Misinformation that needs to be countered:

Thundersnow

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Ask her how many hatchling tortoises she's raised using daily soaks and warm humid monsoon conditions. When she says "zero", ask her if she'd like to talk to some people that have raised 1000s that way, and her way too. A simple conversation would be able to demonstrate how wrong she is and why, but I doubt she's willing to have that conversation. Tell her Tom from the tortoise forum wants to talk to her about this. I won't be rude or insulting. I'll just explain it to her and back it up with evidence.
Hi Tom, what is your opinion on soaking? I have been soaking my 4 month old morning before his breakfast and in the evening before I change out his food. Morning food is a mixture of one Mazuri pellet soaked mixed with Kapidola Farms rehydrated prickly pear cactus and hibiscus,freshly pulled bluegrass/fescue grass (not fertilized) cut into tiny pieces and alternate days chopped cucumber,yellow squash,peppers.
I leave that available to him all day until the evening soak and then I give him a mixed green salad chopped kale,collards,green leaves from the top of organic strawberries then lightly sprinkle Rep-Cal Herpvite and Rep-Cal Calcium with bit.D3 You are my torty God . I think you are the best source of TRUE information to help torty parents like me who needs guidance thank you for being there
 

queen koopa

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Are you a vet? I agree with the young tortoises but not for the mature ones
Do vets go through a semester on tortoise and turtles? Do they further their education after vet school? Vets don’t know s*** about tortoise and tortoise keeping. The average vet prescribes medication made for mammals or pumps full of vitamins that don’t apply to the problem because the vet doesn’t know the problem. A vet doesn’t practice husbandry and preventative care. They practice medicine. People who feel vet advice is the ONLY source of advice just can’t take responsibility for their animals heath and well being or they are lazy. My sister is this way.
 

LadeeJae

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I see this person on FB posting this crap, and too many people believe her.
Any science to counter this misinformation?

"Regular soakings are actually detrimental. Warm baths speed up the digestive system, causing the tortoise to miss out on vital nutrients from their foods and dehydrating them by making them go to the toilet too often. If these hard urates are a one off don't panic, if they continue try some Cucumber to boost hydration, and rinse the food before giving it so there's water on it still
I look at the science of it, that speeding up their slow metabolism is impacting negativity."

"when you say hatchling I hope it's at least 3 months old as they shouldn't go before then, if not 6months. I personally would never soak a hatchling daily, for the same reasons. They have even less reserves to pull on and it's important not to speed up their metabolism or toileting"

All these new tortoise owners are listening to the woman like she is an expert. It worries me.
I think I see the same person in a certain group. I was shamed a bit for having the wrong substrate. I was on there for advice, as I had my baby for just 2 days. I deleted my post and haven't posted since. And by the way, my baby was checked yesterday and is a healthy (most likely) girl! I've learned A LOT in the past almost 5 weeks of owning her, but she seems to be the know-it-all of all things tortoise. :(
 

LadeeJae

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Hi Tom, what is your opinion on soaking? I have been soaking my 4 month old morning before his breakfast and in the evening before I change out his food. Morning food is a mixture of one Mazuri pellet soaked mixed with Kapidola Farms rehydrated prickly pear cactus and hibiscus,freshly pulled bluegrass/fescue grass (not fertilized) cut into tiny pieces and alternate days chopped cucumber,yellow squash,peppers.
I leave that available to him all day until the evening soak and then I give him a mixed green salad chopped kale,collards,green leaves from the top of organic strawberries then lightly sprinkle Rep-Cal Herpvite and Rep-Cal Calcium with bit.D3 You are my torty God . I think you are the best source of TRUE information to help torty parents like me who needs guidance thank you for being there
Thank you for posting this! I never know who or what to believe anymore! :)
 

Gijoux

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That's old school thinking. It's not new. I've heard it before too. It's reasonable to assume correct if you allow such a long soak that the tortoise empties his bowel, however, I thought the nutrition absorption happens further back before the food reaches the bowel.
You are correct!
 

Mimes

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I got off Facebook because of infighting in all groups I was following. I was lucky to find this forum when I got my baby and find it so useful. A wealth of information is here on how to care for the species you have. I soaked 2X per day when mine was very young and now 1X per day but for no less than an hour. He really likes his soak and is rarely fussy. I prefer Instagram now and refer people to this forum when they post questions about issues they are having with their torts. I don’t think mine would look so good if I hadn’t landed here. He is just a year now.
 

