# Soil for a red foot tortoise



## redfootraider (Feb 13, 2012)

Just wanted to know what soil is good to use for a red foot tortoise n that is not going to have any insects in it or produce insects


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## ascott (Feb 13, 2012)

LOL...none that I know of 

I currently use a mix of organic fertilizer free soil/clean yard dirt topped with coco coir...works great. Allows them ability to dig down into the substrate and also holds humidity....the bugs do come...by they eventually cycle themselves out....

Hang out and see what the others have to offer as well...


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## tortuga_please (Feb 13, 2012)

You can bake the soil but bugs will eventually appear. However, they will be completely harmless and you can always introduce potato bugs to control them if they irritate you. If you absolutely cannot have bugs (for example due to allergy) I would just bake the substrate weekly.


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## ripper7777777 (Feb 14, 2012)

paper towel .... J/K

I use soil and a top layer of cypress mulch, that way I can change the top layer easily, removing bugs and contaminants, I tried the pill bugs, they seem to have vanished....


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## redfootraider (Feb 14, 2012)

ascott said:


> LOL...none that I know of
> 
> I currently use a mix of organic fertilizer free soil/clean yard dirt topped with coco coir...works great. Allows them ability to dig down into the substrate and also holds humidity....the bugs do come...by they eventually cycle themselves out....
> 
> Hang out and see what the others have to offer as well...



Is it ok if I use organic potting mix or does it have to be organic garden soil? And well I was afraid to use soil because of the bugs but if you say they don't harm the tortoise I guess am going to change it and well I was going to mix it with spagnum moss you think that would work


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