best substrate

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laura808

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This is from Tom's "how to raise hatchling sulcatas" thread. --- Substrate: Coco coir. Cypress mulch. Orchid bark. Plain, additive free, soil. Sphagnum peat moss. Pick one or any combination. I recommend you do NOT use any sand, wood shavings, corn cob bedding, walnut shell bedding, alfalfa or grass pellets, newspaper bedding, any type of hay or any other new fad bedding that comes along. Keep your substrate damp to increase the humidity in the enclosure. If you can keep your humidity around 80% at tortoise level, you'll have a healthy, well hydrated, pyramid free, happy tortoise. Sometimes I cover part of the top of the enclosure to hold in humidity.


I was wondering, what kind of substrate do you recommend? Also, Which one retains water the best, do any of them have a bad scent, and which one is easiest to walk on for a hatchling sulcata?
Im trying to find the best possible substrate for Otis and I cant decide! Pleases help me out. :)

-Thanks!
 

Torty Mom

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I have 4 CDT hatchlings, I use coconut coir and cypress mulch! I use the coconut coir for my humid warm side, it's easy to wet down and holds the moisture in! Nothing smells! Yea!
 

DonaTello's-Mom

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Torty Mom said:
I have 4 CDT hatchlings, I use coconut coir and cypress mulch! I use the coconut coir for my humid warm side, it's easy to wet down and holds the moisture in! Nothing smells! Yea!

Yep I use the same thing AND for the same reasons!
 

Torty Mom

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Hmm had not heard that, I am sure someone will be along shortly who can answer that, maybe it's the leaves that are poisonous. I am off to google!! Is your dad thinking of cedar? That is toxic.
 

DonaTello's-Mom

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I'm not sure about the trees Laura, but I am sure someone will come along and answer that for ya. The coca coir (or bed a beast, eco earth it's called too) holds the moisture really well. I dump in about 1 gallon of water (per Tom's recomendations) in my tort table 3 times a week. Keeps it nice an damp. Works for me!
 

Yvonne G

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Their are two groups of trees commonly called Cypress. Cupressus and Chamaecyparis are evergreens. Taxodium distichum the Swamp Cypress is deciduous.

The foliage of the evergreen cypresses is slightly toxic to livestock.

Dust from the Taxodium distichum might cause respiratory problems.

So my guess is that what goes into the substrate we use is probably the evergreen tree's bark.

Here's a nice web site on what trees are toxic:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wooddude78/woodlib1_2.html
 

Tom

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Lots and lots of people have been using cypress mulch from lots and lots of different sources for a very long time. I've never heard of one single problem ever being caused by it. I have trouble getting cypress mulch here in Southern CA, so I usually use orchid bark or coco coir.

In HI, you might need a little less water than what me and Donnatello's Mom have to use here in Southern CA where its pretty dry with very low humidity. You'll have to add some and see how quickly it evaporates in YOUR set-up and make adjustments from there.
 

laura808

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It turns out that my dad was thinking about cedar, not cypress. anyway, how much water is too much? do I put so much in that when I make a little hole in the substrate, I see a little pool of water?
 

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Depending upon how large your habitat is, you would pour a container over the whole habitat, then mix it up with your hand. You don't want to leave standing water at the bottom when you dig down, so you only want to pour as much as will be absorbed. In my habitat, I pour a whole pitcher-full.
 

laura808

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emysemys said:
Depending upon how large your habitat is, you would pour a container over the whole habitat, then mix it up with your hand. You don't want to leave standing water at the bottom when you dig down, so you only want to pour as much as will be absorbed. In my habitat, I pour a whole pitcher-full.

Thank you! I found some mazuri today at a pet store so I bought it. Next up on the list is cypress mulch or orchid bark. :)
 
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