mold?

ReddyFreddy

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While changing my tortoise`s substrate, I noticed a spot of mold had formed under my plastic mats. I`m not worried about the structural integrity of the table, but wanted to make sure this mold isn`t harmful even under plastic and soil.
 

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Maro2Bear

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Greetings. It’s not harmful really to your tort, it just indicates that you didnt do a good job of waterproofing the bottom layer. That said, id say most people don’t go through the trouble or expense to do a 100 % clean out of substrate. Most ppl “spot” clean. Clean up old food, obvious soiled areas, etc.

  • I found it easier to spot clean and just add clean new handfuls of coir every few weeks, than doing a 100 pe4cent substrate toss.
You might want to lift up that plastic, let it dry out, and put down a better liner so your very bottom doesnt get ruined from rot and mildew.

Happy Torting
 

ReddyFreddy

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Yea there was a spot in the plastic liner that i missed with the staple gun. I did a major change since it had been a while and I`m moving. Second question, does topsoil contain pine bark usually?
 

Maro2Bear

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Yea there was a spot in the plastic liner that i missed with the staple gun. I did a major change since it had been a while and I`m moving. Second question, does topsoil contain pine bark usually?

Topsoil....no, you shouldnt be able to see any pine bark “pieces” in real topsoil. That said...if it’s from a store...they mix all kinds of things and sell it. So it would not surprize me to see pine bark pieces...
 

ReddyFreddy

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Topsoil....no, you shouldnt be able to see any pine bark “pieces” in real topsoil. That said...if it’s from a store...they mix all kinds of things and sell it. So it would not surprize me to see pine bark pieces...
Yea that`s what i thought and why i have avoided it in the past.
 

Maro2Bear

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I had great success with plain cypress mulch from HD mixed in with coco coir as well as some peat moss. You never know what is mixed up these days in most bagged soils (and mulches). Now, i just gather “stuff” from our forest garden back yard and add that in to our Sullys house for her substrate. Bonus = free.
 

ReddyFreddy

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I had him on organic garden soil and cyprus and it worked real well. I got the natures care organic garden soil cause i could not find what i used last time and im going to try to find more cyprus
 

Maro2Bear

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Ps. Looking at your enclosure, you might want to put a larger plastic layer that goes up the sides. From what i see, you don’t have much going up the sides of the enclosure.

I had my enclosure sealed with plastic and tarp up to about 6-8 inches....then topped with the mulch to a bit less. Didnt have any water, moidture or mold issues.

- then, what i did was nail a piece of PVC molding along the very edge of the tarp, all around the edge. This really held up well.
 

ReddyFreddy

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Yea I kept the liner about 1 in up just to protect against areas that would stay moist. I figured the top would dry faster, but I can fix it easy, don't think I have to remove the substrate to do it.
 
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