Impossible to find substrate

[tortoisecrca]

I’ve been trying to track down cypress mulch and orchid bark and after going looking and phoning places no one has it here . I’m in Winnipeg Manitoba. It’s for his outside enclosure and I need a lot of substrate. I couldn’t locate coco coir even at garden centres which will be less than 130-150 to put in his enclosure. I plan on putting a layer of paving bricks to make a floor but am trying to find some large bags other that coco core bricks to expand or coco bark to. use. There’s lots of types of mulch but only cedar which I know won’t work.
I’ve checked hie depot, gardening centres, pet stores etc . Any ideas on where to find it near where I would be welcome. I did uses zoomed coco bark in his indoor enclosure and that was expensive which is ok but now I need a lot more
Thanks .

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

What type of dirt you have in your yard? Is there a reason you can't use it/put the enclosure on the ground?

 

[tortoisecrca]

What type of dirt you have in your yard? Is there a reason you can't use it/put the enclosure on the ground?

Not sure, on the type of dirt, but it’s on the ground but there’s cement blocks. Very poor dirt. There’s probably a foot or plus of dirt in it, it’s a fair height and we’ve already dumped some of the old soil out as it’s a lot. And I don’t want him to take a chance to escape. All I know is the original yards are a lot of silt he said . . So will need new bedding . We were growing tons of peppers in it up to last year so not sure what’s in the soil that he used. I assume he needs new substrate. He said he used organic fertilizer last year. There’s also a top layer of mulch on it we can take out. ( I believe it’s coloured and not cypress

 

[wellington]

Post a pic of the yard enclosure.

 

[tortoisecrca]

The mulch is about an inch scattered over . There’s a lid as well

 

[tortoisecrca]

Post a pic of the yard enclosure.

 

[wellington]

I would raise the sides more and put a lip/hang over so he can't climb out and leave it as is or add some safe leaves to one end and he likely will just dig in, in the leaves
Or, you could remove the substrate, lay fencing down and then put substrate back over the fencing. Then he can't dig down further then the fencing. But the sides still look to low.
How big is the enclosure and is the tortoise and adult? Adults need a minimum of a 4x8 enclosure bigger if possible.

 

[tortoisecrca]

I would raise the sides more and put a lip/hang over so he can't climb out and leave it as is or add some safe leaves to one end and he likely will just dig in, in the leaves
Or, you could remove the substrate, lay fencing down and then put substrate back over the fencing. Then he can't dig down further then the fencing. But the sides still look to low.
How big is the enclosure and is the tortoise and adult? Adults need a minimum of a 4x8 enclosure bigger if possible.

No, he’s not ful grown.. there’s a wire and wood lid that will be secured on the enclosure, sorry I should have taken a pic. We’ll take some
Dirt out and instead of the flat bricks under I will use fencing on the bottom as you suggested . My husband figures 7 and a big x four. He won’t be livin outside 24/7 as smoke can get bad around here. We’ll make it bigger . Thanks..

 

[wellington]

No, he’s not ful grown.. there’s a wire and wood lid that will be secured on the enclosure, sorry I should have taken a pic. We’ll take some
Dirt out and instead of the flat bricks under I will use fencing on the bottom as you suggested . My husband figures 7 and a big x four. He won’t be livin outside 24/7 as smoke can get bad around here. We’ll make it bigger . Thanks..

Okay wait. You have brick on the bottom/floor so he can't dig out? If so that's fine. They don't really dig into the floor as much as they try to climb out of dig along the perimeter. He might dig down some to cover himself.
As long as you have a top, I would leave as is. Add a hide, water saucer and a few tortoise safe plants for coverage.

 

[wellington]

If he is more hatchling size, he needs an indoor closed chamber enclosure with 80% humidity and can go outside in the outside enclosure for like an hour each day or when it's nice enough.
If he is more of a juvenile size, 2 or 3 years, he can spend part of the day out there and then put him in a closed chamber high humidity enclosure when you bring him in for the night.

 

[tortoisecrca]

If he is more hatchling size, he needs an indoor closed chamber enclosure with 80% humidity and can go outside in the outside enclosure for like an hour each day or when it's nice enough.
If he is more of a juvenile size, 2 or 3 years, he can spend part of the day out there and then put him in a closed chamber high humidity enclosure when you bring him in for the night.

Oh he’s definately not hatchling size. I was told he was two and lived with a bigger redfoot, didn’t go well but fortunately I bought him from the guy. I think he’s older, I’ll take a pic of him.

 

[Tom]

Oh he’s definately not hatchling size. I was told he was two and lived with a bigger redfoot, didn’t go well but fortunately I bought him from the guy. I think he’s older, I’ll take a pic of him.

That mulch looks like it would be fine, but that soil under it is full or perlite. Perlite will be eaten and it can kill them over time. Looks like you need to break out the shovels...

Once the perlite soil is removed, you can just refill it with any suitable "clean" dirt. You don't need "substrate" for an outoor pen, and store bought soils are not safe to use. Dirt from another part of your yard will work just fine. You can swap and put the perlite soil wherever you are removing the "clean" dirt from.

 

[wellington]

Oh he’s definately not hatchling size. I was told he was two and lived with a bigger redfoot, didn’t go well but fortunately I bought him from the guy. I think he’s older, I’ll take a pic of him.

No, no hatching. I would guess older than two. If he was bought originally from a pet store then he is likely wild caught and older than 10.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

No, no hatching. I would guess older than two. If he was bought originally from a pet store then he is likely wild caught and older than 10.

Yep, he looks full grown or almost full grown. Probably male.