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Cathie G

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This is probably the best way to get through to them. Show success and ask for their proof!
That's what I was thinking last night. And ask them how soaking worked so well if their theory is correct.?
 

Tom

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Are you a vet? I agree with the young tortoises but not for the mature ones
You agree with what for young tortoises? That soaking causes them to void their bowels too soon and not get enough nutrition? If yes, please explain the 1000s of tortoises here that are thriving and growing with a daily soaking routine? My young tortoises of all species show a growth rate of 10-15% per month in their first couple of years. Does that sound like malnutrition?

And the vast majority of vets know little to nothing about tortoise care at all, much less the finer points of raising hatchlings correctly.

Make your voice heard. Share your ideas with the group. I may refute some of them, but I will do it respectfully with the intention of helping advance tortoise care.
 

Tom

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Hi Tom, what is your opinion on soaking? I have been soaking my 4 month old morning before his breakfast and in the evening before I change out his food. Morning food is a mixture of one Mazuri pellet soaked mixed with Kapidola Farms rehydrated prickly pear cactus and hibiscus,freshly pulled bluegrass/fescue grass (not fertilized) cut into tiny pieces and alternate days chopped cucumber,yellow squash,peppers.
I leave that available to him all day until the evening soak and then I give him a mixed green salad chopped kale,collards,green leaves from the top of organic strawberries then lightly sprinkle Rep-Cal Herpvite and Rep-Cal Calcium with bit.D3 You are my torty God . I think you are the best source of TRUE information to help torty parents like me who needs guidance thank you for being there
I thank you for the kind words, but we have a lot of advanced experienced keepers here on this forum and many of them mentor ME! I've learned a few things along the way, but there are lots of tortoise keepers that know more than I do out there.

My opinion on soaking: Once a day is enough. Twice a day or ten times a day will do no harm. I usually do 30-40 minutes, but sometimes only ten minutes and sometimes over an hour. I soak them every single day until they reach at least 100 grams. After that point I skip a day once in a while. As they grow, I skip more and more days. Most adults gets soaked once or twice a week. I'll skip a week or two for adults living outside during cold winter spells sometimes. We have a member here who raised some of the smoothest, healthiest, fastest growing tortoises I've ever seen, and he used to regularly soak his babies in an outdoor kiddie pool for 6 hours a day. I am not advocating for soaking six hours a day, but it should be obvious that even six hours a day, every day, does no harm. Water is NOT bad for tortoises. There are pictures in the best slcata book in existence, "The Crying Tortoise", that show adult sulcatas tromping around with aquatic vegetation on their backs in the seasonal marshes that form where they live during the rainy season. Does our FB expert want to argue that those adult wild tortoises are doing themselves harm?
 

Emmawilly

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Try this...

I soak my tortoises every day since they day they first hatch. Normally 30 - 60 minutes every day! I will show you want that does.

Soaked daily since hatching:
View attachment 332124

Soaked Daily since hatching...

View attachment 332125

Soaked daily since Hatching...

View attachment 332126

Soaked Daily since Hatching...

View attachment 332127

Soaked Daily since Hatching...

View attachment 332128

Soaked Daily since Hatching...

View attachment 332129

Soaked daily since Hatching...

View attachment 332131

Now let's see some pictures of your tortoises!
Boom! That ought to do it. Pictures speak a 1000 words. Stunning.

We got Rodders a year ago age 11, and he'd never had a soak before he came to us. He's quite pyramided as a result. Ask your FB contact whether she'd prefer pretty smooth shells like Mark's tortoises or bumpy ones like Rodney?
IMG_20210122_103259.jpg
 

Cathie G

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Boom! That ought to do it. Pictures speak a 1000 words. Stunning.

We got Rodders a year ago age 11, and he'd never had a soak before he came to us. He's quite pyramided as a result. Ask your FB contact whether she'd prefer pretty smooth shells like Mark's tortoises or bumpy ones like Rodney?
View attachment 332205
Not saying that Rodney isn't beautiful by my sad face. Hopefully some certain someone will take some advice and stop Facebooking false information.? All that type of information stopped me from even trying for many years. I found TFO on a fluke and I'm still here.
 

