soaking

moorealanna1

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how long should you soak a russian tortoise i’m not sure of his exact age he’s only about 4 inches but he hates soaks and i feel so bad watching him try to find a way out but i know he needs them, he gets them twice a week for about 10 minutes bc i feel it stresses him out
 

PollyAda

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I can only give basic advice using the info gathered on this forum, but daily warm water soaks would be advisable, for 20+ minutes. Be sure not to have the water level too high, but high enough for the tail to be under the water line. Additionally, do not allow the water to go cold as this would be uncomfortable for your tortoise. It seems some tortoises enjoy soaks more than others, and some are rather active during them (this is normal, and the exercise is good for them!). but as you say, they are necessary to keep your tortoise healthy and hydrated.

Hope this helps!
 

Tom

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how long should you soak a russian tortoise i’m not sure of his exact age he’s only about 4 inches but he hates soaks and i feel so bad watching him try to find a way out but i know he needs them, he gets them twice a week for about 10 minutes bc i feel it stresses him out
Most Russians that have passed through my hands initially HATE their soaks. Some carried on like idiots about it for months. ALL of them eventually calmed down and accepted or liked the soaks in time.

Even if they never settled down, it is still good for them. Climbing the side and scrambling around is good exercise. We call that the "tortoise treadmill". It is not stressing him out. Compared to the wild, our wonderful little tortoises have almost no stress at all, if cared for properly. The small amount of stress, if any, induced by a 30 minute soak, is arguably good for them.
 

wellington

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Agree with Tom. You know now what's best for him. It needs to be done.
Hatchlings upto about 2 or 3 years need it daily. Older then that you can do 3 to 4 times a week. Then adults can be once a week more in summer if it's really hot and he is living outside.
 

moorealanna1

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I can only give basic advice using the info gathered on this forum, but daily warm water soaks would be advisable, for 20+ minutes. Be sure not to have the water level too high, but high enough for the tail to be under the water line. Additionally, do not allow the water to go cold as this would be uncomfortable for your tortoise. It seems some tortoises enjoy soaks more than others, and some are rather active during them (this is normal, and the exercise is good for them!). but as you say, they are necessary to keep your tortoise healthy and hydrated.

Hope this helps!
Daily? I’ve heard two is good for adults and daily for babies
 

wellington

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Daily? I’ve heard two is good for adults and daily for babies
Yes that is good. Daily or even twice daily for babies. Adults a lot less, once a week even couple times a month is fine if they visit their water dish a lot on their own.
 

moorealanna1

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Agree with Tom. You know now what's best for him. It needs to be done.
Hatchlings upto about 2 or 3 years need it daily. Older then that you can do 3 to 4 times a week. Then adults can be once a week more in summer if it's really hot and he is living outside.
i’m not sure his exact age but what age is considered an adult?
 

Tom

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i’m not sure his exact age but what age is considered an adult?
Its not age, its size. Males are adult at 4-5 inches.

You can't soak too much. Hours a day wouldn't hurt anything. You can, however, soak too little.You can soak adults every day, and it will be good for them. It just isn't "necessary" to soak adults daily.
 

herschel

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how long should you soak a russian tortoise i’m not sure of his exact age he’s only about 4 inches but he hates soaks and i feel so bad watching him try to find a way out but i know he needs them, he gets them twice a week for about 10 minutes bc i feel it stresses him out
Our redfoot does not enjoy soaking either. I soak him maybe 3 times a week for 5 minutes otherwise he freaks out. I figure he knows better than I how long he wants/needs to soak?...In his sandbox there are bowls to soak in if he chooses. I don't know if this helps as I am certainly no expert.
 

herschel

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He does not know. Better to soak at least 30 minutes. DOn't worry about the perceived freak out. Its good exercise for a captive tortoise. Keep the water warm.
Really?! Wow I am surprised at this. I thought animals had an innate knowledge about 'themselves' if you will. So I should force him to soak? This will be distressing for both of us as he really gets upset but as I said I am not the expert; you are so...
 

