Cleaning water dish/better solutions?

[smarch]

I have a kinda-adult male Russian tort, Franklin. He's currently in a 20 gal, but a new enclosure is being built currently to give him more space.

He has a large terra-cotta saucer for water. his substrate: mix of yard soil and eco-earth. He tracks tons of mud into the water and uses it as his personal toilet. In the summer no big deal take it outside hose it off all clean. Winter is proving to be an issue, here in MA we have to turn off the outside water because if not it'll freeze. So I can't go hose it off anymore, my current solution of pouring extra water in and hoping to "flush" the mud/sludge into the substrate isn't working anymore.

Whats my best solution for cleaning? or preventing him from tracking and crapping in the water?

I've heard some people don't keep water in the enclosure and soak often, would this work for him in the winter (may be safer than gross water) and I know I've always had trouble keeping the water warm as it gets colder out so is that a good option? I've always liked the idea of having it there for him though, I mean if i'm thirsty I can grab water any time I want he should have the same...

 

[jeffjeff]

can u not just take a bucket of water out side and use an old dish brush or similar to scrub the bowl out?

 

[smarch]

can u not just take a bucket of water out side and use an old dish brush or similar to scrub the bowl out?

can u not just take a bucket of water out side and use an old dish brush or similar to scrub the bowl out?

du-oh! I've even thought of doing that and I literally have no explanation as to why I forgot about it and felt so compelled that there was no solution. And its only Tuesday!?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

In my outdoors pen I have a pool for drinking and soaking. There is a cement apron that is 12" wide that is on the edge. The apron helps with 90% of dirt getting tracked into the water and thankfully my torts usually take a poo on the apron after leaving the pool and not in the water. This is, however a cement structure and must be drained and scrubbed, bleached once a week.

 

[smarch]

In my outdoors pen I have a pool for drinking and soaking. There is a cement apron that is 12" wide that is on the edge. The apron helps with 90% of dirt getting tracked into the water and thankfully my torts usually take a poo on the apron after leaving the pool and not in the water. This is, however a cement structure and must be drained and scrubbed, bleached once a week.

I wish I had this kind of space inside. Outside I've never had a problem (although he's never out there full time yet and its all old well packed play sand: our old sandbox) And in there I use a Frisbee and he's never tracked much in there.... but he hardly uses that anyways.

 

[Yvonne G]

You can scoop all the junk out of the water bowl with a paper towel and toss it, then just clean the dish in the sink. Think about it...they drink out of a puddle, stream or pond in the wild. In my opinion, the dish doesn't have to be sanitized, just cleaned and washed.

I have three baby habitats in the house this winter. The water looks sickening minutes after it's been cleaned. I use the paper towel method. Just scoop it out then add new water.

Move the waterer away from the wall of the tank. They seem to use the wall as their path and the water gets in the way. Put it in the middle and maybe it will stay clean longer.

 

[smarch]

You can scoop all the junk out of the water bowl with a paper towel and toss it, then just clean the dish in the sink. Think about it...they drink out of a puddle, stream or pond in the wild. In my opinion, the dish doesn't have to be sanitized, just cleaned and washed.

I have three baby habitats in the house this winter. The water looks sickening minutes after it's been cleaned. I use the paper towel method. Just scoop it out then add new water.

Move the waterer away from the wall of the tank. They seem to use the wall as their path and the water gets in the way. Put it in the middle and maybe it will stay clean longer.

That definitely works. (sometimes its just too darn cold to go outside!)
I currently don't have a choice in not having it near a wall (20gal) so his water is up againt one of the entire ends, this weekend h'ell be upgrading, still not an ideal size but much better, so i'll be keeping it away from edges for sure! because I know he uses it so much because it just happens to be where he wants to go.

 

[leigti]

Put some slate or large puddles around it so he gets most of the dirt off his feet before he goes in. as far as pooping in it good luck Miley faceI am one of those people that do not have a water bowl in the indoor enclosure and just soak my tortoise every other day. There is a large water bowl in the outdoor enclosure however and I just hose it out daily and scrub it once a week or so.

 

[HLogic]

You might try a mason jar pet water dispenser. No opportunity to soak but no likelihood of soiling it either...

 

[leigti]

You might try a mason jar pet water dispenser. No opportunity to soak but no likelihood of soiling it either...

I have wondered about that. Do tortoises drink out of those?

