Best substrate to use that dosent dry out and cause dust please ? Using life bio but constantly drying out Horsefield tortoise

[MenagerieGrl]

And it has been my experience, that you might have to sift the bark as there can be quite a bit of "duff" that is incorporated into the bag, from being tossed around...

 

[COmtnLady]

Each keeper has their own favourites. Each enclosure is different.

As to your questions:

1. Its easy to use the coir by itself, but can be messy. You also have to be VERY careful it is NOT the kind with long fibers in it (they don't digest well and the tortoise inevitably will swallow some).

2. The fine (meaning small pieces) Fir/Orchid Bark can be used alone, and quite a few keepers prefer that. You can keep the lowest inch or two of it wet with several dry inches above that wet layer. The water from that lowest layer slowly and gently evaporates up through, giving you a steady, even, low-maintenance humidity (as opposed to the sprayer method which causes a fast evaporation, cools down the temperatures in the enclosure, is a respiratory infection hazard, and basically is a very bad thing - don't do it). Anytime the gauges say the humidity is dropping, you simply pour a couple cups of warm water into the corners only.

Anyone who tells you to spray (re: "it’s the tortoise life bio Mediterranean I’ve already been back to were we bought it and they said just spray it thank"s) doesn't know enough about how to keep a tortoise healthy and thriving in captivity. That is very old info that has since been proven to NOT be best practices.

3. Personally, I like two or three inches of firmly packed wet coir as a bottom layer, with three or more of "dry" bark on top. I keep a different species of tortoise that yours, one that needs 84% or higher humidity at all times, and the coir on the bottom holds the water like a sponge, without any problem with mold or mildew. The same humidity situation can be created with just bark, though (see #2).

You will have to try each to decide which you prefer.


PLEASE post pictures of your enclosure so we have a better idea of exactly what we are dealing with. It will make it SO much easier to help you figure this out.


Above all ~
Never use anything with sand or moss or tough long fibers in it - those can cause intestinal impactions.








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[Tom]

Or

so I can use just coco on its own ?
Or bark on its own?
Or shall I use both ?
And do you know what the best ones are?
Thanks for your help

Coco coir or orchid bark are both fine on their own. You can mix them if you want, but I seen no point and no advantage to that.

I don't know the best brands over there, but be sure your coir is not "coco fiber". You don't want the little hair like fibers in your substrate. Just plain coir with no fibers, or just use orchid bark which is just plain fir bark meant for growing orchids.

 

[Dannycoza]

Coco coir or orchid bark are both fine on their own. You can mix them if you want, but I seen no point and no advantage to that.

I don't know the best brands over there, but be sure your coir is not "coco fiber". You don't want the little hair like fibers in your substrate. Just plain coir with no fibers, or just use orchid bark which is just plain fir bark meant for growing orchids.

 

[Dannycoza]

Am I right in thinking I can mix these too together ? Will this be ok?

 

[Tom]

Am I right in thinking I can mix these too together ? Will this be ok?

The coir is fine. The other one is likely made up of soil and sand, so that would be a firm "no". You'll have to read the ingredients list. They make it and market it for tortoises, but it's BAD for tortoise and might kill them. It makes no sense. They are following the old wrong care info that we all learned and followed back in the old days. I used to use soil and sand, and then I saw the problems it caused, so I stopped. Some people still have not realized what a problem it is. Stick to coir, cypress mulch or orchid bark.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello I’m so sorry for my delay in response here! We’ve personally used the swell reptile and pro rep brand for orchid bark, I wouldn’t use the soil in the photo, but the coir is fine

 

[GardiendeKoopa]

Are products marketed as coconut coir typically granular more like soil, or do they have stringy pieces mixed in? Are we supposed to sift to remove the stringy pieces if there are some? Is there a length to sift out vs leave in?

 

[Tom]

Are products marketed as coconut coir typically granular more like soil, or do they have stringy pieces mixed in? Are we supposed to sift to remove the stringy pieces if there are some? Is there a length to sift out vs leave in?

Ideally, the coir you buy won't have any of those fibers. If it does, make a sifter with 1/4 inch hardware cloth to easily remove it.

When you buy it, get "coco coir" or "coco peat". Don't buy "coco fiber" or "coco chips."