I don't know anything about Sulcata, but for my Red Foot, I put long fibered moss in his hide. I wet it with hot water and then squeeze it out and fluff it up.
Would it be fine just to use cypress mulch or eco earth only without mixing it with sand ?Also,do I still have to wet the cypress mulch or eco earth substrate?And lastly,in regards to eco earth,they come in two kinds,one comes in loose coconut fiber and the other one comes in compressed coconut fiber.Which among these two kinds of eco earth should I get?In regards to cypressmulch,which between the T-Rex Cypress Bed or ZooMed Forest Floor Bedding would be better to get?
Thankyou so much.
Both products are exactly the same. Buy whichever is cheaper. I use straight cypress mulch. I don't mix it with anything else. What you do is up to you and whatever you prefer. There is no one right way. And yes, I moisten the cypress mulch. I pour a whole pitcherfull of water over the whole habitat then I mix it up with my hand. The lights quickly dry out the top layer, leaving it moist underneath. That's what you want.
I tried the coconut coir/sand mixture and I didn't like it. There are long strands of hair-like substance from the coconut husk plus it is messy and gets tracked into the food and water. But you might like it. Quite a few folks DO like it better than cypress mulch. Most buy the compressed brick.
Its not the substrate that causes pyramiding. It's raising a baby with no humidity in the habitat. So if you want to use a dry substrate, like hay, then you'll need to provide a humid hiding place for the tortoise.