# Baby sulcuta substrate: Pine bark? Shredded coconut chips?



## ladrielle (Oct 31, 2021)

Recommended substrates (from info here) for baby sulcutas are: cypress mulch, coco coir, and orchid bark

I have used *cypress mulch + soil* (50:50) before and noticed my tortoise keep eating the cypress mulch, so then I switched to *coco coir + soil* (50:50), and then recently my vet said to change to just soil because there was coco coir that got stuck or punctured my tortoise. _(I had not known about that until he told me, I had not actually seen what he pointed out as I was not present in the appointment due to quarantine restrictions)_. I am now using just *repti bark*, but sadly it's not enough to fill my enclosure, and there are no more available online anywhere in my country (that I can find on Shopee and Lazada). These are the only other tortoise substrates available (that are not cypress mulch or coco coir).

1) Repti-Zoo pine bark (pine bark)
2) Eco-bark bedding (shredded coconut chips)

Are any of these acceptable or should I just return to using either cypress mulch or coco coir, even if my tortoises often eat them?

Thanks in advance :>


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## wellington (Oct 31, 2021)

Coconut coir is fine like sawdust, it could not have jabbed your tort. Most likely something in the soil did. Do not use soil.
Use the coir if you can still get it and put the eco bark on top of it. The coir will do great at keeping the needed humidity up.


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## ladrielle (Oct 31, 2021)

wellington said:


> Coconut coir is fine like sawdust, it could not have jabbed your tort. Most likely something in the soil did. Do not use soil.
> Use the coir if you can still get it and put the eco bark on top of it. The coir will do great at keeping the needed humidity up.


Thank you so much! Will do.


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## Maryalice (Nov 1, 2021)

How is your sick baby tort?


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## jaizei (Nov 1, 2021)

ladrielle said:


> Recommended substrates (from info here) for baby sulcutas are: cypress mulch, coco coir, and orchid bark
> 
> I have used *cypress mulch + soil* (50:50) before and noticed my tortoise keep eating the cypress mulch, so then I switched to *coco coir + soil* (50:50), and then recently my vet said to change to just soil because there was coco coir that got stuck or punctured my tortoise. _(I had not known about that until he told me, I had not actually seen what he pointed out as I was not present in the appointment due to quarantine restrictions)_. I am now using just *repti bark*, but sadly it's not enough to fill my enclosure, and there are no more available online anywhere in my country (that I can find on Shopee and Lazada). These are the only other tortoise substrates available (that are not cypress mulch or coco coir).
> 
> ...




Do you have more info for the "pine bark"? Orchid bark & repti bark are both from fir trees, which is in the pine family. The pictures I've seen online make this "pine bark" look the same. If the pine bark is available in person, I'd try to smell it to see if it has a piney smell or smells earthy.


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## mastershake (Nov 1, 2021)

if you are talking about coco coir it is basically like dirt. i do not think it would have caused that to happen its really "fluffy" in a way. keep it slightly moist. now coco husk or coco chips (like shredded coco) could have. you def do not want to use pine. either cypress mulch on top of the coir or repit bark / orchid bark / fir bark (all the same thing) are what i tend to use for babies. as they get older cypress is fine. lately ive not been using cypress for babies mainly because the bags around here have a lot of more pointy small pieces in there.


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