For your tortoise’s health, you need to provide food and water for hydration and soaking. Without it, tortoises tend to have complications like kidney failure and gout, which can be painful and fatal. Therefore, we recommend options like Exo Terra Water Bowl to ensure that your tort drinks as much water as possible and does it comfortably.
Read through as we step in to save you the hassle of finding the best tortoise water dish that works best for your pet. Please take a look at some of the best options available and their pros and cons to help you better decide.
In this article, we’re going to review the following tortoise water dishes & Bowls:
The following is our compilation of the best tortoise water dishes. They are made of quality materials and are of the right size to suit various tortoise species and sizes. We also looked at different designs to give you all the available options.
The first thing you notice about this container is its unique design. It can easily fit into a corner, taking up little space to give your pet more room to roam and play. If your pet is the jumpy type that keeps stepping on the bowl, this is an ideal option since it is tucked away. It is also thick and stable; hence, you don’t have to worry about it toppling over. The size also allows you to provide enough food or water at a go to save you the hassle of constant refilling.
Moreover, your medium-sized tortoise can easily fit inside and soak. It can work both indoors and outdoors since it is wide and has a high capacity. The dish is made of easy-to-clean plastic that is also dishwasher safe. We also love the product’s versatility since you can use it as a water or food dish. This product is pocket-friendly given its low initial cost and durability, and it serves you for a long time and can remain intact regardless of accidents.
Pros
It takes up less space as it fits into the enclosure corner
You can use it as a food bowl or a water dish
It is easy to wash and is dishwasher friendly
Cons
It is wide; hence, not practical for small tortoises or hatchlings
This dish is one of the most natural-looking water dishes in the market, specially designed to suit desert tortoises. The exterior is rock-like, and the interior is smooth, giving it the same look as the tortoises, a natural water source. The material is plastic but food-grade, safe for your pets, and is easy to clean and secure to wash in the dishwasher. The bowl is sturdy and stable, meaning that your pets cannot keep accidentally toppling them.
You will also love that it is easy to clean and comes with the latest technology to prevent bacteria and germ growth. This feature makes it one of the safest containers available. Another feature that most owners adore is that the dish comes with safety steps to prevent drowning. If your pet accidentally falls into it and gets trapped, there are interior steps it can use to get out of the dish.
Therefore, you can let your more miniature tortoises use them since they will be safe even when you are not around. The concern about it is the price tag because it is relatively higher than other options. However, given the outstanding features and unique design, it is worth every penny of your investment.
Pros
It has a unique natural design
It has antibacterial properties
It is sturdy and cannot easily topple over
Cons
The exterior and interior surfaces are smooth hence easy to scratch
Zoo Med does not disappoint with pet products. When you buy this dish, you get a combination of a water dish and a food bowl, which saves you the cost of buying them separately. It is a preferred container for medium or tiny tortoises, and it can work both indoors and outdoors. The capacity also works for any tortoise and shallow; your young ones cannot easily drown in it. The spacious container allows your pet to fit inside and soak when it needs to.
The material is plastic but looks like natural rock. With this dish, your tortoise will feel at home out in the wild. It is easy to wash since it has a smooth interior and the food doesn’t stick in it. Once complete, the bowl remains stable, serving your tort without tipping. It is also intact and doesn’t leak or break after accidents. Thanks to the flat shape, you can stack it with other dishes while storing it away.
Pros
It has a natural rock-like look.
It is shallow to allow soaking for various pet sizes
It comes as a combination of a food and water dish
It is one of the unique reptile water dishes on our list that works efficiently for tortoises and most crawling reptiles. The measurements are 15” by 9”, which readily serves your small reptile species. It is a bowl connected to a ramp to let your tortoise climb up to reach the water level. Animals find it easy to access the water because they can use the steps to climb up. It also helps that your tortoise can have a little workout in the climbing process.
This feature significantly reduces your pet’s chances of drowning since they can easily access and get out of the bowl. The capacity can serve any medium-sized tort, but you may have to keep refilling it for larger pets. Unlike other collapsible plastic dishes, it doesn’t topple over onto your pet, given how stable it is. One downside is that the material is not easy to clean and may come in different colors that don’t resemble the wild.
Pros
It has a ramp for easy access and prevention of drowning
This water dish is unique to the list because it is an automatic water dispenser. It helps you provide water even when you are not around to keep your pet hydrated at all times. This gadget is environmentally friendly, long-lasting, and has a twin feature allowing your buddy to obtain food and water at a go. Also, the bowl is simple to assemble and disassemble for thorough cleaning and refilling.
We recommend this equipment for a keeper who is not always around to refill the dish when it runs out continuously. Similarly, the dispenser is ideal for first-timers who may not know how often to provide water or for those who keep forgetting. The system has lower edges that assist even the more miniature tortoises to reach for water whenever they want to quench their thirst.
Additionally, it is sturdy, and the torts can’t topple it. Its material is not toxic; hence, you can use the plastic without fear of contamination. This feeder is best for indoor tortoises because of its low rim and small size.
Most people believe that tortoises can go days without water since they are used to arid conditions. The fact is, they need water like any other household pet, especially when the humidity is high. Therefore, you need to find a convenient way to make the water accessible. They need a comfortable water dish that holds a lot of water that can last an entire day. Some also dip themselves in the container when it gets too hot to cool down. Thus, depending on your tortoise, the dish could hold drinking and soaking water simultaneously.
