Coco coir or cypress mulch?

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ckidd_1999

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Iv always heard that both coco coir and cypress mulch are both good substrates for a Greek tortoise. Can I put both together in his enclosure or just choose one? Which is better?
 

Yvonne G

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Orchid bark - hands down!!!!!!!
 

theelectraco

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emysemys said:
Orchid bark - hands down!!!!!!!

Never actually seen orchid bark so I googled it, reminds me of reptibark, does it help with humidity? If so, any better than cypress mulch?
 

wellington

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To me the best is coconut coir. Doesn't mold, holds in humidity really well, doesnt cause impaction, and is the closest to sand/dirt with out it actually being it.
 

CtTortoiseMom

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I love cypress and did not like coco coir. But, ultimately it's a personal preference and both are adequate.
 

ckidd_1999

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I think I may try coco coir right now, and if its no good then I will change it for my tortoises next cage cleaning
 

Amber_123

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Everyone has always told me to stay away from bark and use the coc coir stuff I'm trying it out tomorrow! :)
 

stinax182

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the problem, i think, with bark is it doesn't hold humidity well and if it's small enough, it's a choking hazard. that's why i only use it as a top layer with the coco coir in the entire enclosure. and i buy large chips :D
 

Thalatte

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See and I despise coco coir. It has been the source of many eye infections in several different species I have. It has rough edge to the granules so it can be irritating to the eyes especially in species that will dig down into it. And I have heard of it causing impaction in smaller reptiles.
It did hold humidity well and didn't mold as fast but the irritating edges and they way it sticks to everything wasn't worth it to me. Now I use sphagnum peat moss as it holds humidity, you can plant directly into it, is softer, and my desert tortoise eats it quite often and is always regular. Also it's a lot cheaper!
 

TortoiseNoHare

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ckidd_1999 said:
Iv always heard that both coco coir and cypress mulch are both good substrates for a Greek tortoise. Can I put both together in his enclosure or just choose one? Which is better?

I have a redfoot and put a layer of coco coir and then cypress on top! the coco coir stays really moist most of the time from the humidity, its great!
 

Arizona Sulcata

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I use coco coir. I've also heard great things about cypress mulch. Reason I haven't even attempted Cypress mulch is because I've had such excellent results with the coco coir. So I don't plan on fixing what's not broke however Cypress mulch would be my go to second choice.
 

pdrobber

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I keep thinking coco coir is okay and then I realize I hate it because it sticks to everything so much. On the other hand it would work great by itself because poop could be scooped easily.

I have a feeling cypress has been the cause of my troubles with fungal shell infections and bugs because of how poop gets squashed up in it causing me to not spot clean.

I just started using the compressed moss from exo terra and I like it so far. Maybe I'll use more of it from now on.
 

theelectraco

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pdrobber said:
I keep thinking coco coir is okay and then I realize I hate it because it sticks to everything so much. On the other hand it would work great by itself because poop could be scooped easily.

I have a feeling cypress has been the cause of my troubles with fungal shell infections and bugs because of how poop gets squashed up in it causing me to not spot clean.

I just started using the compressed moss from exo terra and I like it so far. Maybe I'll use more of it from now on.

The 'just add water' moss brick? How much does that cover?
 

cemmons12

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Coco Coir for my kid's as well, love the stuff and my Ophelia loves to bury herself in it so mcuch!
 

pdrobber

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It came with two thin bricks that together make a brick the size of a coco coir brick. I only used one thin moss brick and it made quite a bit, enough to fill the hide, cover the hide, and cover the ground around the hide. The hide is one of those big pretzel tubs on its side on one half of a 20G tank.
 
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