Tom

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Really?! Wow I am surprised at this. I thought animals had an innate knowledge about 'themselves' if you will. So I should force him to soak? This will be distressing for both of us as he really gets upset but as I said I am not the expert; you are so...
Put a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a bowl of healthy salad in front of a kid. Which will the kid choose?

In some ways our tortoises do know what is best for themselves. In other ways, they don't. They don't have the powers of reason and logic that we do, and our captive enclosures will often cause them to not do the right things, and sometimes do the wrong things like eating toxic plants or foreign bodies, or avoiding the water source for any number of reasons.

I have heated boxes for my tortoise for our cold nights. Many of my tropical tortoise species will just go park under a bush on a night that will drop to near freezing. Why doesn't the tortoise "know" to just go get in the warm box? Conflicting instincts and a lack of understanding about temperature in an area that they did not evolve to deal with.

Soaking is one of the ways to ensure our tortoises are properly hydrated. Many a tortoise has become dehydrated and formed bladder stones with a water bowl sitting right there the whole time. It is one of many ways that we have to protect them from themselves. In time, your tortoise will desensitize and get used to the soaking routine. There is no reason for you or your tortoise to be distressed about it.
 

Cowgirl

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Put a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a bowl of healthy salad in front of a kid. Which will the kid choose?

In some ways our tortoises do know what is best for themselves. In other ways, they don't. They don't have the powers of reason and logic that we do, and our captive enclosures will often cause them to not do the right things, and sometimes do the wrong things like eating toxic plants or foreign bodies, or avoiding the water source for any number of reasons.

I have heated boxes for my tortoise for our cold nights. Many of my tropical tortoise species will just go park under a bush on a night that will drop to near freezing. Why doesn't the tortoise "know" to just go get in the warm box? Conflicting instincts and a lack of understanding about temperature in an area that they did not evolve to deal with.

Soaking is one of the ways to ensure our tortoises are properly hydrated. Many a tortoise has become dehydrated and formed bladder stones with a water bowl sitting right there the whole time. It is one of many ways that we have to protect them from themselves. In time, your tortoise will desensitize and get used to the soaking routine. There is no reason for you or your tortoise to be distressed about it.
 

herschel

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Put a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a bowl of healthy salad in front of a kid. Which will the kid choose?

In some ways our tortoises do know what is best for themselves. In other ways, they don't. They don't have the powers of reason and logic that we do, and our captive enclosures will often cause them to not do the right things, and sometimes do the wrong things like eating toxic plants or foreign bodies, or avoiding the water source for any number of reasons.

I have heated boxes for my tortoise for our cold nights. Many of my tropical tortoise species will just go park under a bush on a night that will drop to near freezing. Why doesn't the tortoise "know" to just go get in the warm box? Conflicting instincts and a lack of understanding about temperature in an area that they did not evolve to deal with.

Soaking is one of the ways to ensure our tortoises are properly hydrated. Many a tortoise has become dehydrated and formed bladder stones with a water bowl sitting right there the whole time. It is one of many ways that we have to protect them from themselves. In time, your tortoise will desensitize and get used to the soaking routine. There is no reason for you or your tortoise to be distressed about it.
Thank you for this and one more question: should this be done every day or every other day?...
 

Tom

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Thank you for this and one more question: should this be done every day or every other day?...
Depends on species, size, weather, etc...

In general, babies should be soaked every day. Full size adults n most cases should be fine with once or twice a week.
 

LJL1982

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how long should you soak a russian tortoise i’m not sure of his exact age he’s only about 4 inches but he hates soaks and i feel so bad watching him try to find a way out but i know he needs them, he gets them twice a week for about 10 minutes bc i feel it stresses him out
How warm is the water? Generally tortoises will chill right out in warm water as if they are basking...when the water cools they try to get out.

The water should be childrens bath temperature...so nearly as warm as you would have it but not able to scald.

He should be bathed at least 20mins, ideally daily when really young. This might mean changing the water to keep it "hot" once or more in the 20 mins.
 

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