Frustration.... (with waterer)

[W Shaw]

I'm working on getting everything running properly for my little rescue, and taking all the great advice from folks here, but I keeping bumping into issues, and there's so much conflicting info. I have a new bath set up, which works better, so thanks guys! But during the bathing discussion I was told to get rid of his walk-in water dish, which he loved, and replace it with a terra cotta saucer. So I did that -- and now he won't drink at all and I'm seeing urates for the first time. Should I give him his dish back? I posted at the time to ask for clarification as to why the walk-in dish was bad, and never got a response, so maybe I shouldn't have taken it away from him? I don't want to put it back in if it's dangerous, but I also don't want him getting dehydrated for no reason. Anyone got any input on the (zoomed, I think... it came with him) big corner water dishes with little ramps?

 

[dmmj]

I didn't see it but I imagine you were told to get rid of it because of the angle of the walls of the dish. They can be a flipping hazard and causes of drowning. that is more than likely why you were told to replace it.

 

[leigti]

The terra-cotta saucer works fine. The other one is dangerous because they can flip and can't get back out. You can also soak your tortoise to help with hydration.

 

[wellington]

The above reasons covers the old dish. As for the saucer, dig it down, so the rim is level with the substrate. Put him in it daily, just once is fine, soon he will get used to it. Also, soaking daily for hatchlings or about 1-2 times a week for older ones. As they become 4-5 years or older, the soakings can be cut way back.

 

[W Shaw]

Thanks! I suspect my little guy is 3 or 4 years old but I have no way to be sure, because he's a rescue from a bad situation. I buried the terracotta bowl that way when I first put it in. He won't have anything to do with it.Before I changed the dish he was drinking from his dish and going into it to soak by himself. I also soak him but he hates it, so it was nice that he would go into the water on his own before. I'll try setting him in the new dish and increasing the extra soaks. Thanks for the help!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

They are creatures of instinct as well as habit and every time you make a change....Such as your water pool, it would be normal to expect a short adjustment period.

 

[Tom]

We've had multiple members come home and find their tortoises upside down in those ramped bowls. They are good for lizards and snakes, but totally unsafe for tortoises.

Your tortoise will get used to the new bowl, and soaking every other day in the mean time will keep your tortoise hydrated and healthy. Try soaking at different times of the day or with warmer or cooler water to see if the tortoise likes it better one way or the other. All of them get used to it. Also be sure you are using a tall-sided, opaque tub for soaking. If the top is almost reachable, or if they can see out, it makes them much more antsy.

 

[W Shaw]

Thanks ZeroPilot and Tom! I'll stick with the new one and hope he adjusts & keep soaking him in the meantime. I can't do too much about the time of day for soaking during the week since I work full time. It's either very early in the morning or in the evening after work. I'll try a daytime soak this weekend, though. Tom -- at your earlier suggestion I've switched his bath from a small translucent container to an opaque smallish dishpan. He still hates it, but tolerates it a lot better. In the small container he would close his eyes and pull in his head and feet and just sulk and look unhappy. In the dishpan, he stands up and walks around in it.

 

[Tom]

In the dishpan, he stands up and walks around in it.

Sounds to me like he's getting about more comfortable with the new dishpan.

 

[W Shaw]

Sounds to me like he's getting about more comfortable with the new dishpan.

He definitely was immediately more comfortable with that than the original, small container. Still hates being soaked. Every time I soak him we take three steps back on his social bonding. But his health has to come first.

Good news -- today I came back after a few hours away and found him sitting in his new dish. I stayed away so he wouldn't be startled. He sat there for another 5 minutes, pooped, peed and then walked out of it and went back to basking. I don't know if he drank any, but at least he interacted with the dish, so it's a good start. :- )

 

[TerrapinStation]

Sounds like it worked!
To quote one of the greats:

 

[W Shaw]

Classic! I think the water dish issue was accidentally forced. His 125W bulbs were just not warm enough when the temps dropped here, so I tried to go up to 150 and couldn't find any. So I went to 250, thinking i could just raise it higher. But at its highest available point, the temps rose about 5 degrees higher than he was comfortable with, so he went in the water dish to cool off. I'm sorry he got too warm, but it solved the water dish issue

And yesterday he was very good in his bath. For the first time he just hung out and soaked without much fuss. So we're definitely on the right track now!

 

[MPRC]

I have a large redfoot who hated soaking and refuses to drink in the bath. I took away his ramp bowl when I got him because it was pretty much useless for him. He couldn't soak in it at all. This summer I tossed the ramp bowl in his outdoor enclosure for lack of anywhere to put it and when it filled up with sprinkler water the little turd was standing in it drinking like he's never been offered water before. Creatures of habit is an understatement. Now he has a soaking bath (a 3ft water heater drain pan) and a drinking dish.

 

[W Shaw]

Yeah, I'm learning the hard way about the habits. Mine still doesn't seem to drink from his new dish, but at least he sits in it. Sadly, the unglazed terracotta seems to let the water seep very gradually through it. leaving a wet patch underneath, so I'm probably going to have to replace it again. Maybe I'll just coat it with flex-seal.

Mine doesn't drink when I soak him either. Might be I should keep 2 dishes in his enclosure.

BTW, what instigated the dish change for me was that everyone here said the ramp dishes are dangerous because tortoises can flip over in them and get stuck, so I'm wondering if maybe you shouldn't leave that one in his enclosure?