Best substrate for my new tort??

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Jadeybaby

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Hi, I have just purchased a 5 month old Leopard Tortoise and have him in a vivarium. I just wondered which substrate I should use? I currently have him on wood chip but have heard this may not be best and all opinions seem to be different. Help please!!!! :)
 

Yvonne G

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Well, I personally LIKE wood chips for substrate. The kind I buy is processed to use in planting orchids. It is referred to as "Orchid Bark," but its really a finely processed fir bark. It doesn't harm the tortoise if he eats it. It is fairly clean. You can keep it moist and it doesn't get sour. I really like it.
 

Tom

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I agree with Yvonne. That's my first choice too. You can also use coco coir, cypress mulch, plain soil with no additives, peat, or dirt from your yard if you think it's suitable.
 

antoniocormier

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emysemys said:
Well, I personally LIKE wood chips for substrate. The kind I buy is processed to use in planting orchids. It is referred to as "Orchid Bark," but its really a finely processed fir bark. It doesn't harm the tortoise if he eats it. It is fairly clean. You can keep it moist and it doesn't get sour. I really like it.

I had wood chips for my leapord tortoise and he was EATING it, i immediately changed the substrate but unfortunately he died... And yes he was getting fed and cared for properly but he still ate it :(
 

Jadeybaby

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Oh no!!!!!! I'm so sorry to hear that :-( I'm going to change it to soil mixed with sand I think as I have researched and this seems to be the favourite.....I'm worried something will happen to him that's all. I don't understand why the aquariums recommended it!
 

waterboy

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DONT USE SAND. Worst thing you can use it can cause impaction and makes it much harder to keep the humidity up. I have coco coir wood chip mix and it works great easy to keep at 80 percent humidity and they don't have any trouble passing it if they do eat some. But again dont use sand just make sure you soak, keep humid,warm, feed, and take outside for sun weather permitting and you should have no problems.
 

Jadeybaby

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I have now changed it to a soil based substrate which he seems to be happy with.....he does eat it though so I hope he will be ok!!!! I have researched and this seems to be the best one people are advising me. I hope iv done the right thing!!! Lol
 

Yvonne G

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Do you have a red light on over the habitat during the day? The red light causes the substrate to look like something to eat (to the tortoise).

There is a product called Miner-All and made by Sticky Tongue Farms. A pinch of this over the food three times a week will give the tortoise the minerals he needs and helps to stop them from eating substrate.
 

Jadeybaby

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No I have a normal heat light during the day and a red one for the evening which I was advised to get because the tank wasn't warm enough at night. I have just brought some dried dandelion leaves and clover grass for him to eat too so I was thinking for a few days I'm just going to give him a mix of those and nothing else
 

Levi the Leopard

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I use a CHE at night. Gives my guy night heat but keeps it dark. In my opinion a tortoise should have it dark at night.

Also, I use plain dirt from my yard as substrate. It's perfect and exactly what my torts are on when housed outside as well.

When my leopard would eat the dirt/small rocks i tried the miner-all product. I saw no change. I decided to place a cuttlebone directly under his mouth anytime i saw him eating dirt. He would immediately chow down on it. Once he finished and had his fill of it he would move on and not attempt to eat dirt/rocks again for a while.
 

Jadeybaby

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Ok I will try that....he doesn't seem to be eating it today so hopefully it won't become a regular thing...thank you
 
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