substrate

Hi everybody! I am new to this particular forum but look forward to meeting some fellow tortoise owners. Background: I have a rescue Russian tortoise who I quite literally found abandoned on a median here in Florida. She was clearly neglected in her previous home, having an incredibly...

is this a good enclosure for my baby Sulcata? It’s a mixture of cypress mulch, organic top soil, and sphagnum moss. I planted some grass seeds, as well as an aloe plant and 2 other succulents. It stays about 80 degrees in there with the lights on and between 30-50 humidity if i spray it a few...

Hello. I am new here. My name is Kitty. I am the Torty Mom to a 12 year old sulcata that I've raised from a baby. He lives indoors, but gets plenty of sun in the spring and the summer when we go on walks, or even if he's just chilling in the backyard. But i digress. I've always used rabbit...

Hi! I first want to say...I'm new at this. Any advice is helpful at this point. Circumstances lined up in such a way that I became an inexperienced and last minute box turtle owner a few months back. Some basic and constant Googling has helped us so far, but she continuously throws new things at...

I have recently acquired an adult Russian, and I've been keeping him on Repti-bark. It's dry on top, but moist underneath, and I've read that they're supposed to create microclimates by finding the humidity down below, but I've noticed that he only burrows when the bark has dried out and it's...

Hello, I'm considering changing my Coco coir and topsoil mix to either repti bark (or orchid bark if I can find any near me) but am concerned whether it is suitable for my baby Hermann's who is nearly 8 months old. The Coco coir and topsoil mix I have in my table right now is giving me a...

i just moved my 3 month old tortoises to their new temporary habitats which I now know are not adequate but it’s what I have for now. They seem to be having a very hard time walking in the substrate, Zoo Med Eco Earth coconut fiber substrate. I’ve read different things about how deep. This is...

Has anyone used this brand before? https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/landscaping/mulch/7326655?x429=true&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvqDiBRDAARIsADWh5TfXCP75hfq80vFav8jO2Mfnb40Jk5GP-M3hUtcG0zFf-3Tkem88btAaAlilEALw_wcB I just inherited a yearling...

Hello, This is my very first post on the forum. So glad to have found it. Seems like people here are very helpful. Unlike many of the FB groups where people are brutally bluggoned for opinions and comments. (I’ve not personally had anyone be rude but have seen others bullied for asking newbie...

Tortellini is driving us insane. He wastes so much food. I put the food on a tray for him but he purposely crawls onto it covered in coco fiber and drags the food everywhere. Then he won't eat it because it's covered in coco fiber. We were thinking of covering less than half of his container...

I've recently upgraded my guys habbit to roughly the aixs of a twin size bed. And I'm wondering what a good choice for a substitute would be. Buying the zoo med stuff is just to pricy. Especially for the size of his bed now. I would like there to be enough for him to be able to to burrow a little

Hello, I am new here and am getting a baby dalmatian tortoise. I have a few questions with things I am uncertain about and have not been able to find the answer to anywhere else. I live in an urban area, so most of the food for the tortoise will be bought from the grocery store or pet store. Is...

I have my Russian tortoise in plain soil and it seems to irritate his eyes, so I am thinking about switching to coco coir. Is there any difference between what I can get at a garden store and petco? At petco they have zoo med eco earth coconut fiber substrate, would that be better or...

I have 3 hatchling Mojave Desert Tortoises that I'm trying to keep entertained and awake through the winter. I have them on a mixture of coco coir, reptibark, and on the basking end Zoo Med Excavator Clay. They really love the clay, but it seems like it might be drying them out. Perhaps I...

I need advice on why my tortoise keeps sneezing/what to do about it. I first noticed he sneezed a lot after a few months of owning him. I brought him to the vet, concerned that he might have a respiratory infection. Vet said he showed no signs, but we gave him a series of antibiotic injections...

This may sound ignorant but bear with me a minute here. It is true that being outside is best for tortoises, then it follows to reason that the ground (dirt/grass/outside stuff) is the best bedding/substrate. Right? If the above statement is true then would the best bedding/substrate for an...

HEALTH ISSUES: I recently got a beautiful leopard tortoise hatchling on August 26, 2018. She seemed pretty active at the pet store and quite healthy. I knew that when I brought her home she would take a few days to adjust to her new life and new enclosure. However, I didn't see her exploring...

Hello everyone, I have two elongated tortoises and I am having problems with understanding what indoor inclosure and substrate is best for them. I understand that they like darkness and humidity but I am not sure whether they should be kept in a vivarium or tortoise table. Please can someone...

Hello everyone, I have two elongated tortoises and I am having problems with understanding what indoor inclosure and substrate is best for them. I understand that they like darkness and humidity but I am not sure whether they should be kept in a vivarium or tortoise table. Please can someone...

Hi there, A while ago I posted here for help regarding A baby tortoise I rescued. In that thread I was told his substrate should be damp. I've now has lots of conflicting information saying that damp substrate will cause respiratory infections and I'm terrified! So I just want to check whether...