Water Dish in Enclosure

[kit0407]

I have a question regarding water dish. I clean and replace new water for my tortoise everyday. The problem is he will step on it right after I cleaned the dish. I never saw him drink the dirt water. Will they still drink it after they stepped on it? If not, then the water dish is useless🥲

 

[wellington]

First it should be buried so it's level with the substrate. Then you can lay pieces of slate of large rocks around it to help keep it clean.
To answer your question, yes they will. In the wild they drink from any source they can find. Mud holes, ponds, creeks, etc.
What I do is give the saucer so they can self soak and then I have a small dog dish that they can't fit into to drink out of. They still climb over the small dish and get some dirt in it, they move it around, knock it over, but they can't poop in it.

 

[Tom]

I have a question regarding water dish. I clean and replace new water for my tortoise everyday. The problem is he will step on it right after I cleaned the dish. I never saw him drink the dirt water. Will they still drink it after they stepped on it? If not, then the water dish is useless🥲

View attachment 366723

Looks like the enclosure is too small, and the water bowl needs to be somewhere in the middle. When you put it in the corner, or along a wall, or in any other high traffic area they walk in it. Try to put the dish in an area where the tortoise doesn't walk as much.

You also need to get the hay out of there. That species doesn't eat hay, and it will mold and make a mess.

Check this out for more info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[kit0407]

First it should be buried so it's level with the substrate. Then you can lay pieces of slate of large rocks around it to help keep it clean.
To answer your question, yes they will. In the wild they drink from any source they can find. Mud holes, ponds, creeks, etc.
What I do is give the saucer so they can self soak and then I have a small dog dish that they can't fit into to drink out of. They still climb over the small dish and get some dirt in it, they move it around, knock it over, but they can't poop in it.

Thank you for your advice. Let me get some rocks for him)

 

[kit0407]

Looks like the enclosure is too small, and the water bowl needs to be somewhere in the middle. When you put it in the corner, or along a wall, or in any other high traffic area they walk in it. Try to put the dish in an area where the tortoise doesn't walk as much.

You also need to get the hay out of there. That species doesn't eat hay, and it will mold and make a mess.

Check this out for more info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Yes I think the enclosure is too small now. I will change it to a bigger one next month. But I can only get a 120 x 45cm reptile tank for my room.

For the timothy hay, I initially plan to put it in his hiding spot so he can bury himself in the hay. But he just stomp it everywhere. I don't know it will mold. Thank you for letting me know.

 

[Tom]

Yes I think the enclosure is too small now. I will change it to a bigger one next month. But I can only get a 120 x 45cm reptile tank for my room.

For the timothy hay, I initially plan to put it in his hiding spot so he can bury himself in the hay. But he just stomp it everywhere. I don't know it will mold. Thank you for letting me know.

He needs 122x244cm. Its not good to keep a tortoise in a small enclosure.

 

[wellington]

I agree with Tom. You have to do better than the size enclosure you mentioned. You could have health problems pop up if kept in too small of an enclosure. Do you have a summer outdoor enclosure for him?
Some people build an L shaped enclosure to get the size they need.

 

[kit0407]

He needs 122x244cm. Its not good to keep a tortoise in a small enclosure.

I've just read your Info for New People Thread. I will try my best to re-plan my enclosure. After reading it, I do think that tortoise is not something for asian countries with small apartments. I hoped I know it earlier as I live in Hong Kong. Thank you for the useful info!

I agree with Tom. You have to do better than the size enclosure you mentioned. You could have health problems pop up if kept in too small of an enclosure. Do you have a summer outdoor enclosure for him?
Some people build an L shaped enclosure to get the size they need.

Unfortunately I don't have an outdoor enclosure But I will try my best to re-plan my indoor enclosure.

 

[myk]

I have a question regarding water dish. I clean and replace new water for my tortoise everyday. The problem is he will step on it right after I cleaned the dish. I never saw him drink the dirt water. Will they still drink it after they stepped on it? If not, then the water dish is useless🥲

View attachment 366723

Yeah they love to drag their bowls around .I could clean my female Leopard Tortoise water dish 5 times a day, lol. As Wellington said, they drink,soak, play, poop, have fun