elbieregan
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2014
- Messages
- 13
The header says it. If so, does anyone use coconut oil?
soaking is a must for baby torts! when sulcatas hatch it is the rainy season very wet and humid. soak your torts around 4 times a week because of his size.Interesting, someone pointed out that my juvenile sulcata showed signs of being dry. Ok, so what does soaking entail? Putting the tortoise in a bowl of water that he can't get out for awhile, ensuring that he also can't drown while he's in there? I spray mine off with a hose everyday and scrub his shell with a toothbrush when he's muddy, he seems to enjoy it. But should I be making him soak as well?
Hatchlings should get a 20-minute soak daily. Most people do this until they're about a year old. Then they need about 3-4 soaks per week. My guys have started self soaking in the past few months. They're adults and I got them only last year. The previous owner said she soaked them once a week. In addition to soaking them, i spray them daily.Interesting, someone pointed out that my juvenile sulcata showed signs of being dry. Ok, so what does soaking entail? Putting the tortoise in a bowl of water that he can't get out for awhile, ensuring that he also can't drown while he's in there? I spray mine off with a hose everyday and scrub his shell with a toothbrush when he's muddy, he seems to enjoy it. But should I be making him soak as well?
I use a little olive oil on the lines between the scutes about once every month or so. Only if it looks a little dry and I apply it with a q-tip.
I would suggest that oil and water don't mix. By applying any type of oil to the surface of the shell by default will prevent the natural absorption of water and could really counter any good that's being done by daily misting and soaking.
I learned the whole vita-shell debate after I got and used mine over a few months (as often as the instructions allowed) and I know it did help with the shell greatly when water wouldn't (and oils probably work the same), but Nank was from a pet store and a year in with proper care he still had some severely dry patches on his shell so I got some vita-shell and used tin bits on the dry spots and after a few uses the shell restored itself and the dry patches were gone. But I do understand the argument against, and I haven't used it since because theres been no need, but it did the final bit of improvement I'd needed.I agree with this and there has been plenty of debate on this forum in the past about vita shell etc. There's justified concern that oil can also trap dirt on the shell, and possibly cause overheating. I'm not sure about the latter but both are valid points.
With moisture playing an integral role in the tortoise shell growing smooth, it's also valid to say oil can be beneficial in the sense that it provides a lubricant between scute lines and prevents the shell from drying out.
All I can say is from my experience oil hasn't had any detrimental effects but as I said, I don't know if it has helped my tortoise grow smooth or simply has had no effect at at all.
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whew! I was worried I was oversoaking willow when she was a hatchling becuz I was soaking her every other day and keeping her enclosure quite moist at 80%. She is a yr old now but I do soak her at least twice a week, as well as have a basin of fresh water for her at all times in her enclosure. She still LOVES the warm water soaks though. I did use Vita shell a couple times but it really is a waste and messy. it's like rubbing wax on their shell becuz it just don't absorb and makes everything stick to them. Soaking is much better and natural.soaking is a must for baby torts! when sulcatas hatch it is the rainy season very wet and humid. soak your torts around 4 times a week because of his size.
At that size he is not a hatchling any more. Still a baby though. Their needs are still pretty much the same.Thank you! So is mine still considered a hatchling? He's about six inches long, a Sulcata.