Eco earth?

[Ohio animal lover]

This is probably a weird question but i want what's best for my boxies. I have eco earth in my box turtles cage and I plan on putting some worms in there but I was wondering if its ok for the worms to be covered in eco earth when the box turtle eats it?? The previous owner had all the box turtles in repti bark. or is the eco earth bad for them to eat?

 

[wellington]

It's not bad for them, but I wouldn't want mine eating that much of it all the time. Can you get leaf litter and plain, pesticide and fertilizer free dirt? Even dirt from your yard if it's clean from the pesticides and fertilizers will work.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

It's okay, but it's not nutrient rich so it doesn't support bug life well. I mix a little coir into aged organic compost from my garden, but others use clean top soil. Another way to offer clean worms is to drop them in the water dish to feed.

 

[terryo]

For the little one's I put them in a dish with a bit of water and some water turtle pellets. If you put some leaf litter on one side of the enclosure and put the worms in there they'll stay a little cleaner, but I often see my outdoor turtles find a worm that is covered in soil, and eat it.

 

[Ohio animal lover]

Just adding leaves to the eco earth will be better than just the eco earth itself? (when adding live worms in the cage?) ?

And Will this soil work? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FE1GGG2/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Adding leaves to Ecco earth is a very good thing to do. It provides hides, feeds bugs, and gets turned into the substrate to enrich it.

I would be deeply suspicious of any bagged soil product that makes claims - in this case moisture holding. You want to stay away from additives of all kinds. There was one cheap brand at the hardware store that contained a little sand, and that was fine. Perlite and vermiculite are dangerous because they cause gut impaction. Chemicals are also bad.

 

[terryo]

The moisture holding soil is not good. There are tiny, teeny pieces of sponge like things in there. I buy that for my indoor plants because I have that awful dry forced air heat. Just get any cheap soil with nothing in it. Or go in your yard if you have no furtilizer in your garden and dig some up. I always add leaf litter to the vivariums that are inside (box turtle ones). But that's just how I do things. I love leaf litter and pine hay and put a bunch of it on one side of the vivariums. I don't use any hides. They just dig into that. I also change things around a lot.