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- Feb 21, 2010
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When keeping your Redfoot in a naturalistic enclosure or vivarium indoors, there are many options to consider for your substrate. Being a high humidity tortoise here are a few ways I have found helpful to retain your moisture thus providing a humid environment as well as a “natural type†planting substrate as well and appeasing to the eye of the tortoise.
One of the first “layers†I use is a medium grade/size pea gravel , I make sure that the size that is used is not one that could be ingested by the tortoise during feeding / digging . Next a sheet moss layer of 2†and finally your soil/top substrate of choice. Within this substrate mixture and or “layering†, many plants can be grown hydroponically. You can also increase the humidity easily by filling the gravel bed with water. .pouring directly thru substrate mix.
Potting soil is the top layer and plants directly into the soil. With soil type substrates just as themselves, this can lead to a build up of toxins because it doesn’t drain particularly well unless it placed on top of a gravel bed .
Orchid bark or Ground cover bark can also be used as a high humidity substrate, which when large enough , the torts can not ingest. When choosing this option you can mist the enclosure one to three times a day to make sure that the humidity level is sufficient as the bark retains moisture well. Plants can be added and left in the pots they came in buried beneath the bark.
Happy Tort~N
JD
One of the first “layers†I use is a medium grade/size pea gravel , I make sure that the size that is used is not one that could be ingested by the tortoise during feeding / digging . Next a sheet moss layer of 2†and finally your soil/top substrate of choice. Within this substrate mixture and or “layering†, many plants can be grown hydroponically. You can also increase the humidity easily by filling the gravel bed with water. .pouring directly thru substrate mix.
Potting soil is the top layer and plants directly into the soil. With soil type substrates just as themselves, this can lead to a build up of toxins because it doesn’t drain particularly well unless it placed on top of a gravel bed .
Orchid bark or Ground cover bark can also be used as a high humidity substrate, which when large enough , the torts can not ingest. When choosing this option you can mist the enclosure one to three times a day to make sure that the humidity level is sufficient as the bark retains moisture well. Plants can be added and left in the pots they came in buried beneath the bark.
Happy Tort~N
JD
