Is mold safe for sulcatas?

[FavoriteTortoise]

I was doing my weekly spot clean of my torts tank and found mold growing on the inside of his hide. Is this something i can just clean off and it will be fine? Keeping a high humidity while keeping mold out seems impossible.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Depends on the type of mold.
But any mold should be eliminated.
Even if it means a making newly constructed enclosure.
In this case, throw away that half log and replace it with half a flowerpot on its side.
Those logs are always prone to soak up pee and get funky

 

[FavoriteTortoise]

Depends on the type of mold.
But any mold should be eliminated.
Even if it means a making newly constructed enclosure.
In this case, throw away that half log and replace it with half a flowerpot on its side.
Those logs are always prone to soak up pee and get funky

Can i bake the log in the oven weekly? He really likes his log...

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Can i bake the log in the oven weekly? He really likes his log...

I'm not sure.
Maybe you can bleach it in the sink and leave it overnight to dry off?
Have you tried a flower pot? It's the same general shape and it's a $1.99 option that will last indefinitely.
I even use giant pots outside for my adult RF

 

[FavoriteTortoise]

I'm not sure.
Maybe you can bleach it in the sink and leave it overnight to dry off?
Have you tried a flower pot? It's the same general shape and it's a $1.99 option that will last indefinitely.
I even use giant pots outside for my adult RF

my sulcata needs a humid hide so i thought wood wouldnt be a bad idea, ill bake it for about an hour and see how it comes out. if that doesnt work ill start looking into pots

 

[Pastel Tortie]

How wide is the hollowed out log? If it isn't more than 8 inches or so wide, you should be able to find a faux half log replacement. Petsmart had some reasonably priced resin versions (their proprietary brand, Thrive, I think) in a range of sizes.

The real hollowed out half logs always absorbed water when I tried to use them for my turtles, and it was yucky.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

my sulcata needs a humid hide so i thought wood wouldnt be a bad idea, ill bake it for about an hour and see how it comes out. if that doesnt work ill start looking into pots

I can't speak from experience that baking will kill the mold and not do anything detrimental to the log.
It'll be an experiment in progress.
Please report how it goes.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

How wide is the hollowed out log? If it isn't more than 8 inches or so wide, you should be able to find a faux half log replacement. Petsmart had some reasonably priced resin versions (their proprietary brand, Thrive, I think) in a range of sizes.

The real hollowed out half logs always absorbed water when I tried to use them for my turtles, and it was yucky.

My brief use with those logs had the same results.
They are not so swift in a tortoise enclosure

 

[FavoriteTortoise]

How wide is the hollowed out log? If it isn't more than 8 inches or so wide, you should be able to find a faux half log replacement. Petsmart had some reasonably priced resin versions (their proprietary brand, Thrive, I think) in a range of sizes.

The real hollowed out half logs always absorbed water when I tried to use them for my turtles, and it was yucky.

im trying to keep from using artificial stuff in the enclosure, my goal was to use only things you could find in the wild, if they interact with mold in the wild, i cant imagine its too terrible for them?

 

[Pastel Tortie]

im trying to keep from using artificial stuff in the enclosure, my goal was to use only things you could find in the wild, if they interact with mold in the wild, i cant imagine its too terrible for them?

In the wild, if something is uncomfortable or bad for them (be it mold or another tortoise), they can usually get away from it. Keep in mind, indoor enclosures are naturalistic, not natural.

I'm nature, log hides would either be baked by the sun on a daily basis (or near daily basis) or decompose due to moisture, fungi (such as mushrooms), and other natural processes that break down dead tree limbs.

 

[Maggie3fan]

my sulcata needs a humid hide so i thought wood wouldnt be a bad idea, ill bake it for about an hour and see how it comes out. if that doesnt work ill start looking into pots

Just soak the log in a weak bleach solution for a bit. Then rinse really well

 

[FavoriteTortoise]

Just soak the log in a weak bleach solution for a bit. Then rinse really well

I fail to grasp how bleach is better than mold?

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I fail to grasp how bleach is better than mold?

Bleach breaks down after a short time and becomes nontoxic on surfaces, even when used at higher concentrations.
It's used to disinfect water (used in small amounts) in emergencies to make it safe to drink.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I fail to grasp how bleach is better than mold?

Mold can float on the air and destroy lungs. When you use a weak bleach solution is kills mold on contact and rinsing removes the bleach and mold

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Mold can float on the air and destroy lungs. When you use a weak bleach solution is kills mold on contact and rinsing removes the bleach and mold

That was my understanding also.