Looking for substrate advice

[Augustus1508]

So for my augustus (2 years old in a vivarium) weve been using coco coir just on its own, however over the past week ive noticed him making "whistle" sounds through his nose. the noise isnt happening 24/7 but have noticed its happened after he sniffs his substrate.

Ive been keeping an eye on him like a hawk I regards to other symptoms (more serious) but thankfully i havent noticed anyway.

Hes acting completely like his normal self, climbing everything, sliding down everything, eating like normal etc.

I was just wondering if i could get some advice on how to prevent this from happening as ive been trying things all week and im all out of options! When the noise happens i do bath him (not more than once in a day) and it does seem to subside so it seems to be hes getting stuff in his nose

 

[Tom]

So for my augustus (2 years old in a vivarium) weve been using coco coir just on its own, however over the past week ive noticed him making "whistle" sounds through his nose. the noise isnt happening 24/7 but have noticed its happened after he sniffs his substrate.

Ive been keeping an eye on him like a hawk I regards to other symptoms (more serious) but thankfully i havent noticed anyway.

Hes acting completely like his normal self, climbing everything, sliding down everything, eating like normal etc.

I was just wondering if i could get some advice on how to prevent this from happening as ive been trying things all week and im all out of options! When the noise happens i do bath him (not more than once in a day) and it does seem to subside so it seems to be hes getting stuff in his nose

What species? What size is the tortoise and enclosure? Is the coir hand packed and kept damp, or is it dry? What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and overnight low? What heating and lighting equipment are you using?

 

[Augustus1508]

What species? What size is the tortoise and enclosure? Is the coir hand packed and kept damp, or is it dry? What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and overnight low? What heating and lighting equipment are you using?

Hes a greek tortoise hes roughly about 15cm in 4ft vivarium with an 8ft viv on the way, coir is hand packed and is damp not dry not too wet. Warm side roughly 33.5c middle 26-27c
Cool 23-25c over night its warm 27-29c, middle 24-25c and cool 20-21c
Heating is 75w floodlight incandescent and lighting arcadia t5 10% & led 5000-6500k

 

[Augustus1508]

Hes a greek tortoise hes roughly about 15cm in 4ft vivarium with an 8ft viv on the way, coir is hand packed and is damp not dry not too wet. Warm side roughly 33.5c middle 26-27c
Cool 23-25c over night its warm 27-29c, middle 24-25c and cool 20-21c
Heating is 75w floodlight incandescent and lighting arcadia t5 10% & led 5000-6500k

I have added some orchid bark today too for around his food bowl so the fibres dont get into his dish

 

[Tom]

Hes a greek tortoise hes roughly about 15cm in 4ft vivarium with an 8ft viv on the way, coir is hand packed and is damp not dry not too wet. Warm side roughly 33.5c middle 26-27c
Cool 23-25c over night its warm 27-29c, middle 24-25c and cool 20-21c
Heating is 75w floodlight incandescent and lighting arcadia t5 10% & led 5000-6500k

All of this sounds really good. What is the basking temperature directly under the heat lamp?

-There is no need for night heat for a greek unless your house is getting below 10C over night. Anywhere from 10-24C is fine for over night. I like the seasonal variations from summer to fall and spring. Winter is for brumation.

-There should not be hair like fibers in your coir. If there are, you need to sift them out, or use a different brand. Adding orchid bark is totally fine. I like to switch them to all orchid bark once they reach about 8-10cm. It may be that he's gotten a little piece of the coco in his nare, and that is what's making the noise. If appetite and activity level is normal and good, I wouldn't worry too much. It sounds like you've done a great job with set up, lighting, and heat. Frequent soaks and time should clear up the noise if he's showing no other symptoms.

-If you can find a way to do it, it's best to have a large secure outdoor enclosure for him to be in during fair weather. You can bring him in every night, or make a heated shelter to close him up in every night. He can stay in on days with uncooperative weather, or I like to mount a heat lamp on a timer in the outdoor box for days with cold overcast weather.

 

[Augustus1508]

All of this sounds really good. What is the basking temperature directly under the heat lamp?

-There is no need for night heat for a greek unless your house is getting below 10C over night. Anywhere from 10-24C is fine for over night. I like the seasonal variations from summer to fall and spring. Winter is for brumation.

-There should not be hair like fibers in your coir. If there are, you need to sift them out, or use a different brand. Adding orchid bark is totally fine. I like to switch them to all orchid bark once they reach about 8-10cm. It may be that he's gotten a little piece of the coco in his nare, and that is what's making the noise. If appetite and activity level is normal and good, I wouldn't worry too much. It sounds like you've done a great job with set up, lighting, and heat. Frequent soaks and time should clear up the noise if he's showing no other symptoms.

-If you can find a way to do it, it's best to have a large secure outdoor enclosure for him to be in during fair weather. You can bring him in every night, or make a heated shelter to close him up in every night. He can stay in on days with uncooperative weather, or I like to mount a heat lamp on a timer in the outdoor box for days with cold overcast weather.

Basking temps very from 32-35c and we have that attached too a dimming thermostat! The hair like fibres is something I was/am worried about. If I do make the change to all orchid bark is there a better brand to use in the UK? And will it still enable him to burrow? As what ive done is majority orchid bark but keep under the heat lamp orchid and coco and then his hide just coco at the moment! Appetite and activity are completely normal, he is growing so a bit more active & hungry then normal but nothing out of the blue.

I have also noticed over the course of a couple of months himself and his nostrils have grown so I am 99.9% sure it is just something irritating it. Ill keep soaking him and see if it improves!

Also just whilst im here, his beak needs to be trimmed down but we attempted to go to the vets today for it and he completely shelled up the minute we got there, is there any other natural ways other than slate & cuttle fish i could do for him? His diet consists of weeds, flowers etc!

 

[Tom]

Also just whilst im here, his beak needs to be trimmed down but we attempted to go to the vets today for it and he completely shelled up the minute we got there, is there any other natural ways other than slate & cuttle fish i could do for him? His diet consists of weeds, flowers etc!

Basking temp should be up around 36C. 32 isn't quite warm enough. The larger they get, the more this matters. It's more difficult for them to warm their core with an indoor flood lamp as they gain mass and volume. Be sure you've got the correct temperature at tortoise shell height, and that you are projecting the beam onto a large flat rock of one sort or another, so they can get safe belly heat while basking.

Overgrown beaks indicate a husbandry problem. I've only seen this happen when temperatures, UV, or diet is off in some way. It rarely happens when people are doing everything right, which you seem to be. Have you checked your UV levels with a meter? Do you offer calcium with D3 in the greens two or three times per week? Are you feeding whole leaves and stems of the weeds and greens? Do you ever put cut branches of grape vines or mulberry trees in for grazing and hiding?