Clear Crystal looking rocks popping up in enclosure

DesertHerd

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Hi all,
I keep noticing and removing clear white crystal looking “rocks” from my enclosure and dont know what is causing them if they are coming out of the hatchlings. I have attached pictures of them for reference. They are all the same opaque clear material, some are just dirtier than others. At first I thought it was urates or some type of kidney stone but these are solid crystal consistency and cant be broken up or crumbled with force. There seems to be lots of very small (sand grain sized) white crystals throughout their coco coir substrate, so not sure what could be causing it. They havent been in their outdoor enclosure in a few months so its not like they could eat rocks out there and pass them in the enclosure. I also havent seen clear crystal like stones like that outside ever. Thanks in advance for the advice and knowledge.

Extra knowledge that may help: I soak them for 20 minutes daily and they are mainly fed escarole and endive at the moment until their weeds grow.
 

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DesertHerd

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Location (City and/or State)
Tustin, CA
Hi all,
I keep noticing and removing clear white crystal looking “rocks” from my enclosure and dont know what is causing them if they are coming out of the hatchlings. I have attached pictures of them for reference. They are all the same opaque clear material, some are just dirtier than others. At first I thought it was urates or some type of kidney stone but these are solid crystal consistency and cant be broken up or crumbled with force. There seems to be lots of very small (sand grain sized) white crystals throughout their coco coir substrate, so not sure what could be causing it. They havent been in their outdoor enclosure in a few months so its not like they could eat rocks out there and pass them in the enclosure. I also havent seen clear crystal like stones like that outside ever. Thanks in advance for the advice and knowledge.

Extra knowledge that may help: I soak them for 20 minutes daily and they are mainly fed escarole and endive at the moment until their weeds grow.
Also the biggest one is about the size of their heads so I dont see any way in which they could have eaten something that big, im so confused
 

DesertHerd

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It's just something that's in your substrate. What type and brand substrate did you buy?
Zoomed coco coir bricks from Petco, the smaller granular ones make sense that it comes like that but the bigger ones are what confused me since they seem to “pop up” just sitting on the surface when I keep it really compressed.
 

Tom

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Zoomed coco coir bricks from Petco, the smaller granular ones make sense that it comes like that but the bigger ones are what confused me since they seem to “pop up” just sitting on the surface when I keep it really compressed.
Given all of your descriptions of your routine, this is pretty weird. They can pass stones months after eating them sometimes, but it sure seems like the bigger pieces would be too big for that... I've never seen this sort of mineral rock stuff in coco coir. Very odd.
 

DesertHerd

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Given all of your descriptions of your routine, this is pretty weird. They can pass stones months after eating them sometimes, but it sure seems like the bigger pieces would be too big for that... I've never seen this sort of mineral rock stuff in coco coir. Very odd.
Yeah I am confused as well. I hope they are from the substrate and the torts arent trying to pass these. I will bring them to Dr Greek next week when I have him look at big guys swollen leg and see if he has any thoughts.
 

TammyJ

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I would clean out everything and change the substrate. This is strange.
Do you have a child around who is curious and inventive?
 

Maro2Bear

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Interesting for sure. So, once you see, find & remove some….you are saying more & more appear? Or, this was a one-time find? They sure do look like some kind of rock substance.

Keep us posted!
 

TammyJ

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It coul
Interesting for sure. So, once you see, find & remove some….you are saying more & more appear? Or, this was a one-time find? They sure do look like some kind of rock substance.

Keep us posted!
It could only be that either they came in the substrate, or someone is putting them in there - if they keep "appearing". Unless we are now getting into the Twilight Zone.
 

DesertHerd

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Interesting for sure. So, once you see, find & remove some….you are saying more & more appear? Or, this was a one-time find? They sure do look like some kind of rock substance.

Keep us posted!
@Tom @Yvonne G @TammyJ Update for everyone. I ordered new coco coir bricks, this time a different brand (not a reptile company) and cleaned out the enclosure and replaced all the substrate. It seems that this coco coir too has these mineral like granular specs and rocks throughout it. Definitely relieved that they arent coming out of the herd. Curious though as to what brand/type of coco coir yall are using ive youve never noticed the rocks. Please let me know so I can try and find some mineral rock free substrate! Thanks all for the insight, Im so glad I found this group!
 

TammyJ

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What ingredients are listed in the coir that you got recently? I still really am intrigued by these mysterious rock things.
 

Maro2Bear

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What ingredients are listed in the coir that you got recently? I still really am intrigued by these mysterious rock things.

Me too. ? Ive bought & used plenty of cubes of coir & never ever had anything but fine coir. Thus the head scratching on the “stones” that keep on appearing…. ?‍♂️
 
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DesertHerd

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Me too. ? Ive bought & used plenty of cubes of coir & never ever had anything but fine coir. Thus the head scratching on the “stones” that keep on appearing…. ?‍♂️
What ingredients are listed in the coir that you got recently? I still really am intrigued by these mysterious rock things.
They both just said 100% natural coconut coir. So strange!
 

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wellington

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I have bought loads of both eco earth bricks and loose and also bulk off brand stuff. Never have I gotten anything in it other then the coir itself.
The first pic you posted possibly something added for plants.
The second pic you should not have gotten them in the eco earth.
If there is a number on the package maybe call them and ask what it could be. I haven't bought coir for some time now. They may have change sources.
 

DesertHerd

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I have bought loads of both eco earth bricks and loose and also bulk off brand stuff. Never have I gotten anything in it other then the coir itself.
The first pic you posted possibly something added for plants.
The second pic you should not have gotten them in the eco earth.
If there is a number on the package maybe call them and ask what it could be. I haven't bought coir for some time now. They may have change sources.
yeah both said 100% coco coir substrate, no additives. I bought the one labelled as planting to see if the rocks were just a reptile thing. Just strange that the exact same mineral stones came in both.
 

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