First, dehydration causes constipation in pets, making it tasking or impossible for them to excrete. It is also connected to other health issues that may end up fatal. Reptiles use the water reserves in their bodies to help in digestion and excretion. If they lack water, uric acid solidifies in the body and causes the tortoise a lot of pain by blocking its urinary tract. Consequently, toxic substances remain and accumulate in the body, which is fatal for your pet.
Similarly, uric acid buildup causes gout and kidney failure. Gout, for one, leads to excruciating pain and discomfort to the tortoise when the toxins accumulate in certain body parts. Secondly, in extreme cases, dehydration causes kidney failure and death unless your pet gets timely treatment. To avoid such dire complications, all tortoise owners should provide a lot of clean water, and the only way to do that is by using a great water dish.
Features of a Good Tortoise Water Dish
Tortoise items and accessories are unique to every tortoise; what works for another keeper may not necessarily be the right option for you. Here are factors to consider when selecting a good water dish for your tortoise.
Dish Material
The first thing to look for is the dish material. Some are highly toxic and can be lethal to your pet. If plastic, ensure that the product is food grade. The best manufacturers are always keen on making the materials safe for animal use, considering their well-being. We recommend avoiding non-food-grade materials since they may contain dangerous toxins that may be fatal for animal or human use. These products may also be counterfeit or of low quality.
Be keen on any plastic item available, including lids, trays, and water dishes. Like disposable paper, some plastic containers are light and shaky, making them easy to topple over. Some may not be a good fit if your tortoise is heavy and tends to stomp over things in the enclosure. However, you can work around this by gluing the dishes to tiles to stabilize them, but ensure that the glue is non-toxic. Alternatively, some keepers use shallow trays that don’t flip but still allow the tortoise to dip its entire body.
Dish Height
Water can only be helpful to your pet if it can easily access it. Tortoises find it hard to drink from deep containers, especially when they are tiny. Regardless of how religiously you provide water, if your pets can’t reach it, they will be dehydrated.
Therefore, when selecting a water dish for your tortoise, you need to consider its size and age. For instance, young ones are tiny; hence, need shallow water dishes. Also, select a container that allows the young ones to dip in and out when they need to. On the other hand, adults are taller and can easily crane their necks to reach the water level.
Hatchlings tend to drop and get stuck in deep water containers and end up drowning in the process. Therefore, the recommended dish for young ones should be small and shallow, but you can gradually increase the size as they grow. Besides, small tortoises don’t need as much water as adults.
In contrast, it is advisable to avoid shallow dishes for adult tortoises since they can step on the edge and topple it over. Unless the plate is stable, it will not be workable for giant tortoises. Note that adults can also fall into deep containers and eventually drown, given that they are not great swimmers.
Dish Size/ Diameter
Most tortoises drink water as they soak or bath. Therefore, it is best to find a wide enough dish to accommodate your tortoise entirely; this means that your bowl size should depend on your tortoise’s length. Also, ensure that your tortoise can quickly and safely climb into and out of the dish.
You will also realize that containers with wider diameters are more stable; hence, they won’t topple over pouring the drinking water. There are also reduced chances of them overturning and falling on your pet. Larger dishes have more water. If your tortoise is giant and needs a lot of water in a day, it is best to go for a large plate, which will save you the hassle of constant refilling.
Tortoise Water Bowl Designs
Water is vital for your torts’ health, and you need to prioritize it as you do with food. That said, you also need to make it very accessible such that the reptile doesn’t need to struggle when trying to drink. Many manufacturers understand various tort species and sizes; hence, there are different dish designs in the market for you to select.
Ramp bowls, for instance, are ideal for older tortoises but a drowning hazard for hatchlings. The water dishes are raised, and, once a young tort falls in, it may be impossible for it to salvage itself. Only reptile watering bowl designs allow a baby tortoise to drink comfortably by dispensing some water that your pet needs. On the contrary, giant torts can knock off these water reservoirs and wet the cage. Therefore, your water dish design depends on your tort’s size.
Place of Use
It would be best if you considered where your pet is located and its nature. Small indoor tortoises need smaller water dishes than giant outdoor pets. Also, consider erecting a water source that is suitable for adults and young tortoises. You can improvise flower pots for water dishes and fill them with water and pebbles to allow the hatchlings to drink safely without drowning incidents.
There are also wide water dishes that you can dig in the ground; put pebbles and let both young and adult tortoises drink from the spaces. Such outdoor water dishes are stable, and your pet cannot flip them. However, people prefer using movable plates instead, which they can clean and fill up when they need to. You can use such containers for both indoor and outdoor use to keep your pet healthy.
Wrap Up
You now have the top five water dishes available in the market. With these products, your pet will drink water comfortably and will not suffer any dehydration-related issues. If you are spoilt for choice, we recommend the Exo Terra Water Bowl; it has a high capacity, durable, and easy to clean. It also hinders bacterial growth and doesn’t easily topple. Lastly, the interior and exterior are natural-looking, and it comes with safety steps to prevent tiny reptiles from drowning. The closest alternative is the Zoo Med Combo Water Dish; thanks to its durability and natural rock-like look. It also helps that it comes with a separate feeding bowl.
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