Around 11 am I saw my redfooted tortoise climb in his water dish. He was still there when I left at noon. I got home around 1:30 and he was still in it! I moved him, gave him fresh water since his was now dirty, and misted his tank. He ate a couple bites of veggies, then went right back to his water dish! He was in for so long I thought he might be STUCK in it! Should I be worried? I'm new to tortoise care so I don't know if this is excessive or if I'm just being paranoid.
Sitting in water dish for hours?
- Thread starter Villy
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RE: Sitting is water dish for hours?
You may or may not need to be worried. Let's see if we can figure out why he is doing this, before you get too panicky.
1) What are his temperatures taken right down at his level?
2) Is he under a light or in a really highly lighted tank? Or is he in sunshine?
3) Substrate what is it? Is it moist or...?
4) His humidity level is?
5) You have had him how long? How big is he? Inside or outside?
6) His eating amounts are normal? Activity level normal (except he is staying in the dish)? His eyes and face look normal? No noise like wheezing? Did his stool and urates look normal?
7) Has he had any previous illnesses?
8) Does he look dry? Skin dry looking? Was he soaking often before this sudden all the time soaking?
Let's start with those, okay.
I went back and read your other posts.. You have only had him for two days, so your not going to know his "normal" behavior.
He is from Petco, which usually means he will be on the dehydrated side. I am jumping to the belief that he was kept like they usually do, no soaking dish, no spraying, no humid hide, and on drier substrate.
So my first thought is he may be simply in serious need of soaking and rehydration. He is eating which is a good sign. Are you seeing any symptoms of him being sick? #6
You may or may not need to be worried. Let's see if we can figure out why he is doing this, before you get too panicky.
1) What are his temperatures taken right down at his level?
2) Is he under a light or in a really highly lighted tank? Or is he in sunshine?
3) Substrate what is it? Is it moist or...?
4) His humidity level is?
5) You have had him how long? How big is he? Inside or outside?
6) His eating amounts are normal? Activity level normal (except he is staying in the dish)? His eyes and face look normal? No noise like wheezing? Did his stool and urates look normal?
7) Has he had any previous illnesses?
8) Does he look dry? Skin dry looking? Was he soaking often before this sudden all the time soaking?
Let's start with those, okay.
I went back and read your other posts.. You have only had him for two days, so your not going to know his "normal" behavior.
He is from Petco, which usually means he will be on the dehydrated side. I am jumping to the belief that he was kept like they usually do, no soaking dish, no spraying, no humid hide, and on drier substrate.So my first thought is he may be simply in serious need of soaking and rehydration. He is eating which is a good sign. Are you seeing any symptoms of him being sick? #6
RE: Sitting is water dish for hours?
We have a UVB light over his water, there are two heat lamps on the other end. The one my boyfriend got at first was 100 watt and we actually left it on ALL NIGHT because his tank would NOT get above 70 and I didn't want it to drop. The next day we got a 150 watt light and with both lights on his tank reaches 85. His substrate is ReptiBark. The humidity is low, no matter what I try. I keep misting, I have plants in his tank, I just can't make it stay above 50. It will only stay where it needs to be for a few minutes. I'm going to velcro a sponge in there to see if it helps. Now, for only having him a couple of days I don't know what is "normal" for him, but he is eating. MOstly though, today, he's just been standing in one spot. He was pretty active this morning though. Apparently I kept interrupting his intent to take a bath, because he would be stomping his way up the ramp and as soon as he saw me he would turn around and stomp his way to me. I was busy, so had to keep walking through the room and that happened EVERY TIME I passed through. hehehe He always comes to say hello when I walk in the room. However, I changed his filthy water again about an hour ago and he's still in the same place I set him down. When I walk in the room he kind of tilts his head at me but doesn't actually MOVE. But he doesn't seem to look sick. His eyes are clear and bright, following my every move and seemingly entranced by the tv. He seems partial to Stargate Atlantis. ;-)
We have a UVB light over his water, there are two heat lamps on the other end. The one my boyfriend got at first was 100 watt and we actually left it on ALL NIGHT because his tank would NOT get above 70 and I didn't want it to drop. The next day we got a 150 watt light and with both lights on his tank reaches 85. His substrate is ReptiBark. The humidity is low, no matter what I try. I keep misting, I have plants in his tank, I just can't make it stay above 50. It will only stay where it needs to be for a few minutes. I'm going to velcro a sponge in there to see if it helps. Now, for only having him a couple of days I don't know what is "normal" for him, but he is eating. MOstly though, today, he's just been standing in one spot. He was pretty active this morning though. Apparently I kept interrupting his intent to take a bath, because he would be stomping his way up the ramp and as soon as he saw me he would turn around and stomp his way to me. I was busy, so had to keep walking through the room and that happened EVERY TIME I passed through. hehehe He always comes to say hello when I walk in the room. However, I changed his filthy water again about an hour ago and he's still in the same place I set him down. When I walk in the room he kind of tilts his head at me but doesn't actually MOVE. But he doesn't seem to look sick. His eyes are clear and bright, following my every move and seemingly entranced by the tv. He seems partial to Stargate Atlantis. ;-)
You said the tank is 85 is that the hot end, the cold end, the middle, or the entire tank? Temp at the water is?
