Tortoise care - is plaster of pairs water dish toxic to Tortoises???

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Is plaster of paris toxic to tortoises??? As i have made a mini water dish using the plaster of paris mould. So whole water dish is made of plaster of paris and water will filled inside it where tortoises can enter inside the water dish and enjoy the pool.

Is plaster of paris harmful or toxic to tortoises???

Please help!!!

Thanks in advance friends!!
 

Tom

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I don't know the answer to your question, but why not just use something that is known to be safe? Terra cotta plant saucers are the perfect size, shape, depth and texture. Simply sink one for food and one for water down into your substrate.
 

zovick

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Is plaster of paris toxic to tortoises??? As i have made a mini water dish using the plaster of paris mould. So whole water dish is made of plaster of paris and water will filled inside it where tortoises can enter inside the water dish and enjoy the pool.

Is plaster of paris harmful or toxic to tortoises???

Please help!!!

Thanks in advance friends!!
Plaster of Paris is the common name for calcium sulfate hemihydrate. I seriously doubt that it is harmful to your tortoise. Limestone is calcium carbonate, and there is lots of that dissolved in our naturally occurring water.

Being a dentist, I have worked with the exact same plaster for many years. When I kept aquatic turtles, I used to make 1" cubes from the unset plaster which I had left over from doing various dental procedures. I put those cubes as well as small chips of broken plaster pieces into the water for the turtles. I never noticed any ill effects from doing so, and those turtles actually ate some of the plaster I put in their water.

Just soaking your tortoise in a bowl made from Plaster of Paris should be pretty harmless, even if it drinks some of the water, IMHO.
 

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