Mold?

[PrincessToad]

I think there is mold growing in my habitat! Looks like a blue film is forming on his new flooring. I just replaced the coconut fiber in my torts home, I buy the stuff in bricks and you let it soak so it expands. I've never seen mold in there before. How, why, and will this harm my tort? I removed the visible mold and will replace the flooring tomorrow! The pet store is closed and i don't have any options to replace it till tomorrow! HELP PLEASE!

 

[wellington]

Coconut coir does not mold. Is it forming on other things? Could there be lost food or old poop that is getting moldy? I would not through it out. Remove what you think is mold and stir up the substrate. You can also remove the substrate (coconut coir) and bake it in the oven. About 250 for an hour or so and then reuse it.

 

[TommyZ]

Is the mold on the substrate or on a part of the enclosure?

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[RussianTortoise101]

I would recommend to take the blue stuff out ASAP and do research on it.

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

It's either mold or fungus. Remove it ASAP before your tortoise inhales or ingests it.
Baking should destroy it, but I'd be safe and completely replace. You can use shredded newspaper or wadded up paper towels in the meantime.

I'm in Oregon....I'm all too familiar with molds and fungi. Our state flower!!! Hahah


Sandy
Oregon Tortoise Rescue

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

No big. Probably left over food. If you want to clean/disinfect the coco coir you can toss it in a bucket, I use those 5 gallon ones Home Depot sells, and pour boiling hot water on it. Let it cool some. Strain. Re-use. I got this tip from one of the TFO experts who said he was on his 3rd year of same coco coir, does this a few times a year to clean and disinfect. Brilliant. Saves money. Yay!

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Good to know!!!

I gave up on cc. My Greek hated it, I hated it. Not for us. But admittedly it's probably the ideal substrate.


Sandy
Oregon Tortoise Rescue

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

What also works, is the coco coir on the bottom, for humidity, and then the top layer with fine grade orchid bark. Make sure it is just orchid bark with nothing else, no little white perlite (so there is no accidental perlite eating). The orchid bark makes it less coffee ground-ish.

 

[PrincessToad]

I use coconut fiber. And It's literally new out of packaging. Before replacing the flooring i remove the old fiber by vacuuming then I rinse the terrarium. Therefore there is no food residue or fecal matter. I don't know how this stuff got there. I took a picture before removing it.

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And thank you for all the responses!

 

[Yvonne G]

Huh! That certainly DOES look like the substrate molding. Never heard of CC molding before. There must have been some sort of impurities in it from the factory.