NikkiLorene
New Member
Hi! My name is Nikki and my torts name is Shelli. She is a Russian. I've had her for several years now and have read almost everything on tortoisetrust.org website. I'm having trouble getting the substrate just right and am also confused because the care guide for Russians on the affiliated Tortoise Trust (TT) website says to use a 50/50 mix of play sand and topsoil, however, as I read through these threads it seems like everyone is doing it differently or using a substrate not recommended by TT. So what is the best substrate? I wish I could directly contact TT and ask, but the website told me to come here as they cannot answer hundreds of emails everyday. I live in the US and correct tortoise substrate is extremely hard to find. I greatly wanted to purchase the Prorep Tortoise Life substrate from the UK because it seems to be exactly what TT recommends, but they do not ship internationally sadly. I have attempted 50/50 play sand/top soil in the past but felt like there was more sand than soil? Perhaps I'm doing it wrong? As in... if I buy a 30lb bag of play sand and 30lb of topsoil, that would be equal parts correct? A 50/50 blend? I hope I've provided enough information. I have her in a custom built tortoise table.
Sincerely, Nikki and Shelli.
Sincerely, Nikki and Shelli.