Best Bedding for Russian???

Status
Not open for further replies.

christinevandorm

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
29
Location (City and/or State)
Olympia, WA
Hey everyone....question on bedding...I currently use half playsand, half forest bedding for my Russian....I find that it creates a lot of dust though....Is there other beddings you guys can reccomend? I know that the green pellets are not supposed to be that good for them and also they get spendy....Any input or pics appreciated.....
 

jeffbens0n

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
881
Location (City and/or State)
Glenmoore, PA
I would recommend either plain cypress mulch or plain dirt with a thin layer of cypress mulch on top of it, this will be a little cleaner than just plain dirt, but will also give them a substrate they can dig in if they want to.
 

cemmons12

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 1, 2011
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
Greenfield, In.
I don't use sand because it can cause impaction. I use coco coir. Its from eco earth. Great stuff!
 

christinevandorm

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
29
Location (City and/or State)
Olympia, WA
Thanks guys, that gives me an idea...I was also debating on only making half of the enclosure soil and the other half reptile carpeting...this should also cut down on the amount of dust!
 

lynnedit

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
5,730
Location (City and/or State)
Southwest Washington
the forest bedding (cypress mulch) alone or with or on top of the topsoil will keep the dust down. try to avoid reptile carpeting because it is not as good for their feet/limbs/walking, etc.
 

pdelpizzo

Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Messages
134
Location (City and/or State)
Broward County
I hear so many different answers to this question that almost always contradict the last. For indoor enclosures, the petshop where I bought my Russians said to use only coconut coir. The vet insists carefresh paper bedding is VITALLY IMPORTANT. The tortoise society here in San Diego said to use only soil and that coconut coir/cypress mulch can be deadly. Many others have said a mix of coconut coir and cypress mulch is best. I'm currently using just coconut coir but I'm going to put cypress mulch back in the mix and possibly some soil. I wish there was an easy answer to this question but there doesn't seem to be.

Patrick
 

lynnedit

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
5,730
Location (City and/or State)
Southwest Washington
You are right. Lots of opinions. Pet stores are usually the least reliable source, unfortunately.
Vets are trying, but sometimes have odd ideas. In part because many of them don't have torts themselves (kind of like giving advice on raising kids when you don't have them).
Just try different combinations. Cypress mulch is great. I love it for my Russians. It is not harmful. It holds moisture. It is not messy.
Topsoil mixed with 20-30% sand works for some. Not what I use inside alone, but many like it.
Topsoil plain is great, but messy, which is why some sprinkle Cypress mulch on top.
Coir is great and retains moisture, but can also get all over everything and in water bowls, etc., so some combine it. I have mixed it up with some topsoil and cypress mulch which works well.
There is no exactly correct answer. It depends on how your torts do, what you like, and even where you live (humid, dry, etc.).
If you use some combination of topsoil, cypress mulch, and coir, you will not harm your torts and they will thrive.
 

christinevandorm

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
29
Location (City and/or State)
Olympia, WA
Thanks everyone for taking time out of your day to answer my questions....Lynn from Southwest Washington...I loved your reply/explanation...with all the pros and cons about each type of bedding! Thanks Christine
 

sarahjayne

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
Messages
5
christinevandorm said:
Hey everyone....question on bedding...I currently use half playsand, half forest bedding for my Russian....I find that it creates a lot of dust though....Is there other beddings you guys can reccomend? I know that the green pellets are not supposed to be that good for them and also they get spendy....Any input or pics appreciated.....

For my russian tortoise i use 60/40 Top soil and play sand. He loves it, i also make sure that it is 4 inches deep so he can burrow.

Hope this helped.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 7, 2011
Messages
3,311
Location (City and/or State)
Broomfield, Colorado
I use a mixture of coco coir, top soil, potting soil, and some fir bark. Fir bark is not good alone because it does not retain moisture, but I figured it was okay with all of the other humidifying materials in my substrate mixture.

Cypress mulch is also good to use, but it can be hard to find or expensive in some areas. I have read that cypress mulch may increase the risk of shell fungus, too. However, in the past I used it with a redfoot tortoise, and it worked well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top