# DIY water dish?



## legan52 (Oct 31, 2017)

I'm hoping to make a large water dish/wading area in the custom table I'm having built. It'll be L shaped and I was thinking about having the dish take up the corner and be roughly 12x24. What's the best way to make this? Craft store clay? Cement? Some type of sealant too im sure. No idea where to begin on this one! For a sulcata currently 525g.


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## wellington (Oct 31, 2017)

I'm not sure how to make it. But, if you can fit it in the center and not along a wall, it will stay cleaner. Tortoises seem to walk the perimeter of their enclosures more then the middle area.


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## legan52 (Oct 31, 2017)

wellington said:


> I'm not sure how to make it. But, if you can fit it in the center and not along a wall, it will stay cleaner. Tortoises seem to walk the perimeter of their enclosures more then the middle area.



That's a fair point! I'm going to be using bark instead of coir so I'm hoping it'll be far easier just due to that aspect. I kind of want him to have to walk through it all the time, though! Wouldn't he then be more likely to take more frequent drinks? It'll still be 6ft long on the long side so plenty of room to avoid it if he doesn't want to.


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## JoesMum (Oct 31, 2017)

Surrounding the water dish with smaller rocks (not so small they’ll be eaten) will help to stop the substrate being dragged in. 

There’s not a huge amount you can do. You will be more upset by grubby looking water than your tort.


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## legan52 (Nov 1, 2017)

JoesMum said:


> Surrounding the water dish with smaller rocks (not so small they’ll be eaten) will help to stop the substrate being dragged in.
> 
> There’s not a huge amount you can do. You will be more upset by grubby looking water than your tort.



I'm not too worried about the mess part, I just want to be sure I'm using safe materials to build the dish itself. I'll make sure to use rocks as well though anyways!


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## Maro2Bear (Nov 1, 2017)

Not to discourage ur efforts, but I think ur time and money are better invested in just locating a nice large terracotta plant saucer or two and leveling it in the substrate. They are easy to remove, rinse and clean. Come in lots of sizes, so you can easily add larger sizes as your tort grows.


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## Markw84 (Nov 1, 2017)

Completely agree with @Maro2Bear - experience will show the ease of cleaning will be a chief factor in a good water dish. They use it as a toilet and it needs cleaning daily. A dish that you cannot pick up and dump and clean will become a real hassle soon with your daily chores. If its too big, it becomes a problem of how to empty it to clean it. You cannot just lift it and dump the water. You will also be more happy with a size you can take out and scrub as well.


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## MPRC (Nov 1, 2017)

I use plastic pans that go under water heaters, they are about 24in rounds and they cost about $6 so if it gets cracked or too grubby I don't feel bad recycling it and replacing it.


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## Speedy-1 (Nov 1, 2017)

*As others have said , plant saucers are the way to go for food and water . Your tort gets bigger , so do the saucers . I use them for all my reptiles !*






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## Maro2Bear (Nov 1, 2017)

One thing I've learned from this Forum - don't try to re-invent the wheel. Tom, Yvonne, Maggie, Wellington, Big Charlie, Len, Lance, Wellington, Mark W. JoesMum ......and many others have contributed and invested MANY hours of contributions here. If "they" say use a terracotta plant saucer...use a terracotta plant saucer; if they say fine orchid bark for a substrate...use the bark; if they say soak daily and get your temps right...yep, soak and get temps. Covered enclosure...yes, covered.

Ive had my Sully now three years....i rarely ask questions....they've all been addressed in how to raise a sully! Right here on the forum.

Now...make a trip to your garden center....find some terracotta TORTOISE dishes  before they are replaced by Frosty and Santa..

Best of luck.


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## legan52 (Nov 2, 2017)

I already use terra cotta saucers and I'm not fond of them. They absorb the water too quickly and it dries out after a few hours vs 18+hrs when I tried an actual reptile dish. They don't seem to make a large enough size for a growing Tort so I was trying to make my own. Thanks though! I'll google and see if I can find some information on tortoise safe materials. If not, I'll just pick up a plastic tray and make it work.


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## JoesMum (Nov 2, 2017)

legan52 said:


> I already use terra cotta saucers and I'm not fond of them. They absorb the water too quickly and it dries out after a few hours vs 18+hrs when I tried an actual reptile dish. They don't seem to make a large enough size for a growing Tort so I was trying to make my own. Thanks though! I'll google and see if I can find some information on tortoise safe materials. If not, I'll just pick up a plastic tray and make it work.



Terracotta saucers are designed to stop drips. If yours are absorbing water it suggests they’re not glazed properly. If the water is evaporating too fast then use a larger saucer. Most of us find they last the day (12-14 hours) which is all that’s needed. The water dish should be cleaned out and refreshed daily to maintain hygiene.


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## legan52 (Nov 3, 2017)

JoesMum said:


> Terracotta saucers are designed to stop drips. If yours are absorbing water it suggests they’re not glazed properly. If the water is evaporating too fast then use a larger saucer. Most of us find they last the day (12-14 hours) which is all that’s needed. The water dish should be cleaned out and refreshed daily to maintain hygiene.



Yep I clean daily and refresh but it's certainly possible that I have an improperly glazed one. It never holds water more than a couple hours. I'll try a bigger one if I can't find appropriate materials to build my own dish. I like making things and it would be nice to know for sure I won't be using anything harmful!


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## Reptilian Feline (Nov 20, 2017)

None of the terracotta dishes I've found here are glazed. After a while they develop wet blotches since they just supposed to hold water long enough for the plant to absorb it.


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