# Best substrate for Stars?



## samstar (Dec 7, 2009)

Which is the best substrate for Stars which will give the least problems? I was told to use rainforest substrate which consist of grade pine bark chippings? My vet told me to remove the hay and to put just a little in the corner as hay traps a lot of moisture.


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## Luvthemtorts (Dec 7, 2009)

Personally I'd skip the pine bark chippings.
I'm assuming you are referring to Elegans instead of Platynota.
Timothy hay is an excellent substrate however as your vet mentioned it does not do well with moisture. Not a problem! The stuff is so cheap that it makes frequent substrate changes economical and you end up with a sanitary enclosure.
Next I would suggest Cypress depending on the size of your specimen. If it is a juvenile, subadult or adult then Cypress makes an excellent substrate. Depending on where you live it is available at Lowes or Home Depot. Make sure you read the packaging to makes sure it is indeed 100% Cypress and not a blend. It will require drying since it retains the moisture of being stored in the lawn and garden section.
An easy way to do this is set your bag of mulch next to a dehumidfier, open the top of the bag and let it set for several days.
Plain topsoil works well but is heavy, dusty and makes substrate changes a pain in the rear depending on the size of your enclosure.

I have used all of the above with Elegans and had outstanding results but please be aware that all of them require spot cleaning on a routine basis and complete changes with increasing frequency related to the number of animals per enclosure.


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## samstar (Dec 8, 2009)

Luvthemtorts said:


> Personally I'd skip the pine bark chippings.
> I'm assuming you are referring to Elegans instead of Platynota.
> Timothy hay is an excellent substrate however as your vet mentioned it does not do well with moisture. Not a problem! The stuff is so cheap that it makes frequent substrate changes economical and you end up with a sanitary enclosure.
> Next I would suggest Cypress depending on the size of your specimen. If it is a juvenile, subadult or adult then Cypress makes an excellent substrate. Depending on where you live it is available at Lowes or Home Depot. Make sure you read the packaging to makes sure it is indeed 100% Cypress and not a blend. It will require drying since it retains the moisture of being stored in the lawn and garden section.
> ...



Thanks for your reply. Yes I do spot cleaning everyday and every now and than. I only have one star so how often would I have to change the whole substrate? Once in two weeks?


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## sammi (Dec 8, 2009)

You only need to do a complete substrate change when it begins to either smell, or really _looks_ like it needs to be changed. Depending on your cleaning habits, you could have the same substrate for months, or it may only last you a couple weeks. If you keep up with daily and in between cleanings when you stop by his enclosure throughout the day, it should last you pretty long.


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## Luvthemtorts (Dec 8, 2009)

Sammi has given some good advice however I would like to add that the Timothy Hay typically will not last as long as Cypress, topsoil or other mixes. Since the hay is not effectively absorbant, urine will tend to flow through it and collect at the bottom of the enclosure. For this reason whenever you notice a wet area remove a large portion of the hay surrounding the spot and replace it with fresh hay.
I noticed your animal is a youngster and the enclosure you are using is a Rubbermaid type container. This will make it even easier as the whole container can be easily picked up and dumped into a trash bag.
After a few times it becomes routine and seems like less of a pain in the rear LOL.
Anyways good luck with your new Star!


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## samstar (Dec 8, 2009)

Thanks for the input guys, I was only worried about it's urine which we can hardly see but if cypress absorbs it well than I'm going to go mostly cypress with very little hay. Where is a good place I can buy cypress? So surely the cypress will not affect Torty's eyes or any side effects? Sorry but I just want to be sure.


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## Luvthemtorts (Dec 8, 2009)

I have used Cypress with Indian, Sri Lankan and Burmese Stars from young juveniles all the way to adults without incident. As I mentioned just be sure to dry it out a bit if you purchase it from a lawn and garden center as it will have most likely been stored oudoors.
One minor drawback to Cypress (which is completely harmless to the tortoises) is the possibility of small flies or other small insects. You can kill two birds with one stone by baking it in the oven at 200 degrees for a few hours until it is heated throughout. Make sure you spread it out as a large pile will dry on the outside but retain moisture on the inside much like a cake.


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## samstar (Dec 8, 2009)

Ok noted, thanks!


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