I have a substrate called Fir and spagnum peat moss mix. It looks like very natural forrest ground / dirt mixture. Has small peices of wood and chips and such in it. Problem is I can't tell the difference in what is substrate lumps and poo lumps? The urine is a problem too. The substrate is such a dark color and with it being moist I can't tell. What to do? Suggestions?

My boxies expel in there water dish, but I have a kitty litter scooper and every couple days I rake the top layer into a pile and the scoop it out. Hope it helps

Guess I am a bit concerned at this point. I have had her almost a week and she has been in her water twice (?) and to the vet for a check up. I only know for sure that she pooped at the vet, the stool was very dark. The water bowl was so mucked up with dirt substrate I did not really see any in there. She is eating somewhat but not as much as I would like. Could she be adjusting to her new place still? The vet said she was in pretty good shape. I am in the process of making her a bigger home so I can have her water bowl away from the dirt substrate.

How old is your box? I surround my water dish with 2/3 spagnum and 1/3 hardwood mulch combo. When this dragged into the dish, doesn't form mud but a low ph water source such as would be found in the forest.

I adopted her from a fellow that said she was 11 yrs. I have not heard of hardwood mulch, where can I get that? Spagnum moss you find in the garden section of your local store right? What about bark, can I use that?

The hardwood mulch is an organic mulch made up of various hardwood slash (waste from lumbering) and "trash" trees such as cottonwood,slippery elm, and red maple. It looks like the material on forest floor. Texture wise it is shreds mixed with course humus. An example of this can be seen in the Florida box babies thread. I find it at my local nursery. I use Mosser Lee sphagrum that I get at Lowes.

This post was last modified: 03-15-2008 09:22 PM by Itort.

Right, I looked at the Florida box babies pictures and that is what is mixed in with my substrate. Now I have to find it with out the dirt! Great tip, thanks so much.

You say you using a fir mulch ? Fir is softwood (conifer) such as pine and cedar which I stay away from. I have never used this for this reason. Hardwood is from deciducious trees such aspen, cottonwood, maple ect. I feel safer using this rather them the aromatic type woods.