I live in south Florida and have one 8 inch redfoot who lives outdoors full time. Does she need to be "soaked" and if so, how frequently?
EricIvins said:No, they do not need to be "soaked". Give them an area big enough that they can sit in and that will suffice. They know what water is and how to utilize it, and they don't need to be monitored as long as you are providing the options the animal(s) needs.
mike taylor said:I agree with Jeff . That whole piece of advice is wrong sorry not to bad mouth any one . Reds are prone to shell rot and fungus . So that being said you need to use your soak time to check the wellness of your tortoise .
mikeh said:No, your tortoise doesn't need to be soaked, in your case. Like Yvonne and Eric said, if you provide appropriate space (which you do) and manage the environment with correct parameters for the species your tortoise will manage itself (including soaking).
One can soak tortoise all he wants, if the environment is suffering, chances are so will the tortoise.
I believe it was Will who said, "Managing a healthy environment/ecosystem will yield a tortoise that thrives."
mike taylor said:Why not be safe than
sorry . I soak all my torts . Some do some don't I guess is the answer . But like I said use the soak time to clean your tortoise and health check him . If he gets fungus it's a lot easier to treat as fungus than it is as rot . If you let your tortoise live out side and it's hot they will sit in water and soak . If he stays in the water or in a mud hole . It's only a matter of time be for you have a problem . At least soak and clean them two to three times a week .
Just a qustion Jeff how long have you been keeping reds? Same question Mike H . Not trying to make a big fuss just curious .
Tom said:It does no harm to soak a tortoise that doesn't need it. Very few people live in the right area and provide the right environment and have an established tortoise that uses the aforementioned correct environment.
Yes it is possible for the right tortoise in the right enclosure in the right climate to take care of its own water needs. For the rest of us, soaking is cheap easy insurance. If you are 100% sure that every element is perfect, like Eric appears to be, then go ahead and skip the soaks. If you are less than 100% sure that every element is perfect, go ahead and soak your tortoise once in a while. If you are wrong and every element really is 100% perfect, nothing bad will happen because you (or your parents) soaked your adult tortoise once or twice a week. If any element is less than 100%, those occasional soaks could save the tortoises life.