up with a beautiful,healthy adult.

Thanks I've saved the care sheet along with several others to my phone for quick referencing and plan on getting a hydrometer tonight

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Put a complete lid on. Then cut an exact hole for the light. I have one hole and change night or day lights. 85% humidity and her slight pyramiding stopped, or so it seems.. Here's Knobby.....now honey, THAT'S pyramiding.....the sweetest tortoise you'd ever want to have......

 

[Janelle Green]

Put a complete lid on. Then cut an exact hole for the light. I have one hole and change night or day lights. 85% humidity and her slight pyramiding stopped, or so it seems.. Here's Knobby.....now honey, THAT'S pyramiding.....the sweetest tortoise you'd ever want to have......

View attachment 191350

Beautiful tortoise love the coloring

 

[Janelle Green]

View attachment 191334 View attachment 191335 I'm totally freaked out about my hermann developing pyramiding and want to make sure his home is humid what are some good thermostats for checking both humidity and one for temp since the one from petco doesn't seem the greatest. I do have a temp gun but not sure where I should be checking to get a reading for the warm spot temperature. Also I'm wondering if tortellini's carapace looks normal for a less than 2 month hatchling or if pyramiding is starting? I know I sound like a first time mom all freaked out lol but he/she is my new baby and I want tortellini to have a good long healthy life. My enclosure walls are too low for adedequte humidity so I've been misting and have moist substrate in hides but I'm changing to a higher tub tonight and adding a cover on one end as well as a humidifier. If I do this as well as daily soaks will that work until I can get a gauge to tell me what the percent is?

What a cute little baby and welcome to the forum!

 

[Fredkas]

@Tortellinimommy it think that is the beginning of pyramiding, it shows not humid enough.
@Janelle Green i am afraid that is pyramiding too

Pyramiding cannot be reverse but can be stop. so the pyramiding will stay like that, but the new growth will smoothen out.

 

[JoesMum]

Misting and soaking is not enough to prevent pyramidding. The humidity in the enclosure needs to be raised by having damp substrate and the correct temperatures as well.

Humidity is measured with a hyGrometer (note the G)

It's also important the tortoise stays in the enclosure and doesn't roam your home.

Janelle that Russian is pyramidding

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Forgive me for popping into someone else's thread, but here's my experience. Take it or leave it.....You need a CLOSED chamber. That means a lid. I was given a year old Sulcata who was starting to pyramid, I put her in a closed chamber, 85 to 90% humidity, and 90 degrees.It's 9 months later and you can hardly see any bumps. Not a humidifier in a room and hope that helps, nope.

I think a lot of people are so concerned about pyramiding, they forget other things.
Now I have a few years experience. There's almost 40 years experience in my family, but I do things MY way.....so this is MY personal experience and opinion. To stop or keep from starting, I already told you how much temp and humidity you need. But you NEED a lid. Wet the substrate, no misting. I never do that. I wet the substrate, the top dries, (preventing shell rot) but it stays damp underneath, creating needed humidity. But you need a lid!!!!
Now that is Tom's way.....this is MY way....
I believe certain species of tortoises need different things. To prevent pyramiding in Sulcata, and Hermanni would be the same(but it seems Hermanni don't pyramid as easily as Sulcata).......I raised a beautiful female Hermanni named Queenie....she has a bit of pyramiding tho. Anyway....MY way...

1. A wide variety of food, store produce and whatever you can pick that grows wild. I spend about 45 minutes walking my neighborhood and picking stuff, in my yard, and my neighbors, every morning...dandelions, Rose of Sharon leaves and blooms, grape leaves, wild kale, cut grass, clover. mulberry leaves and hackberry leaves. There's much more they can eat, that's just a partial list.

2. Lots and lots of exercise. In the wild tortoises walk for miles taking a bite here and another there. That does NOT mean walking around your house.

3.12 hours a day of a FRESH UVB light or (heaven forbid) the SUN!

4.And the temp and humidity.

I am an old lady on Social Security, that means I do not have enough money to live on, yet I operate Maggie's Special Needs Turtle and Tortoise rescue, because people keep dumping these throw away animals on me.Now that it's winter here nobody wants to spend the money on $50 lights heat etc, So I get them, missing jaws, blind, missing legs. I get them all. I got 2 Sulcata in 4 days. Crud! But I still do everything I can for them.
I also don't bother with the expensive humidity gauge, or thermometer. If you can't tell by sticking your hand or face or simply picking up the animal, that he's warm enough and it's damp enough in his habitat, you needn't have such a specialized animal. I do have an electric thermometer for the small babies tho.
My advice is to stop being so concerned about pyramiding and be more concerned with his daily PROPER care, following the advice you get from people on the forum and especially HermanniChris. Take what fits you, and will help you care for your baby and toss away the advice you don't need. In my opinion, after you've gotten the right equipment for him so he's set up correctly, he'll be really easy to care for. That's what I've discovered anyway. Right now I have 4 Sulcata,1 other desert type tortoise, and 15 box turtles. Most special needs. 2 Cats and 5 birds. But no, I'm not a hoarder....lol Most were given to me. Anyway, that's about it for me. Stay on the forum, keep asking questions, and make some friends here. Welcome and I hope I've helped you. I'm going to try and find MY version of Tom's closed chamber and post a photo for you. But I also have to hurry up and feed so I don't miss my NASCAR race today......





