Can she get too much water?

[Tinsel21]

Hello, I just got my baby sulcata (Tinsel) about a week ago and I was worried that she wasn't getting enough water so I got her a new water dish, big enough for her to soak in if she wanted to. Now I'm concerned because she is spending 95% of her time soaking in the water. She loves water and at first I thought it was fine but now I'm not so sure. Recently she's been spending hours in the water... help?

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome

No she can't get too much water

She may, however, be dropping you a heavy hint that things are too dry in her enclosure.

They need quite high humidity - a warm and damp environment when young. A daily 20 minute soak in warm water is also recommended for young torts. Use a high sided bowl that your tort can't see through or over. The water needs to come just up over the line where the plastron and the shell join.

If you post pictures of the enclosure and lighting, we can check it over to recommend any improvements to you

Have you read the TFO guides for caring for a Sulcata? They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

How to raise a healthy Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[Dizisdalife]

Hello, I just got my baby sulcata (Tinsel) about a week ago and I was worried that she wasn't getting enough water so I got her a new water dish, big enough for her to soak in if she wanted to. Now I'm concerned because she is spending 95% of her time soaking in the water. She loves water and at first I thought it was fine but now I'm not so sure. Recently she's been spending hours in the water... help?

When my sulcata was a baby he did the same thing. I would find him sleeping in his water dish. The water dish was in the warm side of the enclosure and near the basking spot. It never seemed to harm him.

 

[Tinsel21]

When my sulcata was a baby he did the same thing. I would find him sleeping in his water dish. The water dish was in the warm side of the enclosure and near the basking spot. It never seemed to harm him.

OK that's exactly what she's doing. When I went to bed last night she was in her water. I woke up this morning and found her still there asleep.

 

[dmmj]

As long as the tortoise doesn't get cold, I see no harm. as long as you're temperatures and humidity or good it's probably like a warm jacuzzi minus the bubbles

 

[domagoj]

Is it maybe possible that your tort can't get out of it's water bowl?

 

[Tinsel21]

Is it maybe possible that your tort can't get out of it's water bowl?

When we put the new one in I actually sat and made sure that she could get in and out okay, we also watched her really close for the first day or two and she seems to do fine

 

[Tinsel21]

I moved Tinsel into a bigger tank last night and lowered the temperatures a bit. She is now up moving around, not sitting in her water anymore, and ready for breakfast thank you guys for all your help