# Soaking Sulcata Tortoise hatchlings?



## badkitty (Apr 26, 2012)

The more I read the more confused I get on this subject.
I was told to soak the Sulcata hatchlings everyday for 15 mins in warm water, but I came across this web page and they are totally against it.
http://ojaisulcataproject.org/juveniles.html

The post states :
"What does happen frequently is that the animal defecates in the water when soaking. If this happens several times a day or several times a week, you are interfering with the animalâ€™s natural digestive transit time. "
"Soaking is an unnatural, artificial solution to an unnatural, artificial problem caused by unnatural, artificial husbandry and habitat! In fact, this may well be a contributing factor to pyramiding."
Very harsh words but I'm very new to this.
Should I continue to soak them? I would really love to hear back from experienced tortoise keepers.
Thanks Grace


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## Glasswalker (Apr 26, 2012)

Yeah you _definitely_ want a second opinion on that. I'm fairly new to this too, and even I'm not impressed by this guy's "My way is the only way" attitude.


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## HtVic (Apr 26, 2012)

I dont agree with all that.
to me, this looks like how the wild tortoises would be, not for the torts that keep indoor, captive-bred
for some points, this website mentioned many times of how tortoise live in the wild world
so about 90% of content I disagree with


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 26, 2012)

*We soak our aldabra hatchlings for at least the first thirty days in warm water twice a day for about 15 minutes or so. 
*


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## HtVic (Apr 26, 2012)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> *We soak our aldabra hatchlings for at least the first thirty days in warm water twice a day for about 15 minutes or so.
> *



what about after the first thirty days?


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## Arizona Sulcata (Apr 26, 2012)

I disagree, I've seen those who soak and those who do not. Simply put, those that soak end up with much healthier torts. I see theories behind his statements but nothing concrete. I say soakings are a necessary part in keeping healthy torts 100%!


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## dmmj (Apr 26, 2012)

Personally I think if you want a healthy tortoise, soak them. My 10 cents (amount adjusted for inflation)


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## badkitty (Apr 26, 2012)

Arizona Sulcata said:


> I disagree, I've seen those who soak and those who do not. Simply put, those that soak end up with much healthier torts. I see theories behind his statements but nothing concrete. I say soakings are a necessary part in keeping healthy torts 100%!



Thanks , I will continue to soak them, they seem to be doing good and have grown 1/2 in since we got them .


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 26, 2012)

HtVic said:


> ALDABRAMAN said:
> 
> 
> > *We soak our aldabra hatchlings for at least the first thirty days in warm water twice a day for about 15 minutes or so.
> ...



*Most of our hatchlings leave at about the thirty day range, however we would continue to soak them, not just as often.*


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## NudistApple (Apr 26, 2012)

I disagree with a lot of the information from that page.

Not to mention that they are forgetting that quite a lot of us do not live in areas of the world where getting out "for a couple hours a day 3 or 4 times a week" is a viable option.

Store bought UVB lamps sure aren't as good as the natural sun, but if your tortoise can't get in the sun, the _best_ thing to do would be to use a high quality UVB lamp. And the ones that double as heat emitters are the best.


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## Tom (Apr 26, 2012)

That website is run by a man named Dave Friend. He's a good guy and has lots of tortoises. He and I completely disagree on many aspects of captive care and we've discussed it many times, but never had the time to finish a discussion. We are supposed to meet up and hash it out. I've toured his facility and saw many older tortoises that are in his care, but I did not see any hatchlings or babies that he was raising. I see his methods as a mix of some old school stuff and some new stuff, most of which I happen to disagree with. He like many others assumes that babies come from a dry desert area and should be kept dry. He was hosting a tortoise researcher named Tomas Diagne who gave a presentation on wild sulcatas in his home country of Senegal. Tomas informed us that the only wild hatchlings he had ever seen were in a marsh during the rainy season. The temperatures in the sulcatas range reach the 90's on a cool day and 100-114 most days. Know one knows, but I think it is safe to assume that the babies find cool moist refuge underground just like the adults do. So in answer to Dave's question of "Who soaks them every day in the wild?" My answer is, "Mother Nature. They hatch in or near marsh areas in the rainy season!"

Here's another way to look at it: Look around at the pics on this site of people raising tortoises using some form of the "wet routine". You will never see healthier, smoother, better looking tortoises anywhere. No disrespect, but I saw no tortoises that looked anywhere near as good as some of the tortoises on this site at Dave's place.

Email Dave at the address on his site. He's a nice man and cares very much about tortoises. He'll take the time to explain his theories and correspond with you. Ask to see pics of babies raised his way and compare them to any number of the ones you see here on TFO.

My opinion: Soak babies every day. If growth is good, then I'll start skipping an occasional day when they get to 100-200 grams. By the time they are a year old, I'm usuall soaking 3-4 times a week.


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## BrookeB (Apr 27, 2012)

go to the home page of that website and look at the adults... they don't look smooth to me... and I don't see any babies... I will keep soaking mine and they all seem to love it


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Apr 27, 2012)

I would like to see his results by not soaking his babies.


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## badkitty (Apr 27, 2012)

Thank you everyone for your input. I will continue to soak them, they seem to enjoy it. I do realize that everyone has their own beliefs I just want to do the best for them to ensure a long healthy life!
I've always delt with cats & dogs in the workplace but after marrying my husband I have come to love turtles & tortoises.


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## cemmons12 (Apr 27, 2012)

I don't really care what anyone says about soaking, I soaked, and still soak my 14 month old Sulcata. Sometimes everyday now still. As long as he "likes" it enough to just sit in the bathtub and let me pour warm water over him, I will prolly keep doing it. Good luck!  also, I have a digital temp gauge and keep his water around 90 as best as I can as he seems to be the most relaxed at that temp.


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## Tom (Apr 27, 2012)

BrookeB said:


> go to the home page of that website and look at the adults... they don't look smooth to me... and I don't see any babies... I will keep soaking mine and they all seem to love it



Not to defend Dave, because I truly don't agree with his strategy and techniques, but his place is a rescue and those animals were mostly given to him with the "damage" already done.

I just want to reiterate, Dave is a good man and deeply concerned about the health and welfare of the sulcata tortoise species. He and I have just reached very different conclusions on what is "best" for sulcatas. We are all still learning... I am open to Dave's ideas and he is open to mine too. Doesn't mean we will agree, but we both respectfully listen to each other.


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## Jacob (Apr 27, 2012)

Many articles you read on the internet are outdated, old ways of taking care of tortoises or just plain out mixed up reviews reports!
You can get real answers here from real breeders and experts 
Yes you want to soak your baby sulcata everyday to every other day in lukewarm water, keep them hydrated and it helps
them to relax and pee or poop!


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## Zamric (Apr 27, 2012)

My Opinion....

If it works, Don't change it!

High Heat, High Humidity and daily soaks work for me.... 'nuff said!


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## Zamric (Apr 27, 2012)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> HtVic said:
> 
> 
> > ALDABRAMAN said:
> ...



Your hatchling are gone after 30 days? Where is your market? You put out lots of hatchling a year.... they really sell that fast?


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