New to Torts

GrammiesTs

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Sep 13, 2019
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Rio Rancho
Hi I am in New Mexico and just got 2 baby Sulcatas. I have a soaking question. I was told to soak 3 times per week. Do i need to do more. I am only putting them in water up to their chins and i put them in together. Is this ok
 

method89

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Soak as many times as you can but 3 times a week is good amount. Tortoise pairs are never good kept together. Soaking them together should be fine but they need to have separate enclosures as one can bully the other. Please post pictures if you can (not necessary, but we all like looking at everyone's torts). There are very good care sheets that you can find on here as well. They have been put together by some extremely knowledgeable people.
 

Maro2Bear

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May 29, 2014
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Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Greetings..

From the Sulcata Care Info

Soaking:
Its recommend that hatchlings be soaked in 85-95 degree water for 20-30 minutes once a day. Use a tall sided opaque tub and keep the water depth about a third of the way up the body. If you have a humid enclosure with a humid hide and a water bowl, it is totally fine to skip a day here and there. Soaking only once a week and using a dry enclosure is not enough in my opinion, and I would not buy a hatchling that had been started that way. Once the tortoise gets to about 4" I relax a bit on the soaking routine and gradually taper it down as they gain size. How often I soak older tortoises depends on a lot of factors, the current weather and season being two big ones. I soak more often when its hot and dry. If you live in a warm, humid, rainy climate, and your tortoise is exposed to these conditions, soaking less often is probably fine, but it still wont hurt anything to do it.
 

Yvonne G

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I believe baby tortoises benefit from daily soakings.

Welcome to the Forum! Please be sure to read the important threads that are pinned at the top of our Sulcata section.
 

MPappagallo

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Jun 8, 2019
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368
Location (City and/or State)
Myrtle Beach, SC
I agree about the daily soaks.....It is best if you can do it every day (or almost every day) while they are babies. It's so important to make sure they stay really hydrated during this important growing phase to help prevent pyramiding as they get older. Best of luck to you! Enjoy your new shell babies!
 

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