The 2 chambers are connected by a PVC pipe. One side is hot, bright and humid, the other side has a night light, a water dish and a hide, and humid. She goes between the 2.
And this is my last post on pyramiding. It is not as important as some other care.
I hope this helps you some......

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Don't soak twice a day, that's too much. Once a day for 10 or 15 minutes is fine. IF they are going to drink they will doing it almost right away. Don't stand and watch him either, tortoises don't like that. He'll drink better if you are not watching. (smile) hide so he can't see you, but you can watch him if you want.....

 

[Maggie Cummings]

My specific information was for Sulcata and Hermanni only. I don't give advice on Redfoots, and I apologize if I was the only one who missed the redfoot part. I would have given advice for a Russian but the OP had a Hermanni so that's who my advice was for. I'm sorry if I misunderstood. I apologize for giving advice on the wrong care. I'm gone....

 

[leigti]

My specific information was for Sulcata and Hermanni only. I don't give advice on Redfoots, and I apologize if I was the only one who missed the redfoot part. I would have given advice for a Russian but the OP had a Hermanni so that's who my advice was for. I'm sorry if I misunderstood. I apologize for giving advice on the wrong care. I'm gone....

No, what you said was fine. I just bought it in on the thread and added my own two cents worth. Because I know that one of the people does own a red foot. Russians Hermans and Greeks all pretty much have the same care. So you're good. Don't worry.

 

[Tortellinimommy]

I currently have a low wall open enclosure which is temporary since I've only had Tortellini for a few days her new home with higher walls and plexi glass half top will be ready soon. I just set up a humidifier during the days since our heat is on and it dries things out but at night I've been covering up her enclosure. The hydrometer is reading mid 50's during day that's with me spraying substrate a few times and night time humidity is around 90 with a temp of low 70's. Is that to high humidity for night time? While she sleeps she's burrowed in moist moss and substrate. I give her a daily soak in warm water for about 20 minutes and she gets a variety of spring mix, weeds, some flowers and now Mazuri. Tomorrow I start repti-cal and she gets out everyday while its warm for 10-15 minutes(being cold out its hard to do much longer), I do have a 100watt mvb that I leave on for 10-12 hrs depending on when she decides to go to sleep. I have TNT on its way to add to her food a few times a week. I hope this is a good start for my little hatchling and once spring arrives she'll also have an outdoor enclosure with a variety of weeds and flowers that I'm planting. If anyone has any other suggestions that would be great I just want to be a good mommy for my little tort.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Your temp needs to be 85 to 90. 70 and humidity will cause an URTI. I did give you excellent advice for your Hermanni. I even posted pictures, I'm sorry you don't seem to understand. Possibly you should read HermanniChris's care sheet so your baby will be better cared for. You can mist until the cows come home, but you'll never reach 85% that way.
I'm outa this thread, newbies and me just don't seem to have any understanding.

 

[Tortellinimommy]

Your temp needs to be 85 to 90. 70 and humidity will cause an URTI. I did give you excellent advice for your Hermanni. I even posted pictures, I'm sorry you don't seem to understand. Possibly you should read HermanniChris's care sheet so your baby will be better cared for. You can mist until the cows come home, but you'll never reach 85% that way.
I'm outa this thread, newbies and me just don't seem to have any understanding.

My temp of 70 with humidity is at night and the humidity is high because of the enclosure being covered. Advice I got from HermanniChris. My daytime warm area is 90 with a cooler daytime area of the mid 70's while daytime humidity is averaging mid 50's. so what is it I don't understand?

 

[leigti]

I think the name tortellini is adorable.

 

[Janelle Green]

I think the name tortellini is adorable.

I agree! I love it I was going to name my new girl that

 

[Tortellinimommy]

I agree! I love it I was going to name my new girl that

Thanks she/he is my little cutie, I think I've been spoiling her with her new larger enclosure and now she burrows in random spots and it's like finding a needle in a hay stack lol I think she will be back in her lower walled enclosure soon since I've figured out how to regulate heat and humidity to where it needs to be, less substrate = less hiding spots from mommy.

 

[Tortellinimommy]

View attachment 191745
How bigs your enclosure? That's so cute! My red foot enclosure is 7ftX 6ft Its deff like finding a needle in the hay stack! Here's a picture of my red foot enclosure

Mines only 38"x 18" and her substrate is only 4" but tortellini is only 2" so she gets lost easily lol,