Are you leaving the light on all day and night? What about the other light on all the time? So his entire tank is well lighted? Where is his hide located from the water and those two lights?
What are you using to take the temps?
Right now, I don't think he is sick. I am thinking it's more either dehydration and/or a light/temp thing. So let's get these questions answered okay?
Are you leaving the light on all day and night? What about the other light on all the time? So his entire tank is well lighted? Where is his hide located from the water and those two lights?
What are you using to take the temps?
Right now, I don't think he is sick. I am thinking it's more either dehydration and/or a light/temp thing. So let's get these questions answered okay?
Just what I do...I keep a heat emitter on over the side with the hide area 24/7. On the other side a long tube 5.0 UVB...no heat just light, which I turn off at night. I find that a heat emitter produces more heat then a bulb, and the long tube UVB gives off just enough light. In the Winter when they are inside, I somethimes use two heat emitters...one on each side and the long tube light in the middle. I was told when I first got mine that they do not like too much light, and after I got rid of all the lights and heat bulbs and simplified it they were more active, and plants kept the humidity up.
M
Maggie Cummings
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terryo said:
Great advice Terry
Ok, last night when I turned off his lights he went into his water bowl. He seemed to actually be playing in it, just generally stomping around and splashing lol. Then he settled down in it and was still there this morning when I woke up. I actually checked to make sure he hadn't drowned himself! After I put fresh food in his bowl I moved him in front of it so I could clean his water dish and give him fresh water. After that he was very active all day! He ate up ALL of his food, and even a good portion of his pellets. I shared an apple treat with him *gave him just a little* and he gobbled it all up. He hid and basked and dug, paced all around, and just generally seemed to have a lot of energy. So maybe you were right, and he was just dehydrated or something, because he seemed very bright eyed and bushy tailed today!
Terry, that seems pretty much like what my set up is. I moved the humidity gauge today, as it is velcroed on the cooler end of the tank, and the humidity on the warm end is in range. Low, but in range. I did velcro a sponge in but it didn't seem to do much good. Plus it didn't stick to the velcro and actually fell on him when he was eating! It was actually kind of funny though, he gave it a death glare and kind of snapped at it before I grabbed it, and when I did he gave me a very smug look like, "Yeah, I got this!" Very cute. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing until his table is built. We don't have a lot of room, in fact his tank takes up pretty much all the room we have, so I'm thinking of a 2 layer table.
Terry, that seems pretty much like what my set up is. I moved the humidity gauge today, as it is velcroed on the cooler end of the tank, and the humidity on the warm end is in range. Low, but in range. I did velcro a sponge in but it didn't seem to do much good. Plus it didn't stick to the velcro and actually fell on him when he was eating! It was actually kind of funny though, he gave it a death glare and kind of snapped at it before I grabbed it, and when I did he gave me a very smug look like, "Yeah, I got this!" Very cute. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing until his table is built. We don't have a lot of room, in fact his tank takes up pretty much all the room we have, so I'm thinking of a 2 layer table.
YAY !!!!! Maybe he was a fish in a previous life.....LOL
Maybe he was a fish in a previous life.....LOL 
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