Succulents have smaller root ball, finer root hairs, and the roots grow closer above at times, so if it is in a bigger container with soil that is not fast draining, it will rot the roots. They are not like typical tropical houseplants that relish being moist at the soil level.
If you see them in their natural habitat, they are in sandy, coarse, gravelly media, sometimes growing in between rocks. The area being drier most of the time. Even if there is sudden rainfall, the water drains out very fast. So similar set-up has to be done growing them in our gardens.
So if that is my plant, I would get some pumice or perlite, unpot it and mix in the pumice and perlite into the soil and then repot it back. or if you can get a succulent/cacti mix that should help too. Also the container has to have drainage holes. Clay pot is best, but if you like to use plastic containers, just make sure it has drainage holes. I usually use shallow containers too, not deep sized ones.
Typically these succulents enjoy cool to warm temps, but media has to be well draining and put them in appropriate sized container. Some would combine them with other succulents that have similar growing conditions. The lower leaves, naturally brown and dry off, so it is okay to remove, new leaf growth comes from the center. And if the plant is ready it may have offsets so it will increase your collection. If it starts to cone and grows a bloomstalk then it is approaching the end phase, after it blooms it will die. So you can still harvest seeds after that. With succulents, cool/warm and drier is better. When temps go into the extreme heat range, most succulents will just shut down. That is what I have observed. No amount of watering will really make them grow better. It will wait till temps go more comfortable. Similarly if temps go way too cold and wet, rotting ensues faster, so they die.
