Cedar mulch

[popeofdope]

Been using this for about a year for my sulcata's large enclosure. I had no idea it was dangerous. I just sweeped most of it up and dug it out of the dirt. Maybe a couple peices of mulch left but mostly gone. How bad is this? He seems overall just fine. I'm airing out the room now from the cedar. Yikes.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

If it was highly toxic - you would have noticed it straight away in a few days (irritated eyes, wheezing and similar symptoms).

Perhaps, this was aged or air cured cedar wood or bark - some kinds bagged pine or hardwood bark smell just like a swampy soil, not like "morning forest air freshners". I would not risk to use them, though.

Since you've changed the substrate, a few bit of old mulch won't be harmful.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Even mulch that seems petfectly harmless can and does often contain God only knows what.
I use cypress mulch in my outdoors enclosures. I keep only adult Redfoot. But for indoors enclosures and with smaller tortoises, I recommend pure Orchid bark. (FIR bark) it's inexpensive, long lasting. And so far, I've never found anything funky in it.
The issue to me is with the confined space and with smaller tortoises being at face level. I'd try substrates with my group and in my situation that I wouldn't advocate for most other keepers.

 

[wellington]

Only orchid bark, fir bark or coconut coir should be used inside
Outside, just use the natural ground.

 

[Tom]

Been using this for about a year for my sulcata's large enclosure. I had no idea it was dangerous. I just sweeped most of it up and dug it out of the dirt. Maybe a couple peices of mulch left but mostly gone. How bad is this? He seems overall just fine. I'm airing out the room now from the cedar. Yikes.

Are you sure it was cedar? I've seen cedar shaving and cedar wood, but I've never seen cedar mulch for sale. Many people confuse the orchid bark, which is actually fir tree bark used to grow orchids in, with cedar. Got a picture of the bag or the substrate?