About Substrate

[Jecehh]

Hello.
I get some question about baby sulcata best substrate... it is among 3 substrate, right?
Coco Coir, Cypress Mulch and Orchid Bark.

Here in Indonesia, either we have different words for those three and its really is different.. I wanna make sure I buy the right substrate...

Is it what orchid bark look like? Here we call it pine bark, use for orchid.



And is this Coco Coir?


I am really confused the term we use is really different.
I am sick of asking fellow Indonesian keeper too. Indonesian ppl tends to "not so serious thing" in keeping a pets.

They only use this as substrate and they say its work really well, and he is big breeder in Indonesia... so everyone believe him. And people start to buy tortoise because of the 'easy way to keep'.


Thanks for taking time to answer my question 🙏

 

[wellington]

The first picture looks a little redder then I remember our orchid bark. Not sure if pine bark is safe. See what @Tom says about that one.
The coir looks right.

As for the "breeders" choice. That's okay for adults only. I would use it only in the hide area as all the poop and urine will get stuck and soaked in between the pattern.
If those buying the little ones from the breeder realized how easy the regular substrates are, they'd switch quickly.
Spot clean daily any poop, badly soaked areas that won't dry and left over food and you can go many years never changing it. Just might have to add more once in a while.

 

[Jecehh]

The first picture looks a little redder then I remember our orchid bark. Not sure if pine bark is safe. See what @Tom says about that one.
The coir looks right.

As for the "breeders" choice. That's okay for adults only. I would use it only in the hide area as all the poop and urine will get stuck and soaked in between the pattern.
If those buying the little ones from the breeder realized how easy the regular substrates are, they'd switch quickly.
Spot clean daily any poop, badly soaked areas that won't dry and left over food and you can go many years never changing it. Just might have to add more once in a while.

Here it say. Pine bark is good for orchid. So its can also be call orchid bark... 😑😑😑

As for coco coir, here is the closer one.. is it also call as coco fiber??


And how about this substrates? Is it bad or good??

Cocohusk


And coco peat

 

[wellington]

That coco fiber I would not use unless you want to cut it up. The long fibers can get tangled around neck and limbs even intestines if they eat it.
Coir peat as long as it's only coconut coir. A lot of peat has garbage mixed in.
Coco husk should be fine.
I still not sure about the pine. I think it's fine but can't remember if thats what our orchid bark is.

 

[Jecehh]

That coco fiber I would not use unless you want to cut it up. The long fibers can get tangled around neck and limbs even intestines if they eat it.
Coir peat as long as it's only coconut coir. A lot of peat has garbage mixed in.
Coco husk should be fine.
I still not sure about the pine. I think it's fine but can't remember if thats what our orchid bark is.

If coco husk is fine. I think i am gonna use coco husk then....
Is coco coir and coco peat the same??
If yes then i am gonna skip coco coir-peat.. its get mouldy easily here, in Indonesia due to our country humidity.... i have experience it before.. 😮‍💨
Maybe i will just go with cocohusk...

Thanks anyway 🙏🙏

 

[wellington]

If the peat gets moldy then it's not the same as coir. Coconut coir is basically the other two coconut items you have ground up into like a saw dust consistency with nothing else added.
You could ruffly chop the strands and put that under the husks.

 

[JoFisch]

The orchid bark I buy in the US is made from fir bark, not pine.

 

[Jecehh]

The orchid bark I buy in the US is made from fir bark, not pine.

Then. Yeah. We dont have good orchid bark for tortoise here... all made from pine here. LOL..

I will just use coco husk I think.