Is plaster of paris safe to use as a flooring for my tortoise's enclosure?

[PatMicklewaite]

I use a rather large storage bin for my Russian tortoise because he cannot be outside all the time. The surface area is bigger towards the top of the bin as most bins are and right now I fill it with solid foam fillers covered with tiles, then substrate (he has NO access to the foam underneath) I find that this is solid, but substrate is wasted falling through the cracks in the tile and I don't like that.

I am thinking the next time I do a big clean of his enclosure I would fill around the foam with plaster because it is lighter than something like cement. It seems to be mostly made of calcium/mineral depending on the brand and would prevent him entirely from accessing the foam filler (which has been a concern, I watch him closely on this). It would then be covered with substrate.

Would this be a good idea?

 

[Yvonne G]

Let me see if I'm understanding you: because a plastic bin has more 'floor space' towards the top of the bin, you add some 'filler' to have your enclosure be at the top of the bin instead of at the bottom. I can't imagine this buys you more than an inch or two of floor space. Just get a bigger bin???? For example, the Christmas tree storage bin mfg'd by Iris is 4'x 2' and around $35.

To answer your question, many people make their own calcium chews with plaster of paris, so it's not toxic, however I would be concerned about the possibility of inhaling the dust.