kyel3840
Active Member
I mixed some coco coir in with my cypress to hold humidity better but does anyone else have the issue of their baby sulcata getting the coco coir all over their head and in their eyes to where they constantly rub their face
Coco Coir
- Thread starter kyel3840
- Start date
Minority2
Well-Known Member
This is what happens when coco coir becomes overly wet and or is not mixed well. Coco coir needs to be mixed thoroughly to prevent this from occurring.
I haven't messed with cypress mulch in a long time so I cannot comment fully on the mix. However, an all coco coir closed chamber with a humidity level above 80-90% will not overly cling unto a person's hand after mixing. It should behave like flour in that only a small amount of dry residue will cling on and that residue can be easily cleaned off by rubbing more substrate into the affected area; rendering your hands substrate-less in the process.
I haven't messed with cypress mulch in a long time so I cannot comment fully on the mix. However, an all coco coir closed chamber with a humidity level above 80-90% will not overly cling unto a person's hand after mixing. It should behave like flour in that only a small amount of dry residue will cling on and that residue can be easily cleaned off by rubbing more substrate into the affected area; rendering your hands substrate-less in the process.
I've had the same problem before. It's due to the substrate getting too dry / dusty.
It's an easy fix. Just soak and mix the entire enclosure with a water. You'll have to do this every couple weeks or so. My enclosure is different, but it takes about 2-3 buckets of water and a lot of mixing for my substrate to be ideal. This being damp, not swamped with standing water. The basking spot tends to dry out very quickly, so I suggest you mist this area several times a week. I also have a small top layer of cypress mulch which helps hold in some moisture.
If you aren't already, give your baby daily soaks. This will keep him hydrated, but also flush any of the coir that might be irritating his/her eyes.
Best,
Thomas S
kyel3840
Active Member
So it's because I used too much water with the brick at first? My enclosure has been at 99% humidity
Minority2
Well-Known Member
This is my process. I'm not sure how you're doing it but this is what I was taught to do.
1. Boil water. As much as you need to cover expanded coco coir brick.
2. Pour water unto giant 5-10lb brick of coco coir sitting in a very large plastic barrel/tub/container that can 3-4x the size you're trying to get out of the brick.
3. Mix the substrate to make sure everything is submerged.
4. Leave it outside for a few days to dry.
5. Use substrate by itself or mix it with leftover substrate from enclosure. Mix thoroughly until it doesn't stick on touch. Tortoises should never be kept/housed in wet/sticky substrate.
6. Store unused coco coir and add small amounts for spot cleanings when needed.
kyel3840
Active Member
I just followed the directions on the bricks.
kyel3840
Active Member
I bought the 3 packs from petsmart
Minority2
Well-Known Member
I haven't used or purchased pet branded substrate for many years. The packaging and sifting process was pretty awful back then, more recent reports from fellow members as well as other websites have basically shown that nothing has changed. Bits of plastic, metal, and even insects can be found inside one of those overpriced bricks.
A lot of items advertised by the pet industry for tortoises are actually not tortoise friendly. Never hurts to double check information with members of this forum. Someone more experienced will always have a useful life hack to share.
Did you allow the wet substrate to dry or did you immediate place the web substrate into your enclosure? If so, continue to mix the substrate thoroughly each day, rotating from the bottom to the top, until the substrates stops getting sticky.
kyel3840
Active Member
Okay I will do that. I sat there squeezing the water out of it before placing it in the enclosure
I use coco coir for the bulk of my substrate. I put about a half inch of orchid bark over the coir to keep it relatively clean. It seems to work well. I keep the coir a little swampy because my tort doesn't burrow and it helps keep the humidity up. That's what works right now with my tort and enclosure. When I get her larger enclosure built I'm sure I'll do the same but I won't keep the coir swampy though.
I would put some orchid bark on top of the coir to help reduce the mess and it's easier to maintain and clean.
