# Zoo Med Repti Bark



## happyjoyjoy (Dec 4, 2013)

I have recently noticed that very reputable tort owners like vegas leopard and tom are using this type of bedding and was wondering if you could give me some feedback on how you like it?

Im currently using a mixture of coco coir and cypress mulch from pets mart and no matter what I do 2-3 months after I change the bedding I get little flying bugs everywhere. I have created a closed chamber for my torts and yesterday when I opened the front doors around 10 flew out and thats when I freaked out and got rid of it all and there currently just on paper towel till I find a solution :/ 

I have baked, frozen, tried different brands the works to try to solve this problem.... I know they do not harm my babies but it's just gross LOL

I want to try the bark in hopes that this will solve the problem.....also I am curious if you put anything under the bark to keep humidity up? I have a bag of sphagnum moss I was thinking I could put some under it. Without anything under it I just picture bark floating in water.... 

Thanks for your help guys!


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## wellington (Dec 4, 2013)

Unfortunately, from what I have read, all substrates will get these little bugs. It's part of the whole tortoise package. You can buy the roly poly bugs to add to the enclosure and they will help to keep the bug count down.


Another solution is to bake the substrate every week or two. This will keep them from every being able to develop. I find that either baking or boiling keeps them away longer then freezing.


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## New Desert Tortoise Mommy (Dec 4, 2013)

I use the repti bark for my torts and they love it. I love it nd it works great! They love to burry in it


Nd I have not had any bugs not one since we have been using it


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## happyjoyjoy (Dec 4, 2013)

New Desert Tortoise Mommy said:


> I use the repti bark for my torts and they love it. I love it nd it works great! They love to burry in it
> 
> 
> Nd I have not had any bugs not one since we have been using it




Thats awesome!
Do you use the zoo med brand of repti bark?


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## New Desert Tortoise Mommy (Dec 4, 2013)

Yes at petsmart we get ours for $14 nd the one bag fills the whole tank (20gal) nd we don't have to change it to much. Just make sure when u use it to do It nd let the dust from it air out before putting ur babies in It


Here are some pics


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## happyjoyjoy (Dec 4, 2013)

OKay thanks for the help! does it hold humidity any? I like to mist my enclosure once a day will it do okay you think?


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Dec 4, 2013)

Auughh, you threw out the coco coir? You could have boiled it clean. In a bucket, hot or boiled water, wait until water cools down, drain, reuse. One of our experts shared that and he has had his for 2 years. It's wash and wear. Also, some folks mix the coco coir with the bark. For the little flies, there is a plate or slate that you feed them on right? I wonder if bits of food get into the substrate and as it spoils, even little bitty lettuce pieces will do it, it attracts. However, if you wash it, the eggs go away that way and hopefully problem over.


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## lkwagner (Dec 4, 2013)

New Desert Tortoise Mommy said:


> Yes at petsmart we get ours for $14 nd the one bag fills the whole tank (20gal) nd we don't have to change it to much. Just make sure when u use it to do It nd let the dust from it air out before putting ur babies in It
> 
> 
> Here are some pics





Are you sure this holds good humidity? Your sulcatas look sooo dry.


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## New Desert Tortoise Mommy (Dec 4, 2013)

Yeah its good. Misty is what ur gona have to do so that's good ur already in the habbit we have a little water dish nd It doesn't have any humidity really. We sprinkle down the bark not a lot tho. Only thing we noticed is it absorbs pee very well and it doesn't smell !


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## wellington (Dec 4, 2013)

New Desert Tortoise Mommy said:


> I use the repti bark for my torts and they love it. I love it nd it works great! They love to burry in it
> 
> 
> Nd I have not had any bugs not one since we have been using it





How long have you been using it and have you ever stirred it up to be sure there are no bugs within it or towards the bottom? Also, do you keep a higher humidity? I use it for my Uro and get no bugs, but he is in a very hot and dry enclosure. I do believe it's the humidity that we all keep for our tortoises that draws them.


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## TiyahLove (Dec 4, 2013)

I use repti bark the zoo med brand. I soak the bark in hot water for 30 minutes then add to the enclosure. To keep humidity up I spray down the chamber and babies several times a day and I have sponges buried under the substrate that are saturated in water.




New Desert Tortoise Mommy said:


> Yes at petsmart we get ours for $14 nd the one bag fills the whole tank (20gal) nd we don't have to change it to much. Just make sure when u use it to do It nd let the dust from it air out before putting ur babies in It
> 
> 
> Here are some pics





They look a little dry. The aquarium probably isn't helping. Aquariums are meant for fish not reptiles. They lose heat and humidity and make the babies feel exposed.


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## New Desert Tortoise Mommy (Dec 4, 2013)

That was yesterday my boyfriend nd everyone was sick nd culdnt touch them so when I came over later on I took the picture nd gave them a soak. But yah its okay for humidity not the best of course coco coir is good for humidity but we use repti bark from zoo med nd when sprinkle water (of course not recently cuz of everyone being sick). IF your main concern is the bugs trust me there isn't any. I have been using it for a little over a month now nd now bugs everyday while they are out walking for their daily exercise I fluff up there bark 


Of course everyone's r different. I got top soil hoping everything was okay cuz ppl said it was nd I found broken glass in it  but I have bought 3 bags nd no bugs 


My babies love the aquarium. Heat stays good humidity fine as long as we do the sprinkle of the water but everyone being sick they culdnt. Nd when ever we get home or call them by name they come to the tank nd we give them attention  on the right side we have stuff blocking it so u can't see from that side nd that is where my hide from them is and at night they go In haha


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## happyjoyjoy (Dec 4, 2013)

Okay i think ill try it out and mix it with some sphagnum moss to keep the humidity up...... the sponge idea is good too. I guess it may just come to be that I change their bedding every 2-3 months 

There enclosures are both closed so my humidity is 95 percent ALL the time.... i guess that's why the bugs are flourishing.... grrrr. 

