How do I keep my little guy hydrated?

[Ashley Corte]

I have a water bowl (dish), but he apparently hasn't used it at all today. When I soaked him yesterday and today, he guzzled water the entire time!

Today every time I checked in on him (via camera from work), he was laying under the MVB (?) light. Should I raise this? His tank temps don't appear high.

 

[Yvonne G]

I soak babies every day for about 15 or 20 minutes. When they get to be around a year old I soak them every other or every two days. There is always a waterer that they can climb into on their own, but in my experience, most babies don't use it until they get bigger.

 

[Ashley Corte]

I have been soaking him and bringing him outside for sunlight in small increments. I wasn't sure if these soaks were enough water, as he spends from 0700-1600 home alone. I am so glad I found this site! What other info I received is so far off base. Thanks so much!

 

[Yvonne G]

You can also spritz his food with water.

 

[wellington]

What if your humidity in the enclosure? It should be high, 80% with temps no lower then 80 with a basking spot of 95+. Also, what are you using for a water dish? I clay saucer, the kind that goes under flower pots are the best. Easy for them to get in and out and if you bury it, so the top is ground level makes it even easier. Maybe try putting him in his own water dish and let him sit there. Put the dish part way under the basking spot. Leave him to come out on his own.

 

[Ashley Corte]

The humidity is 70% at the moment, but I have trouble keeping it up. I just dumped almost a whole pitcher of water in there. Temps are low 80s and then mid 90s under his lamp.

I have a the terra cotta saucer as the water bowl, and he walks through it sometimes, but doesn't hang out in it.

We are working on getting him a closed chamber made, I am hoping to get that done this weekend.

I soak him for about 15 min each morning before work, 30 min when I get home and then take him outside to walk around for 10-20 min. Then I soak him for a few more min to make sure he didn't get overheated.

He munches on food here or there, but doesn't eat any large amount like some people have noted on their threads. I actually end up throwing quite a bit away.

 

[Ashley Corte]

I'm sorry, just to verify, place the water dish under the basking lamp?

 

[Tom]

If he is laying under the lamps all day, that is usually an indication that your ambients temps and/or basking temp is too low.

What is the temperature directly under the basking bulb and what is the temperature in the area of the enclosure farthest from the basking area?

What are you using to measure temps and humidity?

What equipment are you using for night heat?

If you are using a CHE on a thermostat to maintain ambient temps, you might bump the thermostat up a bit and see if his behavior changes.

 

[Turtle Lover <3]

Hi! If your tortoise or turtle doesn't go in his water bowl himself. Then there is really nothing you can do but keep him hydrated everyday by soaking him in shallow water for 15-20 minutes. If he guzzled the water, then he is healthy. But what I don't understand is if he is really that thirsty then why he doesn't go in the water. Can he reach the water bowl? Does he know where it is? Is it refilled daily? I'm sure you already considered this however ask yourself again, just in case. If the temps are too low, tortoises or turtles tend to stay under there for longer periods of time.
Hope that really helps

 

[Ashley Corte]

If he is laying under the lamps all day, that is usually an indication that your ambients temps and/or basking temp is too low.

What is the temperature directly under the basking bulb and what is the temperature in the area of the enclosure farthest from the basking area?

What are you using to measure temps and humidity?

What equipment are you using for night heat?

If you are using a CHE on a thermostat to maintain ambient temps, you might bump the thermostat up a bit and see if his behavior changes.

Tom, I check last night and this morning so I could give you semi accurate temps. Last night, the cool end was 81 and the warm end was 88 with temps under the basking light at 95. This morning the cool end was 78 and warm end was 83. I do have a CHE on 85, but I just don't seem to be able to maintain that. It is a 65w, so I may need to readdress that.

I have one of those pet store gauges for humidity and temp, but since I noticed posts on here stating their inaccuracy I purchased one of those laser temp guns. I haven't found a perm replacement yet for the enclosure.

 

[Ashley Corte]

Hi! If your tortoise or turtle doesn't go in his water bowl himself. Then there is really nothing you can do but keep him hydrated everyday by soaking him in shallow water for 15-20 minutes. If he guzzled the water, then he is healthy. But what I don't understand is if he is really that thirsty then why he doesn't go in the water. Can he reach the water bowl? Does he know where it is? Is it refilled daily? I'm sure you already considered this however ask yourself again, just in case. If the temps are too low, tortoises or turtles tend to stay under there for longer periods of time.
Hope that really helps

His bowl, which is actually not a bowl but those terra cotta saucer things and pretty easy to get into/out of so I can't think of a reason he wouldn't be able to access it. I clean it out daily, and yesterday when I returned home the water was crystal clear.

The bowl was located towards the cooler end. I did move it partially under the basking lamp as Wellington advised. Perhaps the water was overly cold :/

 

[UnicornSploosh]

I started filling the water dish with slightly warm water instead of cold or room temp water. I found they like to go in it more when it's warmer.

 

[Yvonne G]

I think you'll find that if you change out that waterer and use a terra cotta plant saucer instead, your tortoise will use it. Those waterers you buy at the pet store have straight-up-and-down sides. They're really made for other reptiles, not tortoises.

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

I got mine a cool humidifier. It won't do much with an open tank so make sure you close it off. I put plexiglass on the top of mine and ran a hose from the humidifier into the tank. He love it and sits right under it to feel the mist. Mine doesn't get into his saucer much anymore either but I give him 3 soaks a day. Putting it under the heat lamp so it heats the water is a good idea. I'm gonna try that

 

[Ashley Corte]

Thanks guys! Placing the dish under the lamp seems to have helped, at least so far. It was definitely dirty when I got home yesterday, so it appears he is utilizing it to some degree.