# Coconut substrate bad?



## mintroach (May 20, 2010)

I tried to do a search on the forum and couldn't find any people saying negative things about coconut substrate so I wanted to know if else has heard that shredded coconut substrate was bad for tortoises? I heard it on a youtube video about tortoise care, the guy said something about the shreddings getting into their eyes and because of the biology of their eyes it can damage them and they can't protect themselves/clean it out because of how their eyelids are designed. Or something to that affect, it has been a while since I saw the video. 

Let me know if you have heard anything and what your thoughts on that are. Thanks.


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## PeanutbuttER (May 20, 2010)

I'm not sure. I've heard that it was sand that was bad for their eyes and for all the same reasons. The only really negative things that I've heard about the coconut substrate is that it can 1) get a little messy and 2) have lots of "strings" in it. I'm sure someone else can give you more information than I can about it.


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## Tom (May 20, 2010)

I use it in several grades and have never had a problem with it.


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## terracolson (May 20, 2010)

I only like the eco earth so far....i guess its a version of that...


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## Jacqui (May 20, 2010)

I have switched over the years to where 99% of my indoor enclosures have the coir, bed-a-beast, or coconut substrate whichever name you want to use, as the starting point. Then the amount of sand, mulch, ect.., varies from enclosure and/or species.

I have had no issues with it at all myself. If you let it get too dry, it will get dusty which can easily cause health problems.

I like the convenience of those small easy to handle size bricks. The price isn't too bad. It holds up well. I like the fact I can add more at any time. It holds moisture to some extent, but drys out quickly if you do get it too wet which is nice. I just have been very happy with it.


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## tortoisenerd (May 20, 2010)

I think it is case by case. Worst case you and your tort try it and don't like it, but I don't think it is dangerous. Lately more members on the forum have seemed to comment that they are using and liking Cyrpus mulch. I had not heard the thing about the design of tort's eyelids. My tort will go in the water and use his arms and water to clean his eyes is he gets dust in them (I use aspen).


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## mintroach (May 21, 2010)

Thanks all. I was just seeing what others' opinions were. I don't use it anyway, I just read that so many others did, so if people did know of that I wanted to get it out there.


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## Kristina (May 21, 2010)

I use it religiously, and have for years. I like cypress mulch for big torts, but for little guys those sticks well, they frankly stink. It is too sharp and rough, in my opinion. 

Like Jacqui said about getting it too wet... I had an oops the other day. I got the Hingeback enclosure too soupy. So I just flipped the heat lamp on and left it for a couple hours, came back and stirred it up and let it cook some more, lol, and then it was perfect


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## ChiKat (May 21, 2010)

I use it, mixed with organic top soil. I love it, and more importantly, Nelson loves it!


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## ehopkins12 (May 26, 2010)

you can get a more finely processed version that is less "stringy" than the regular. either way. it's great stuff!


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## Tracy Gould (Oct 8, 2010)

I have switched to Coconut Humus in half my table but i do not like it, but Shelby seems to, Its too messy it sticks to her and gets in her water which then makes her sneeze after she goes to drink because it gets in her nose. I spend alot of time cleaning her water. I am going to change it to something else and just use this in her outside enclosure.


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## Yvonne G (Oct 8, 2010)

This is so irritating. I typed a whole missive on why I don't like the substrate and when I hit send it was wiped clean with that darned "you've reached this page in error..." message. I'll try again:

Ok...I'll be the one dissenter:

When I first joined this forum, quite a few of the folks on here were saying how coconut coir was the be-all, end-all in substrate. So I gave it a try. At that time, they were saying that you needed to mix it 50/50 with Play sand. So I bought a compressed brick of Bed-a-Beast, re- hydrated it in a bucket of water, mixed it with the sand and put it in a baby box turtle habitat. I was always finding babies with a string hanging out of its mouth. I really, really didn't like that and thought it might be dangerous for the baby. So I went back to orchid bark or cypress mulch.


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