I do apologize if this has been answered here before, but I'm new to the forum, and haven't run across the answer yet. I have my Greek in crushed walnut shells. She's had this substrate for about 4 months or so. It really seems to be working out good for her. Does anyone have any experience with crushed walnut shells? Is this okay for her, or harmful?
Thanks.
I haven't used walnut shells I would be afraid of impactions. But am not sure. I use a mixture of dirt, play sand and a little bed a beast mixed in. Hatchling is on dirt, play sand mix with aspen on half of the enclosure. I will be changing over to shredded aspen completely. It is easier to see soiled areas than the dirt and I think will interfere with my allergies less.
i would say either the 50/50 playsand/Bed a Brick mix (which is what mine are on) or even the aspen shavings.
Aspen wood is an excellent substrate as well.
That's great. I will definately look into the aspen shavings. Thank you.
I've not come across Aspen shavings, do any people in the UK use them? If so where do you get them from (is there a mail order place)?
Is that better to use than the 50/50 soil/sand mix or the reptile-bark that is so often recommended?
I'm thinking of re-doing my tort table now that I've found out my little one is a girl not a boy (!), as I want to include a suitable laying area, but while I'm at it I may as well make sure I use the best possible substrate
so would appreciate any advice!
The best thing for the laying area is soil and sand Nancy in a 70/30 mix (soil to sand). The rest of the enclosure can be aspen though.
The best place to find aspen in the UK is on Ebay. Make sure you get the finely shredded aspen.
Danny
you have choices there is hemp in the form of hemcore and auboise that is most commonly used in the uk along with soil/sand mix, i don't do 50/50 i do 70/30. You will find most horse suppliers sell auboise or hemcore both are fine. Aspen you can get from ebay you can get a bulk bag that isn't listed at the moment which is what i get, it is more expensive than the hemp but i prefer it. here is a link to it on ebay but if you check everyday they do a bigger bag which works out cheaper.
http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.d...en+bedding
Hello um I use care freash beding it is a papper beding but with no hard or bad chemicals and it is a short fiber pulp free from inks dyes and clay and it does not get bacteria mold or fungus and it is a oder control beding and it also lasts a long time and it is softer and less dusty so that is what I am useing for my torts and they also love to go under the beding to to hide and even if they get a little bit in thire mouths and they do it pass right through them also
Paper bedding is not ideal for tortoises, its doesn't hold together, it gives no traction to walk on its not really diggable, and worst of all it has been known to cause impaction.
huh well I will change the bedding can I use the wood shaveings for them? I really do not want too use sand or dirt so what would you use besides the dirt and sand?
wood shavings aren't good either, if you don't want to use dirt you can just use the Aspen
egyptiandan Wrote:The best thing for the laying area is soil and sand Nancy in a 70/30 mix (soil to sand). The rest of the enclosure can be aspen though.
The best place to find aspen in the UK is on Ebay. Make sure you get the finely shredded aspen.
Danny
stells Wrote:you have choices there is hemp in the form of hemcore and auboise that is most commonly used in the uk along with soil/sand mix, i don't do 50/50 i do 70/30. You will find most horse suppliers sell auboise or hemcore both are fine. Aspen you can get from ebay you can get a bulk bag that isn't listed at the moment which is what i get, it is more expensive than the hemp but i prefer it. here is a link to it on ebay but if you check everyday they do a bigger bag which works out cheaper.
http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.d...en+bedding
Thanks everyone - I went out today and bought top soil and play sand so will use that for a laying area - how deep should it be?
I had a quick look on ebay and couldn't find any Aspen yet but will keep looking. There was one bag on yesterday but it looked rather like a by-product of something rather than specifically prepared for reptiles so I wasn't sure. Will just keep an eye out
I did wonder what hemp was, I'd heard people mention it but never seen it myself. I was using calcium reptile sand (but only in a very small area) and reptile bark as that was what I'd been recommended to use but now I'm going to re-do the tort table properly. It's amazing how much incorrect info there is about there about tortoise care. I really thought I'd made an effort to research it all but I clearly missed things. I wish I'd found this forum sooner - thanks so much for all your help everyone.
For your female Nancy at least 10 inches for the laying area, with 12 inches being the best.
Aspen does kind of look like a by-producy Nancy. It looks all chewed up and thats what you want.
Danny
egyptiandan Wrote:For your female Nancy at least 10 inches for the laying area, with 12 inches being the best.
Aspen does kind of look like a by-producy Nancy. It looks all chewed up and thats what you want.
Danny
Thanks again