How long should i soak?

[MACEDAlicious]

Hi everybody!

Im about to get a tortoise soon and i would just like to ask.. How often a week should i soak it and for how long?

Thanks.

 

[mainey34]

First off what kind of tortoise are you getting and how old is it?

 

[thatrebecca]

I'm interested in this question, too. I recently inherited two desert torts, ages 3 and 5. I've given them two soaks in the few weeks they've lived with me. They didn't want to stay in the water long -- only a minute or two. I let them scramble out when they wanted to cause I didn't want to stress them out. But I wondered if such a short soak was fulfilling its purpose.

 

[MACEDAlicious]

@mainey34, im planning to get a Russian about 6 months old. Ive been told once every other day for like 10 mins.. Is this true?

 

[jaizei]

What do you hope to accomplish by soaking? The answer to that question will dictate how often and how long you should soak.

 

[jhongsen]

well I don't know if this works out with Russian tort, I soak my indian star aged 11 month with warm fluke water every day for about 10-15 minutes to let him poop , moist him self and drink if he not drinking from the water dish inside his enclosure

 

[sibi]

I've had people tell me that I'm soaking my torts too often, but I've found that if you are vigilant, you'll soak as often as needed. Having said that, generally for babies you should soak him everyday for 10-15 minutes. Soaking stimulates the desire to poop and pee. It also gives them an opportunity to drink if they want to. As the tort gets older, less soaks are needed. Generally, soak your tort 2-3 times a week. There are certain circumstances that may require you to soak more often for longer periods of time. If your tort is dehydrated, daily soaks for 30 minutes or longer may be necessary.

What I have found through my experiences with my sullies is that if the tort feels sick or there is something wrong, they will self-soak for hours and days. But, it is possible that a tort will soak itself everyday for a few minutes just because they like it. I have one that does that. So, even if I soaked him once a week, he'll make sure it's more often for longer periods. I also have one that soaks in her dish for hours. I brought her to a vet to check for parasites/worms. She had pinworms, and was given meds. She still soaks for long periods until I started to place her in her outdoor enclosure due to better weather. Now, I don't find her in her dish as often. Basically, she goes into her indoor enclosure only to sleep. So, perhaps her illness was longing to be outdoors.

I know this was a long explanation, but it was to show that things aren't as black and white as some would make it out to be.

 

[Instinct]

I soak my boy in warm water for about 10-15 minutes, twice a week.
It took him a little while to get used to his soaks, so in the beginning I only did it for about 3-5 minutes and increased the time as he became used to the water.

 

[Tom]

I'm interested in this question, too. I recently inherited two desert torts, ages 3 and 5. I've given them two soaks in the few weeks they've lived with me. They didn't want to stay in the water long -- only a minute or two. I let them scramble out when they wanted to cause I didn't want to stress them out. But I wondered if such a short soak was fulfilling its purpose.

Its not soaking if you put them in a shallow dish and they just walk out of it. They need to be soaked in a tub of some sort with tall opaque sides. Warm water about a third to halfway up their body and leave them in there for 20-30 minutes. Replace the water as needed.

As far as how often, that depends on their size. DTs tend to grow very slowly due to the way they are usually kept. The smaller the tortoise the more often I would soak it. I also soak them more heavily before hibernation and right after they come out of it. I soak them less during mild weather and more during very hot dry summer weather.

Many variables to consider... With 3-5 year olds, I might go anywhere from once every two weeks, to every day, depending on all these factors.

---

For a six month old russian, I'd soak 4-5 times a week for 20-30 minutes.

 

[theelectraco]

I soak my 4 inch RF for 20 minutes, usually 6 days a week. I do this primarily to keep his pooping on a regular schedule and ease of cleanup. Some weeks it's every day, but sometimes I'm busy and its only 5 or 6 times a week. I have had my tortoise for almost 6 months and I think I have only had to clean poop out of its cage once.

 

[Jacqui]

I am a strong believer in giving these animals some credit for knowing what they need. I would not do a forced soak on a youngster of the age your talking more then once a week, as long as you 1) have a water source he can get in and out of on his own with ease 2) are not baking him with a super high temp and lights.