Aloe

[kelii]

Hi guys

I bought my torts an aloe leaf to try today.They didn't like it, but I did use some of the gelas a shell and skin moisturizer. Has anyone done this before? It seems to have worked great. They look more hydrated, but they're not shiny like I had used oil.

 

[dmmj]

nope never done it I prefer to hydrate them the natural way with water lots and lots of water.I imagine it doesn't actually ahydrate them just makes their skin look moist.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

A lot of skin cream does contain aloe.
Yes. My tortoises also wont eat it.

 

[kelii]

nope never done it I prefer to hydrate them the natural way with water lots and lots of water.I imagine it doesn't actually ahydrate them just makes their skin look moist.

They're humidity is in the high 80s, and they get soaked everyday, but they're skin still looks a little dry. I'm not sure why.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

They're humidity is in the high 80s, and they get soaked everyday, but they're skin still looks a little dry. I'm not sure why.

I'd worry about it making them sticky or attracting bugs.
Ashy looking skin isn't so bad.

 

[dmmj]

do you mean it looks like how tortoise skin is supposed to look like? Or is it actually dry?

 

[kelii]

they get a slightly frosted look on their heads an a little on their front legs. the colors grey up a bit. I hope that makes sense.

 

[destortoise]

Hi @kelii ,

Depending on where you live, you could have some very hard water. A lot of the US East Coast has a ton of mineral deposits in the water. If you live in more mountainous regions, the dry "frosting" you mentioned is probably the residual Calcium deposits from the water after it has dried. It isn't uncommon and I get it all the time up here in SW Virginia, where our rock formations are heavy on the limestone side.

If you live in more coastal, swampy, wetland-ish areas, your water is more likely soft, or closer to being distilled water. It all depends on what your tap water consists of. Or whatever water you use to spray/fog your torts with.