How Often To Change Substrate?

[Pokeymeg]

View attachment 10007Hi Everyone! I just got a Hermann tortoise last week, about 4 months old. He/she is adorable and seems to be doing well. I have half/half dirt/sand for substrate, and since my little guy seems to keep most of his dirty business to his water dish, do I need to change the substrate very often? How often? I don't want to change it too often, but I also don't want to make my little tortoise scoot around in filth...Sorry if this is a silly question!

 

[Angi]

I change mine about once every 9 months...., but it is a pretty large tort table and I spot clean plus if it is warn ( I live in the mountains in San Diego) they eat and play outside.

 

[Tom]

I soak my babies everyday and they poop in the soaking water, so I never have to clean my substrate. I just remove any uneaten food.

I recommend against sand as a substrate. Even in a mixture. It poses a real risk of impaction and it can irritate their skin and eyes. There are much better alternatives.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Pokeymeg:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

I don't change my substrate. My indoor habitats are only in use during the cold weather, and the substrate will keep that long if you do spot cleanings daily.

 

[cemmons12]

Welcome! I'm surprised at some of the answers that are posted, but then again I am still a newbie. I change Coopers every 2-3 weeks or so. I use Eco Earth coco coir I think is how its spelled. I may not change it as often after reading these posts tho! Have a good day!

 

[Fernando]

Hardly ever. Maybe once or twice a year.

 

[wrmitchell22]

I haven't changed Boulders since I got him a little less than 2 months ago, I spot clean ad remove old food. I stir it up every couple weeks.

 

[Kristina]

I too spot clean and don't change it. I use mainly soil and have worms and isopods and other little living things in there, and they take care of any waste that I miss.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I use cypress mulch indoors and change it annually, but from mid-April through mid-October they live outside, and do their "pooping" during soaks, so there's really little mess.

 

[Pokeymeg]

Wow, thanks for the answers everyone! My name is Meg and I live in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, even though its summer right now, I have my turtle inside all the time. At my current apartment, I know for a fact that my downstairs neighbors throw grub killer all over the grass like its candy So I don't want my little turtle near that. I will see what I can do as an alternative to sand though next time I change my substrate.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Wow, thanks for the answers everyone! My name is Meg and I live in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, even though its summer right now, I have my turtle inside all the time. At my current apartment, I know for a fact that my downstairs neighbors throw grub killer all over the grass like its candy So I don't want my little turtle near that. I will see what I can do as an alternative to sand though next time I change my substrate.

Does your apartment have a balcony? If so, your tort can get sun out there, and, if there's enough room, you could set up an environment.

Back when I lived in apartments, a balcony was pretty much at the top of my list as a "must have", for my tortoise's sake.

 

[Pokeymeg]

Wow, thanks for the answers everyone! My name is Meg and I live in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, even though its summer right now, I have my turtle inside all the time. At my current apartment, I know for a fact that my downstairs neighbors throw grub killer all over the grass like its candy So I don't want my little turtle near that. I will see what I can do as an alternative to sand though next time I change my substrate.

Does your apartment have a balcony? If so, your tort can get sun out there, and, if there's enough room, you could set up an environment.

Back when I lived in apartments, a balcony was pretty much at the top of my list as a "must have", for my tortoise's sake.

Sadly I do not A balcony would be great! I do have a roof outside my window and I could maybe make that work, but it would take some thought...
Does transporting a tortoise stress them out a lot? For example: My parents live 2 miles away and have a fantastic, chemical free yard. Would putting my little guy in a little comfy container and driving him 2 miles cause him undue stress? If not, I would certainly love to take him to visit to the chemical free 'park', so to speak

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Wow, thanks for the answers everyone! My name is Meg and I live in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, even though its summer right now, I have my turtle inside all the time. At my current apartment, I know for a fact that my downstairs neighbors throw grub killer all over the grass like its candy So I don't want my little turtle near that. I will see what I can do as an alternative to sand though next time I change my substrate.

Does your apartment have a balcony? If so, your tort can get sun out there, and, if there's enough room, you could set up an environment.

Back when I lived in apartments, a balcony was pretty much at the top of my list as a "must have", for my tortoise's sake.

Sadly I do not A balcony would be great! I do have a roof outside my window and I could maybe make that work, but it would take some thought...
Does transporting a tortoise stress them out a lot? For example: My parents live 2 miles away and have a fantastic, chemical free yard. Would putting my little guy in a little comfy container and driving him 2 miles cause him undue stress? If not, I would certainly love to take him to visit to the chemical free 'park', so to speak

A short trip shouldn't stress your tort out much...my 1st tortoise lived w/ me in a van for several months at a time, getting out to graze every evening (and occasionally for a few days at a time), and she did fine...she was a pet for about 50 years, the first 30 or so w/ my grandfather, the last 19 w/ me.