I decided to go with Mike's advice and cut the roots for a fresh start. I suppose I could have just replanted and crossed my fingers, but with my personality I would be anxious about it the whole time. I cut three of the four. The fourth looked pretty good after getting it all cleaned up and dry, and it also had three little pups (not sure if that is the term or not) which looked healthy so I will just replant that one soon. Here is a picture of the roots after cutting: I have two more questions for you guys and gals: Should I leave these fresh roots inside in the AC, or a shady, dry spot outside (humid, warm 90 degree temps)? Second, I am going to replant the fourth succulent (the one that did not need root trimming) into my new rock garden and am thinking about just filling a 4 inch terra cotta pot with an 80% perlite mix and putting the pot directly into the ground, with the pot lip barely above the rock dressing. I am thinking that will keep it more 'protected' and maybe I can refrain from having to dig it up and amend the entirety of the soil of my garden since my sedums and other plants seem to like the mix they are in thus far. Good plan? Bad plan? Doesn't matter?

If rootless cuttings, I let callus before potting and do not water until I see sign of roots (plant shows some new growth or feels 'steady' in a mix). If the end looks 'funny' I will recut with sharp blade. Some plants wilt faster than others, but coming from a box they are usually wilted. Plants with roots (sent bare-rooted): I may wash them just to make sure there is no old soil left. Cut off any dry-damaged roots. Let air-dry briefly, pot up and do not water for few days since there was some moisture. If no soil at all, I would pot them up and water next day. Newly potted plants (with roots or without) stay out of sunlight for a while. Plants without roots usually bit longer. I also introduce them to more light slowly since I do not know what light they were grown in and also because they spent some time in dark box in transit. There is always a chance plants were not packaged well, or maybe even not very healthy - hopefully, plants are not diseased but always inspect ASAP. If I received sick plant (not just wilted), I would return it and ask for refund.

There are quite a few things that went wrong here! Let me explain: Succulents come from very dry environments in which they get lots of sun, and very little water. This is why they have thicker leaves than other plants: they store water to use during the times that they won't get rain. They are drought-tolerant, because they can survive long periods without water, but die very quickly if they receive too much water too frequently, have poor drainage, or the soil they are planted in does not dry out quickly enough. Your succulent's soil lacks aeration: it looks like basic potting soil, which holds too much water for succulents. This is water-retentive soil. You want a fast-draining soil for succulents. Solution: You can improve your current soil by adding at least 50% perlite or pumice. You can also buy soil made specifically for cacti&succulents, which should have lots of grittiness to it to make it less water-retentive. Avoid anything with peat moss in it, which is a water-retentive ingredient. Your succulent was overpotted. This means that its root ball is very small in comparison to its pot. When you watered your plant, its roots were surrounded with much more water than they could use. Solution: Next time, try to choose a pot that is only 1 inch bigger than your plant's root ball. Your succulent did not receive sufficient light. I can't tell what kind of succulent you had, but a large majority of succulents prefer full sun, as that's what they receive in their native environments. This lack of sun contributed to your soggy soil, as your succulent did not have any assistance from sunlight to help dry it out. Solution: Look up the specific lighting needs of the next succulent you care for, and follow those. Lack of lighting won't kill most plants on its own, but can cause "etiolation" (when a plant grows long, weak stems in an attempt to find light). You watered far too often. A very important thing for beginners to learn is this: do not water "every few days" or "x times per week" etc. Do not water on a schedule! Water when your plant needs it. Solution: Succulents only need to be watered when their soil is completely dry. Get a wooden dowel, and insert it into the soil. If the dowel comes out dry, your succulent needs water! If it comes out damp, with some soil sticking to it, do not water. Finally, your succulent did not have a drainage hole. This is absolutely non-negotiable in keeping succulents. You MUST pick a pot with a drainage hole, or there is nowhere for the excess water to go, and the soil stays soggy. Solution: Choose a pot with a drainage hole. When it's time to water your succulent, water thoroughly, until water drains from the bottom. Let all of the excess water drain out. Your succulent died from root rot caused by all of these factors. Don't be discouraged, though! Keep all of these things in mind. Caring for plants is a simple matter of learning what they need and giving them that to the best of your ability. :)

In my experience with root rot, the roots are rotting due to too much water, poor drainage, wet plus cold... In these cases the roots are actually rotting and are mush. What you’ve described sounds like they were in need of a drink to me and it sounds like you’ve provided that. In repotting it’s the same typical advice that you’ve probably seen if you’ve been reading posts on this forum. Growing medium should be well draining. At least half perlite or pumice with the other half being a commercially prepared cactus & succulent mix. That’s a good basic mix that a lot of people use. And of course your pot must have a drainage hole. Not following those two basic things is inviting root rot for sure. If the roots were dry and brittle due to lack of water, they may need time to adjust to their new growing conditions. If they were mine, I wouldn’t water them any more for awhile. At least a couple of weeks. Good luck with them. I don’t know what ruby cactus you mean but aloes are pretty hardy and forgiving provided they have good drainage and proper light.