Quote Originally Posted by John1982 View Post
Honestly, soaking is only required if your environment is substandard. Them wild ones don't have someone placing them in a tub of water every day and you never see pyramiding there. It's a good practice if you're unsure but I think dialing in your parameters better is a healthier remedy longterm. Seems we both agree on one thing especially, buy from someone who is reputable and offering well started tortoises. Buying a yearling makes it harder for a seller to deceive you though. They all look pretty perfect right out of the egg but if they look good at a year - the seller is doing something right.
The thing is that at least for sulcatas, they hatch during the rainy season, turning their environment into a marshy wetland. Hatchlings typically inhabit small burrows that frequently have small pools of standing water, resulting in natural 'soaks' and extremely high humidity.