Soaked

[myrtle651]

I am not sure if I am soaking my torts right? I have 2 leopards ( 1 year ) and 1 star ( 8 months ). Everything is going well with there size,weight and activity. I use a 16 x 24 inch plastic tub 5 -7 days a week. I tilt the tub so that there is water on 75% of it. I find that they like the dry side 1/2 the time they are in the tub, 1/2 - 1 hour. Does soaking mean the water should be at the bridge at all time???
Thanks, Kevin

 

[jeffbens0n]

I'm not sure what you mean by bridge...but if you give them the choice they will usually walk out of the water when soaking. It is good for them to stay in the water for that time even if they may not like it.

 

[Yvonne G]

The "bridge" is the area of the shell where the carapace (top shell) meets the plastron (bottom shell).

Lay your tub flat. Doesn't do them any good if they can get out of the water.

 

[myrtle651]

I'm not sure what you mean by bridge...but if you give them the choice they will usually walk out of the water when soaking. It is good for them to stay in the water for that time even if they may not like it.

Thanks, I will do that now. I was talking about where the top shell meets the lower. Forget what it is called.

 

[RonHays]

We soak our 3 redfoots for 30 minutes every day. It seems to work out good for them. I can tell that most of the time they don't like it, but they don't have a choice. Lol

 

[Tom]

Doing it the way you are doing it, you may as well just offer them a large shallow water dish in their enclosure and skip the tub.

I think if you are going to soak them, then you should soak them.

And it seems worth a mention, I hope you are housing and soaking the star separate from the leopards...

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I would soak them separately. My Leo is always trying to get out but I still do it. I have a tupperware container her size. I fill the bottom with about a 1/2 inch of Luke warm water. Then I put her in. Then for the next 25-30 minutes I pour cup's of warm water over her whole shell and limbs until I get the water gets to the desired height. This way I do not run the risk of my water getting cold. Then when I take her out I put her under her basking light and give her a snack. Mine does not love it but I think the reward of food is worth the minor annoyance.

 

[myrtle651]

Doing it the way you are doing it, you may as well just offer them a large shallow water dish in their enclosure and skip the tub.

I think if you are going to soak them, then you should soak them.

And it seems worth a mention, I hope you are housing and soaking the star separate from the leopards...

Yes They are always separate. Leopards are enjoying there soak now.

 

[jeffbens0n]

The "bridge" is the area of the shell where the carapace (top shell) meets the plastron (bottom shell).

Lay your tub flat. Doesn't do them any good if they can get out of the water.

I should've known that, for some reason I thought he meant a bridge over whatever he was soaking them in...as in a bridge between water and land area

 

[HarleyK]

My rf has grow. To enjOy his soaks. He has warm water and its above the bridge. I wouldnt leave him longer hecause the water cools.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I like to do a happy medium between forced soaks and no soaks...I put warm water in my tort's enclosure water dish and put him in there...he gets out when he wants...sometimes he stays in for 15 minutes and sometimes he walks right out. Its all a matter of opinion. I agree with the other posts that you don't want to have it tilted with a dry area, make sure its a baby bath warm temp, that water level is good, and that an hour is too long (I'd say 20 minutes max, every 1-2 days for that age, if you choose to do so). Only reason to soak longer would be a sick tort (such as soaking in vitamins or baby food), and you'd put a heat emitter or something over the tort/water.