Cleaning indoor enclosure

[Shellhugger]

I plan on using a soil/ bark mixture, as well as having an area of soil for plants to grow in. I'm just wondering if/ how often to clean the enclosure. Is it more like an ecosystem I should leave alone, or clean and change soil how often? Should I just rinse with water and change bedding when cleaned? Do enclosures ever smell after a while ?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

It depends. I spot clean and top up the substrate as it breaks down. That's all I need to do. Occasionally I have to completely turn the substrate over, but that's in the summer when the crew is outdoors & not stirring it themselves. Others have different experiences.

 

[ascott]

Also, if you add pill bugs, some nightcrawlers and such ---you will begin a healthy community of critters that will make the soil healthy, then only spot cleaning will be needed ...springtails are annoying to humans but are actually helpful as well....

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Spot clean is all I do. Add water and stir....

 

[lisa127]

I tried putting nightcrawlers in my box turtles indoor enclosures once. My small 300 gram box turtle ate 4 very huge nightcrawlers within minutes, even though they were buried in different parts of the enclosure. It's hard for them to work as a clean up crew when your turtle eats them all too quickly!

 

[lismar79]

I spot clean and stir. If it getts too buggy I pour boiling water in it. I noticed when I had top soil it did get a smell but with the coir and fir bark there isn't one. I also put my plants in planters so I could take them out if need be for cleaning.

 

[Flipper]

Also, if you add pill bugs, some nightcrawlers and such ---you will begin a healthy community of critters that will make the soil healthy, then only spot cleaning will be needed ...springtails are annoying to humans but are actually helpful as well....

Can we just take few bugs and worms from outside and put them in our enclosure?

 

[Flipper]

I add water daily because it dries out from my light and ceramic heater. I stir up the entire thing about once per week. This helps bring the moist soil on the bottom to the top and the dryer stuff to the bottom. Mine doesn't smell, but it's only been set up since June 10.

I too remove old food and poop daily and change out water daily too.

 

[RainsOn]

Okay, you are talking "indoor" and everyone else got stuck on the "outdoor".
I am new at this BUT from what I have found out so far, I plan to clean my indoor area every 6 months. It is a 40 gal aquarium with organic soil, river rocks and bark. I will remove Digger and all furnishings, scoop out the substrate and use hand vac on remaining dust. Then, use white vinegar water to wash down the aquarium and rinse the rocks. Then, everything goes back with new soil and bark. Should be easy.
Hope this helps.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I clean mine once a year. Spot cleaning should carry you a long time.

 

[Jlant85]

Just like everyone else said... Spot cleaning... and just like yellow mellow said... i would changed mine once a year!

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't clean mine at all. I keep baby turtles and tortoises in plastic tubs, and when the weather is nice, the whole tub goes outside. When it dries out I pour water in it and stir it up then pat it down. I pick up any old food or poop that I can see, but usually it all gets mixed up when I add water and stir. At the end of the season, when the plastic tub is going to be brought back into the house, I dump the whole thing into a flower bed and start over with fresh everything. So, my substrate lasts about a whole year.

 

[ascott]

Okay, you are talking "indoor" and everyone else got stuck on the "outdoor".

Nope....knew exactly what was being discussed....and my information remains the same...if you want a healthy indoor enclosure you will want to mimic it as much as you can to outside, that includes healthy substrate....and the healthy addition of bugs directly from outdoors into your indoor enclosure is fine....hunt for pill bugs under wet/cool areas and you can either purchase some starter worms or wet some ground and keep checking on it to see if you can dig and find any worms....

 

[ascott]

Also, Yvonne is right...I too only spot clean...but I rarely will turn the soil, the bottom remains the moist area and the top remains the firm area for good footing...the torts can and do dig down when they feel like rooting around for surprises....

 

[Flipper]

Nope....knew exactly what was being discussed....and my information remains the same...if you want a healthy indoor enclosure you will want to mimic it as much as you can to outside, that includes healthy substrate....and the healthy addition of bugs directly from outdoors into your indoor enclosure is fine....hunt for pill bugs under wet/cool areas and you can either purchase some starter worms or wet some ground and keep checking on it to see if you can dig and find any worms....

Do you have to feed the pill bugs and worms? ..... Add anything else to the soil?

 

[ascott]

Do you have to feed the pill bugs and worms? ..... Add anything else to the soil?

Nope, they will eat any of the food and poo "remnants" left behind...even though we spot clean, there are still going to be stuff left behind and so those small things are what they will seek and eat...also, if the pill bugs are put into an enclosure with springtails...the pill bugs are equalizers, they will consume those springtails which helps to bring them under control...

 

[RainsOn]

Also, Yvonne is right...I too only spot clean...but I rarely will turn the soil, the bottom remains the moist area and the top remains the firm area for good footing...the torts can and do dig down when they feel like rooting around for surprises....

Ascott and Yvonne - My apologies. I got excited to help a newcomer.
Instead, I have mud on my face.
Fascinating advice. I am going hunting for pill bugs and worms.
Is there ever concern for mildew?
Ascott, do you ever change the soil?

 

[ascott]

My apologies. I got excited to help a newcomer.
Instead, I have mud on my face.

By all means, jump on in, that is how we all get to exchanging ideas and things that work for us...and as for the mud on the face, nahhhh---I do not see any at all....

Ascott, do you ever change the soil?

In three years I only changed the substrate when I set up larger indoor enclosures for them when they are indoors during night and colder weather....and there after, I have added peat moss twice to each enclosure, due to the substrate gets compressed/decomposed and processed into a finer grade over time...so the depth is what I add back.....so, no I will not be doing any substrate changes.....see here the species that is in the indoor enclosures loves to eat the bugs I do add, so I anytime I am doing something in the yard and come across a community of desirable critters I scoop em up and add to the enclosures....I do not use any sprays or chemicals or fertilizers whatsoever here, so I am not worried too much about them being gut loaded with bad stuff.....

 

[crissyshine]

I'm late but....
All this info is so helpful. I use Zoomed repti bark for my tortoise but wanted to use soil, etc for my boxie when I upgrade his indoor enclosure. I was worried about bugs and such but I can definitely find some pill bugs and get worms to clean the enclosure. I'm sure he wouldn't mind going after the bugs anyway.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I'm late but....
All this info is so helpful. I use Zoomed repti bark for my tortoise but wanted to use soil, etc for my boxie when I upgrade his indoor enclosure. I was worried about bugs and such but I can definitely find some pill bugs and get worms to clean the enclosure. I'm sure he wouldn't mind going after the bugs anyway.

Go to Home Depot or Lowe's or a nursery, and get top soil. Cost's about $2.50 a bag. It has nothing in it to hurt them and it's clean and cheap.