Baby RT care

[R114]

Hello, I am getting a 2 month old Russian tortoise soon and need some advice about soaking. Every place I've looked gives different advice. I'm wondering how often I should be soaking him/her and for how long. Is it possible to soak them too often? I've seen some places even say 20 minutes daily for babies. I've been doing my research, but I would appreciate any other tips you guys have. Thanks!

 

[biochemnerd808]

There are some good threads on this already in existence on this forum - but the cliff notes are: soak in warm water (80ish degrees) 2x daily for 15 mins minimum (don't let the water get chilly), and mist several times daily. The bath water should only reach to the tort's 'seam' where the top and bottom shell meet. You can use a spoon to gently pour a little water over the top of the shell.
Make sure you have a good UVB light and a basking light. Basking temp should be 95-100 degrees, and the 'cool' side of the tank should be 65-70 degrees (room temp). Moist coconut coir is a good substrate, and I know several folks use wetted spagnum moss in one corner so the tort can burrow in there.
I know this all sounds very 'tropical' but the tort breeders on here that do this have beautiful smooth babies.

Good luck!

Hello, I am getting a 2 month old Russian tortoise soon and need some advice about soaking. Every place I've looked gives different advice. I'm wondering how often I should be soaking him/her and for how long. Is it possible to soak them too often? I've seen some places even say 20 minutes daily for babies. I've been doing my research, but I would appreciate any other tips you guys have. Thanks!