 

[Tom]

When he has a larger area to roam, this should be less of a problem too.

 

[stojanovski92113]

I don't know about anyone else, but I would not ever leave a water dish for my tortoises. I want them to have access to soaking or water at all times. Can you just dump his water dish in the toilet, wipe it all down with paper towel, & rinse it in your laundry room or bathtub? I know it's a mess but I'm thinking of your tortoise here keep the dish!!!

 

[smarch]

I don't know about anyone else, but I would not ever leave a water dish for my tortoises. I want them to have access to soaking or water at all times. Can you just dump his water dish in the toilet, wipe it all down with paper towel, & rinse it in your laundry room or bathtub? I know it's a mess but I'm thinking of your tortoise here keep the dish!!!

I'm going to start the paper towel thing and rinsing out what I can. The only thing about washing it in the sink is the bathroom I use runs off a pump upwards and I wouldn't want the dirt he tracked in to cause problems in the pump, but I mean if wiping it out a little dirt left shouldn't cause a problem.

 

[inkling13]

I change water/soaking dishes usually once a day, every other day at the longest. My torts track their mulch into the water (and poop too of course) and I don't really feel comfortable flushing the muck down the toilet. I think the sediment and wood slivers run the risk of clogs. So I just keep a small cleaning/mop bucket on hand for water changes. Dump the dirty water into the bucket, scrub out the dish with a brush, refill the dish, and dump the bucket outside. I've noticed that when the water gets gross the tortoises will avoid sitting in it to soak but clamber right in after a change. If your little one is similar then I wouldn't worry too much about them marinating in nasty water so long as you change it often enough.

As for disinfecting dishes, I wash them with dish soap on occasion but now I'm thinking about other options. I've also got a horse and I'll scrub his water bucket out with human mouthwash sometimes. It acts as a mild disinfectant but doesn't run much risk if it isn't 100% rinsed out before refilling the bucket. Makes it smell good too. I don't know if I'd try that with tortoises though, they are so much smaller it would take less of a chemical to affect them. *Shrugs* just thinking aloud here.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I often dump the gunky water & sludge into my house plants. It's nutrient rich.

 

[stinax182]

What i do is i have a small bucket or basin, put some water in, put the dirty water dish (with dirty water) in the bucket, scrub it with a scrubby, use the water to rinse it off and place back in enclosure. Then dump the dirty water down the toilet or out the window. Honestly, if he doesn't poop in his bath, i use that water.

 

[seiff]

Great ideas! My dish is small currently, but I also provide 2. One ends up muddy and empty the other seems to stay much cleaner. It's almost as if they know not to dirty both up. But not that I said something... guaranteed double poop dish when I get home tonight!

 

[Mommabear]

What i do is i have a small bucket or basin, put some water in, put the dirty water dish (with dirty water) in the bucket, scrub it with a scrubby, use the water to rinse it off and place back in enclosure. Then dump the dirty water down the toilet or out the window. Honestly, if he doesn't poop in his bath, i use that water.

Sounds like the morning routine here. I purchased several extra saucers though since they are so cheap and have rinsed dry ones ready. That way when in a rush I drop in the clean ones and can get to the dirty bucket later in the day.

 

[Anyfoot]

I have a cat litter tray for my torts to bathe in and a separate bowl that they drink from and I'm experimenting with a chicken water dispenser type thing for drinking.
Both the bowl and cat litter tray are emptied down the drain outside then I rinse with the outside tap and a sponge daily, sun,rain,sleet or snow, it gets washed.
My outside tap is attached to the house wall so it doesn't freeze. Always clean plastic dished with a soft sponge not something that scratches it. Scratches hold bacteria(I new the wine and cider making days would come in handy).lol

Thanks

Craig

 

[Anyfoot]

In my outdoors pen I have a pool for drinking and soaking. There is a cement apron that is 12" wide that is on the edge. The apron helps with 90% of dirt getting tracked into the water and thankfully my torts usually take a poo on the apron after leaving the pool and not in the water. This is, however a cement structure and must be drained and scrubbed, bleached once a week.

Hi Zeropilot

That sounds like a good idea. Can you send me a photo of it when you get time please, need new ideas for new enclosures.
Do you think(if there was space to do this) that if you had the bathing area in the centre of an area of grass it would clean the torts off before entering the water.
This is something I thought of as regards to shell rot too. Do torts need to walk on something that cleans there plastron.

Thanks Craig