Thundersnow

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I thank you for the kind words, but we have a lot of advanced experienced keepers here on this forum and many of them mentor ME! I've learned a few things along the way, but there are lots of tortoise keepers that know more than I do out there.

My opinion on soaking: Once a day is enough. Twice a day or ten times a day will do no harm. I usually do 30-40 minutes, but sometimes only ten minutes and sometimes over an hour. I soak them every single day until they reach at least 100 grams. After that point I skip a day once in a while. As they grow, I skip more and more days. Most adults gets soaked once or twice a week. I'll skip a week or two for adults living outside during cold winter spells sometimes. We have a member here who raised some of the smoothest, healthiest, fastest growing tortoises I've ever seen, and he used to regularly soak his babies in an outdoor kiddie pool for 6 hours a day. I am not advocating for soaking six hours a day, but it should be obvious that even six hours a day, every day, does no harm. Water is NOT bad for tortoises. There are pictures in the best slcata book in existence, "The Crying Tortoise", that show adult sulcatas tromping around with aquatic vegetation on their backs in the seasonal marshes that form where they live during the rainy season. Does our FB expert want to argue that those adult wild tortoises are doing themselves harm?
Tom whom do you go to for advice I would like to follow them.Mine is a 4 month old Indian Star. I want my lil babydoll to outlive me?❤️
 

Tom

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Tom whom do you go to for advice I would like to follow them.Mine is a 4 month old Indian Star. I want my lil babydoll to outlive me?❤️
Depends on what it is but Yvonne, Zovick. Will, Mark W, Turtle Steve, Zen Herper, Sterant, mark1, Team Zissou... These few come to mind off the top of my head, but there are many more, and there have been many others over all the years. I've been on this forum for more than 10 years. There are many good people here, and many more have come and gone over the last decade.
 

Thundersnow

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Depends on what it is but Yvonne, Zovick. Will, Mark W, Turtle Steve, Zen Herper, Sterant, mark1, Team Zissou... These few come to mind off the top of my head, but there are many more, and there have been many others over all the years. I've been on this forum for more than 10 years. There are many good people here, and many more have come and gone over the last decade.
Thanks ?
 

Cathie G

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Depends on what it is but Yvonne, Zovick. Will, Mark W, Turtle Steve, Zen Herper, Sterant, mark1, Team Zissou... These few come to mind off the top of my head, but there are many more, and there have been many others over all the years. I've been on this forum for more than 10 years. There are many good people here, and many more have come and gone over the last decade.
I feel so rude interrupting this thread and I apologize for doing it. But I don't know where to ask you this question. I was under the impression that you lived in Florida. Did you move recently? Or was I mistaken? But you're right about all the good people here and I'm glad you're here too.
 

Tom

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I feel so rude interrupting this thread and I apologize for doing it. But I don't know where to ask you this question. I was under the impression that you lived in Florida. Did you move recently? Or was I mistaken? But you're right about all the good people here and I'm glad you're here too.
Born and raised in SoCal. Lived here my whole life. I do travel for work sometimes. Raised in "the hood" in South LA, straight outta Compton, and now I live in the SCV.
 

turtlesteve

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Haha. My job in CA was with a manufacturing company, now defunct, that used massive quantities of lead. First week there I asked the environmental health and safety manager how they survived as a company on the CA coast and managed waste. He said no big deal, he’s on good terms with the inspectors and they sent all the haz waste to Compton. And he was dead serious.


Born and raised in SoCal. Lived here my whole life. I do travel for work sometimes. Raised in "the hood" in South LA, straight outta Compton, and now I live in the SCV.
 

Tom

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Haha. My job in CA was with a manufacturing company, now defunct, that used massive quantities of lead. First week there I asked the environmental health and safety manager how they survived as a company on the CA coast and managed waste. He said no big deal, he’s on good terms with the inspectors and they sent all the haz waste to Compton. And he was dead serious.
Yeah. I left a fair amount of lead in Compton too. We all did. When in Rome...

Listen to the song "Father of Mine" from Everclear, and watch the movie "Straight Outta Compton", and you will know my childhood.
 

Jan A

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What a pretty turtle...beautiful shell.
Errr, that's a red foot tortoise.... you're forgiven. I still have trouble identifying tort species as well. And all the tails, bottom sides, holes, penises, etc., regularly photographed & exhibited on here, you'd think you were on a porn site some days.
 

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