HELP! Never ending stomach!
- Thread starter collinmcd
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What are you using for substrate?
Cypress
I would get rid of the wood pieces. Maybe plant some grass or buy some sod and plain dirt and put dirt and grass all over and get rid of the cypress if he's eating it. That's just what I would do. I don't like the sharp pieces in the cypress. I use coconut coir inside and plain grass, weeds, dirt outside. I have a leopard.
Would organic topsoil work? Or should I just go dig a pit and use that dirt?
Organic would be fine. You just don't want any fertilizers, food, weed killers etc in it. But plain dirt you dig up is also fine.
Alright he seems to have stopped trying to eat the little rocks too so thanks a ton 
I would also get rid of the little rocks, you can put a piece of cuddle bone in there and see if he will chew on that. Organic top soil is fine, I use it in my indoor enclosures. How often are you feeding him?
About 3/4ths of a cup of spring mix in the morning mixed with romaine lettuce and dandelion greens, same at night. He gets 2 soakings a day and his indoor enclosure always stays relatively humid. Would any of these factors play a roll in his curiosity towards substrate and soil?
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- May 28, 2012
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Where do you get this organic topsoil from. I'm a new tortoise owner, they took over my life. I'm constantly trying to figure the best and cheapest substrate to use. I built them a huge indoor enclosure but it costs about 200 in coconut fiber to fill it....I can't figure out how to grow live plants....I don't know where to find weeds. I bought the topsoil but when I opened it smelled so I threw it out. Everyone makes it sound so easy...please help lol
Are you using any colored bulbs during the day? It didn't look like it in the pics.
Could be a mineral deficiency. Do you supplement his calcium? How often and how much? Any other supplements?
Could be a mineral deficiency. Do you supplement his calcium? How often and how much? Any other supplements?
I do sprinkle cuttle bone over his daily feed, so plenty of calcium I would say. I got my topsoil at lowes and just buy small plants and plant it in your outdoor enclosure. My indoor enclosure uses a 75 watt basking bulb for the day and a purple looking one for night. I have a 75 watt UVB lamp too. His four temperatures are 101 basking 93 shade 86 in his house and 80 at night.
Your temps sound great.
If they get too much calcium too often, it interferes with the absorption of other minerals and trace elements. This can make them feel the need to balance the imbalance by eating all sorts of things. Rocks and substrate are the two most common things that I have seen. I would only sprinkle the cuttle bone over the food two or thee times a week max. To help things even more, order up some Miner-All. Its a mineral supplement and I've seen it stop some torts from eating things they shouldn't.
Good to know your baby has a good appetite.
If they get too much calcium too often, it interferes with the absorption of other minerals and trace elements. This can make them feel the need to balance the imbalance by eating all sorts of things. Rocks and substrate are the two most common things that I have seen. I would only sprinkle the cuttle bone over the food two or thee times a week max. To help things even more, order up some Miner-All. Its a mineral supplement and I've seen it stop some torts from eating things they shouldn't.
Good to know your baby has a good appetite.
Tom said:Your temps sound great.
If they get too much calcium too often, it interferes with the absorption of other minerals and trace elements. This can make them feel the need to balance the imbalance by eating all sorts of things. Rocks and substrate are the two most common things that I have seen. I would only sprinkle the cuttle bone over the food two or thee times a week max. To help things even more, order up some Miner-All. Its a mineral supplement and I've seen it stop some torts from eating things they shouldn't.
Good to know your baby has a good appetite.
So putting minerals all over the enclosure won't make them want it more? Mine is having the same issue, but I use forest moss, and he acts like it's better than what I put on his plate! Lol..
Kim, not sure I understand your question. Feeding a BALANCED mineral supplement instead of pure calcium carbonate, helps to put their body chemistry right again. Is that what you were wanting to know?
In your case the moss probably just looks like food...
In your case the moss probably just looks like food...
Tom said:
Sorry I guess I mis-understood, I thought you were saying to sprinkle the minerals all over the substrate and it confused me for a minute
lol! I guess mine does just look like food, but could it be harmful when he eats it?
I don't know if that stuff is safe to eat or not. But if it's sort of green and remotely plantlike, a sulcata will eat it. I don't know how people maintain these beautiful planted indoor enclosures with tortoises. Mine either trample or eat any of that sort of stuff.
I don't know how people maintain these beautiful planted indoor enclosures with tortoises. Mine either trample or eat any of that sort of stuff.- Status
