Do I have to have a water dish in the enclosures?

[Rhetoric]

I've been using one in each enclosure, they're large cat litter pans. I've been wondering if they're a necessity or just a preference.
If I monitor the humidity and if it stays high enough would I be alright to just soak them for a little bit every day?

I'm wondering if the smell would be kept down if I didn't have the water dish. 2 of them poop in the water, one of them poops wherever it wants to. I switch the water as soon as I notice the poop but sometimes when I'm at work its a few hours before it gets changed. I never see the 2 smaller/newer tegus in their water, I see poop in it so they DO go in it, they just never hang out and soak.

Guru goes swimming all the time, hes usually in and out through out the day. I'd keep his water because he actually uses it.

What are your guys' thoughts? If its better for the tegus, obviously I'll keep it as is.

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I try to soak Guru daily but now that he can climb out of the tub, he does every chance he gets. He won't soak in a tub for too long but loves the water dish in his enclosure.

 

[james.w]

My tegu actually drinks water from his bowl, so I would think it is best to have it in there.

 

[montana]

Mine drink also ...

 

[Toby_H]

I have a 12 gal tub in my Tegus enclosure. I use a 50W aquarium heater (old version of VisiTherm Stealth Heater) and a small powerhead (Aqua Clear 20) with a sponge pre-filter (very simple DIY, but they sell them also).

My Tegu doesn't soak often but he sometimes does. I suspect when he does there is a reason why.

I understand when a lizard that big poops in his water, there is no way around changing the water. But if he doesn’t go in the water then going elsewhere will still leave the same problem behind. You are going to deal with Tegu poop one way or another…

 

[montana]

They recalled those heaters too ..

I sent mine back just the other day ..

 

[herpgirl2510]

Mine drinks from it. I wish he would poop in the water instead of on my floor.

 

[Rhetoric]

Alright, well I guess thats that then. Thanks for the answers!

 

[laurarfl]

Mine soaks, drinks, poops, in the water too. My ig poos in his water, too. I hear that a alot. I wonder why they like to poo in water?

Herpgirl, soak your gu in the tub when you take him out and let him poo there first. Then you have a clean lizard that won't poo on your floor. You just have to clean the tub.

 

[Toby_H]

Mine soaks, drinks, poops, in the water too. My ig poos in his water, too. I hear that a alot. I wonder why they like to poo in water?

It's a matter of 'hiding'. If they poop in the water it is carried away and is as if it never was.... if they poop on land then a larger preditor can snkiff it to learn some information of where the potential prey is or was.

 

[JohnMatthew]

If you're determined not to have feces filled water you could use a smaller dish - this will still provide drinking water around the clock but make it harder for your GU to defecate in the supply.