Substrate moisture for Greek Tortoise

[Badr]

Hi All,
I'm hoping to get some opinions on substrate moisture for my Greek tortoise's enclosure. My current setup uses a 15 cm deep substrate of a 50/50 topsoil and coco coir mix. It holds moisture very well especially beneath the surface layer.
I've gotten conflicting advice on how to manage the moisture. Some have suggested keeping the cool side damp while leaving the basking side completely dry. Is this the general consensus for Greek tortoises?
I'm curious if I should be creating a clear dividing line between a moist and bone dry area. I'd love to hear what works best for your setups and why.
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello! It’s generally advised to avoid using store bought top soils, unless composted yourself there’s no way of know each ingredient/plant that’s gone into it, it can also creat a muddy consistency when keeping things damp. Coco coir is fine, so is orchid bark or cypress mulch.

No need for a clear divide, the basking side will naturally dry out quicker on top but you can still keep the entire lower layers damp.

Is it a baby Greek you have or an adult?

 

[Tom]

Hi All,
I'm hoping to get some opinions on substrate moisture for my Greek tortoise's enclosure. My current setup uses a 15 cm deep substrate of a 50/50 topsoil and coco coir mix. It holds moisture very well especially beneath the surface layer.
I've gotten conflicting advice on how to manage the moisture. Some have suggested keeping the cool side damp while leaving the basking side completely dry. Is this the general consensus for Greek tortoises?
I'm curious if I should be creating a clear dividing line between a moist and bone dry area. I'd love to hear what works best for your setups and why.
Thanks in advance for your help!

All tortoises need a damp substrate. Adults of most species will certainly survive in dry conditions, but it's not "good" for them. In addition to the humidity being good for them, moisture keeps the dust to a minimum.

Keep your substrate damp by periodically dumping water into it. How much water and how often varies tremendously with each enclosure, and even seasonally with the same enclosure.

 

[Badr]

Hello! It’s generally advised to avoid using store bought top soils, unless composted yourself there’s no way of know each ingredient/plant that’s gone into it, it can also creat a muddy consistency when keeping things damp. Coco coir is fine, so is orchid bark or cypress mulch.

No need for a clear divide, the basking side will naturally dry out quicker on top but you can still keep the entire lower layers damp.

Is it a baby Greek you have or an adult?

Hello! It’s generally advised to avoid using store bought top soils, unless composted yourself there’s no way of know each ingredient/plant that’s gone into it, it can also creat a muddy consistency when keeping things damp. Coco coir is fine, so is orchid bark or cypress mulch.

No need for a clear divide, the basking side will naturally dry out quicker on top but you can still keep the entire lower layers damp.

Is it a baby Greek you have or an adult?

Thanks for the input! It's reassuring to know I'm on the right track. I've been keeping the entire substrate slightly moist, and you were spot on about the basking area drying out faster. I've been giving that spot a little extra spritz and then fluffing it up to keep it uniformly damp. I also use a soil moisture meter from time to time to make sure things are staying moist deep down. Just wanted to double-check that misting the basking area wasn't a big no-no.
The topsoil I used is 100% clear of pesticides and fertilizers and was disinfected before use, so no worries there.
The little guy is about 18 months old (if the pet shop's info is accurate), and I actually posted here before to figure out his species and was told he's a Greek tortoise. He's only 7 cm long, weights 86 grams, so he can't be more than 2 years old, I'm guessing?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Oh yes I remember your first thread now! He’s definitely still a baby, you can certainly give the area under the bulb a spritz, but so long as you’re giving your substrate a good turnover once a week or so, and keeping on top of those pours, you’ll be fine spraying won’t last very long, but won’t do no harm either. The key in keeping your humidity sustained 24/7 will be making the enclosure closed with all heating elements inside, and maintaining your substrates moisture, if using coir be sure to pack it down after you’ve mixed it, leaving it loose can sometimes dry it out quicker

 

[Badr]

Oh yes I remember your first thread now! He’s definitely still a baby, you can certainly give the area under the bulb a spritz, but so long as you’re giving your substrate a good turnover once a week or so, and keeping on top of those pours, you’ll be fine spraying won’t last very long, but won’t do no harm either. The key in keeping your humidity sustained 24/7 will be making the enclosure closed with all heating elements inside, and maintaining your substrates moisture, if using coir be sure to pack it down after you’ve mixed it, leaving it loose can sometimes dry it out quicker

Awesome tip about packing down the coco coir! I'll definitely take that onboard.
I have my tortoise table in a spare small room and installed a humidifier set to keep the entire room air at a steady 60% RH. It's really helping to keep the substrate from drying out too fast or dropping humidity in the enclosure. I've been checking the humidity right above the substrate and it's consistently about 80%. As long as I keep up with my daily spritzing and weekly deeper watering, it seems to be working like a charm.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Awesome tip about packing down the coco coir! I'll definitely take that onboard.
I have my tortoise table in a spare small room and installed a humidifier set to keep the entire room air at a steady 60% RH. It's really helping to keep the substrate from drying out too fast or dropping humidity in the enclosure. I've been checking the humidity right above the substrate and it's consistently about 80%. As long as I keep up with my daily spritzing and weekly deeper watering, it seems to be working like a charm.

I will warn it’s not recommended to use humidifiers, regardless of how humid the room is an open top just can maintain the humidity where needed indoors for babies, and open top is creating too much air exchange, constant spraying and the potential respiratory issues humidifiers can cause then isn’t worth it, @Tom explains the need for closed chambers much better, perhaps you could look into a large storage bin or something to make a lid

 

[Badr]

I will warn it’s not recommended to use humidifiers, regardless of how humid the room is an open top just can maintain the humidity where needed indoors for babies, and open top is creating too much air exchange, constant spraying and the potential respiratory issues humidifiers can cause then isn’t worth it, @Tom explains the need for closed chambers much better, perhaps you could look into a large storage bin or something to make a lid

I will warn it’s not recommended to use humidifiers, regardless of how humid the room is an open top just can maintain the humidity where needed indoors for babies, and open top is creating too much air exchange, constant spraying and the potential respiratory issues humidifiers can cause then isn’t worth it, @Tom explains the need for closed chambers much better, perhaps you could look into a large storage bin or something to make a lid

I’m planning to install a large frame with plastic sheets/curtains over the entire table. Is this something recommended only for juveniles? I’m curious—up to what age is this typically necessary?

 

[Tom]

The topsoil I used is 100% clear of pesticides and fertilizers and was disinfected before use, so no worries there.

These things are not the concern. The concern is composition. There is no way to know what is inside that bag. Here they use composted yard waste. It could be chemically treated grass clippings, toxic weeds, toxic decorative plants like oleander or azaleas, etc... They also add in all sorts of weird stuff you've never heard of to get the right consistency for growing plants. The people making the soil do not intend for small animals to be living on or in their product. Anything could be in that mix. We've also found glass, bits of plastic, screws and nails, and all sorts of foreign objects that could kill a tortoise. Best to simply not risk it. I've never found any of those things in coco coir, cypress mulch, or orchid bark.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I’m planning to install a large frame with plastic sheets/curtains over the entire table. Is this something recommended only for juveniles? I’m curious—up to what age is this typically necessary?

Usually up to the age of 2-3