Advantage of using more than one substate?

[jackmac]

Hi ppl,
Just curious if there are any advantages in using more than one substrate. It seems like a common trend for members to use more than one substrate. Besides cosmetic purposes, the only reason I can think of is to seperate the habitat into moist (substrates that can retain more humidity) and dry. Not sure what else, thanks in advance.
Jack

 

[Yvonne G]

I only use one, so can't really comment on it. I've found either cypress mulch or the fine grade orchid bark (whichever I can find when I'm shopping) fit my purposes and I have no need to ever change.

 

[Jacqui]

I use two usually or more in most of my indoor enclosures. I have the coir/sand for soft nice digging areas and plants, mulch is used when I want a drier zone plus it's a different kind of footing to work their muscles differenty (and minds), leaf litter piles for hiding, humidity, bugs and a more natural type space for them (hingebacks and box turtles), and then moss once more for humidity. They do as the enclosure ages get mixed in together. So for me it's to provide different types or levels of humidity and different types of footing as my major reasons. Just tyring to mimic the wider range of things and environments they might find naturally in the wild. If it was just for my own needs, I could easily make do with just the coir/sand.

Plus if I have a sick animal or a just hatch youngin' especially one with part of his sack attached, I will use just plain paper towels.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I use two for my hatchling Leo's viv. I use organic soil covered by cypress mulch. I do this so that when the mulch gets dried out by the CHE's and light's the soil still stay's moist. It has been working really well for keeping the humidity up.

 

[jackmac]

I use two for my hatchling Leo's viv. I use organic soil covered by cypress mulch. I do this so that when the mulch gets dried out by the CHE's and light's the soil still stay's moist. It has been working really well for keeping the humidity up.

Hi Erin,
Curious what kind of distribution do you use, ie 50 % mulch and 50 % soil?
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions
Jack

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I use two for my hatchling Leo's viv. I use organic soil covered by cypress mulch. I do this so that when the mulch gets dried out by the CHE's and light's the soil still stay's moist. It has been working really well for keeping the humidity up.

Hi Erin,
Curious what kind of distribution do you use, ie 50 % mulch and 50 % soil?
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions
Jack

I use about 60% soil on the bottom and 40% mulch on top and I forgot to mention that I use sphagnum moss under the light around her basking rock because it get's dry under the light. I soak the entire enclosure completely about every 2 day's.

 

[Baoh]

For my smaller animals, the enclosures are planted, so they need some nutrients in the medium and mulch is not enough. I use a bottom layer of cypress mulch with that built up to the surface on one third. The other two thirds are covered in soil mixtures.

There is no point in trying to have planted indoor digs for my larger animals. They'd decimate anything growing up.

 

[lynnedit]

As you can see, it depends several different factors.
I like the soil/cypress mulch, but since I have Russians, and live in the NW, which is moister in the winter, they do like to burrow for the night in Aspen, which is a bit drier. At first they had similar substrate everywhere in their tort table, but they were not doing as well. Then another NW RT owner suggested the Aspen for at least part of the enclosure. My newer RT also loves to burrow at night in it, even tho he has other options. So that is what I provide. They also have a dry area to sleep in outside as well, but most of the substrate is good old dirt.
So it is a matter of the kind of tort, where you live, and even experimentation with what your torts seem to do well in and prefer.