Recent content by allanhu

Thank you Tom! I’ll look into this and see if I can find shipping that works. If not, I can always buy ReptiBark in bulk at local stores. I’ll let you know later if this is the plan I’ll take :) could you let me know how many pounds one bag is approximately?

Getting 3-5 inches of orchid bark would raise the (already moderately high) cost even higher, so I’m just seeing what substrate mixes work as cheaply as possible

I just want to give my tortoises more substrate so they can dig if they want. My main concern with the layers is the coco getting mixed with the ReptiBark (like you stated)

I figured as much, considering how many people in CA are able to find it in bulk.

Yeah, I see that a lot of options are 8qt (Orchid bark at hardware stores) or 24qt (ReptiBark). I think that I may just get the ReptiBark because of all the pros and changing substrate is needed rarely if I spot clean well. Would 2-2.5” of ReptiBark go well on around 3” of dampened coco coir?

I soak in warm water for 20-30 minutes in a bin where I can watch them and they can’t escape.

If I can’t find cypress nuggets, I won’t use cypress at all

Well, my idea was coco for the bottom and then top it with fir bark. I can find 100% untreated cypress nuggets somewhere locally

Any recommendations for cost-effective alternatives to fir bark?

Just curious, why don’t you recommend cypress? Seems like lots of others here do recommend it. I would use coco coir but I find it too messy

Hi guys! I've searched for fir (orchid) bark available in the northern Illinois area and haven't been able to find any cost effective options at all. I've checked local nurseries, hardware stores, garden centers, mulch and landscaping companies, etc. and none of them have any. I was wondering...

I soak 2-3 times a week since I saw that adults don’t need daily soaks. I’ll increase her amount of soaks, thanks for the tip!

Hey guys! I noticed one of my Russian tortoises had a small crack on her shell, and I am wondering what exactly may be the cause. There haven't been any animal encounters, so I’m thinking humidity or heat is to blame (I’ve checked and made some minor changes). I mostly just want to know if...

I’ll keep looking! Thanks for all the help

Thanks! That’s a great idea to work around the open bottoms if I decide to get one of those :)