At least my torts will be smooth


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## New Desert Tortoise Mommy (Dec 4, 2013)

Adding the moss is an awesome idea ! Tell us how it works out


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## Tom (Dec 4, 2013)

Orchid bark is my first choice for sulcata babies, but the Petco bags are WAYYYYYY overpriced. I buy 2.0 cubic foot bags of the stuff for $4-5 at the hardware store.

Orchid bark, coco coir, and cypress mulch all absorb water and slowly let it evaporate out to create humidity. I have not found one of these to work any better than the other as far as humidity is concerned. Humidity in any enclosure will be determined by how much ventilation there is, how much moisture is in the substrate, temperatures, humidity of the air outside the enclosure, and a few other factors.

Substrate flies come from the environment, not the substrate. They can live in any substrate where there is warmth, humidity and a food source for them.

Mechanically killing them and their eggs (by boiling or baking, for example), or replacing the substrate frequently, is the only way I know of to safely get rid of them. I get little moths sometimes too. And daddy long legs spiders. Silverfish. Springtails. Phorid flies. Plus a few others...


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## happyjoyjoy (Dec 4, 2013)

Tom said:


> Orchid bark is my first choice for sulcata babies, but the Petco bags are WAYYYYYY overpriced. I buy 2.0 cubic foot bags of the stuff for $4-5 at the hardware store.
> 
> Orchid bark, coco coir, and cypress mulch all absorb water and slowly let it evaporate out to create humidity. I have not found one of these to work any better than the other as far as humidity is concerned. Humidity in any enclosure will be determined by how much ventilation there is, how much moisture is in the substrate, temperatures, humidity of the air outside the enclosure, and a few other factors.
> 
> ...



Thanks Tom for the advice. 
I do leave some of their food remains in their enclosure after they eat and it eventually gets mixed in with their substrate do u think this plays a big part in the bug situation......


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## lkwagner (Dec 4, 2013)

I buy these from seabright laboratories and duct tape them to the side of the enclosure. Keeps the little nats at a very manageable #


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## happyjoyjoy (Dec 4, 2013)

lkwagner said:


> I buy these from seabright laboratories and duct tape them to the side of the enclosure. Keeps the little nats at a very manageable #



Now thats another idea! THANKS


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## wellington (Dec 4, 2013)

happyjoyjoy said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Orchid bark is my first choice for sulcata babies, but the Petco bags are WAYYYYYY overpriced. I buy 2.0 cubic foot bags of the stuff for $4-5 at the hardware store.
> ...



Yes, all food should be taken out of substrate. It will attract the bugs, that's one of the things they will eat, it will also cause mold.




TiyahLove said:


> I use repti bark the zoo med brand. I soak the bark in hot water for 30 minutes then add to the enclosure. To keep humidity up I spray down the chamber and babies several times a day and I have sponges buried under the substrate that are saturated in water.
> 
> 
> 
> ...







Actually, aquariums are not as bad for tortoises as once thought. They are actually really good. The only problem with them, they are usually expensive and you can get big enough ones for most tort sizes. So, no, they aren't really just for fish.


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## TiyahLove (Dec 6, 2013)

wellington said:


> happyjoyjoy said:
> 
> 
> > Tom said:
> ...







I for one beg to differ. No matter how much you alter an aquarium it is still not for a reptile (rodents and other things of that sort, sure).
Reptiles like feeling secure and unexposed, not in everyone's view and especially not near a whole bunch of commotion. 

I learned this years ago when I first started breeding snakes. I got my first ever emerald tree boa pair, I created a closed top aquarium and I had everything set up perfectly for them, but humidity and temperatures wouldn't stay up for me. 
Both where as sweet as could be and perfect when I first got them, then their tempers gradually got worse and worse. I had several hides and plenty of greenery for them to hide in and multiple places to climb on and bask. 
I started covering their enclosure partially and it got better, then a year later I started getting ball pythons and colubrids and all sorts of things I started using rack systems and put my emeralds in there and they improved A LOT. The nipping stopped and the aggression problems got better.
So, I thought to myself I wonder if ball pythons are the same. I did the same experiment on a very sweet snake that had no aggression problems what so ever and once that snake felt exposed it started nipping and not eating.

My point being aquariums aren't meant for keeping reptiles. They make them feel exposed and venerable and even this factor alone can cause problems with stress. You wouldn't want your babies being stressed would you?

I'm not saying tortoises would have the same problems as snakes and lizards or whatever else you have, I'm just saying they are not meant for the comfort of the animal. They are meant to be display cases (if you get what I'm saying)


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## Cathie G (Sep 2, 2018)

wellington said:


> Unfortunately, from what I have read, all substrates will get these little bugs. It's part of the whole tortoise package. You can buy the roly poly bugs to add to the enclosure and they will help to keep the bug count down.
> 
> 
> Another solution is to bake the substrate every week or two. This will keep them from every being able to develop. I find that either baking or boiling keeps them away longer then freezing.




I don't have to buy roly polys. And now I find out those centipedes that get in my house are beneficial...lol


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