Moldy Coco Chip

Chip0282

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Semarang
Hi all, I'm currently using closed Chamber with Coco Chip as substrate, humidity 80%+ and sometime I mist it with water. Just realized some area of the enclosure, coco chip become molded . Is it dangerous? Should I replace all? Or just discard the molded Coco only ?

How to prevent this from happening or it's common and need to be replaced over and over again?

Thanks
 

Attachments

  • 6F2B6ECE-CC9E-48F4-B5C6-04F70C1FC64E.jpeg
    6F2B6ECE-CC9E-48F4-B5C6-04F70C1FC64E.jpeg
    1,002 KB · Views: 14
  • ECDBD97A-3AFF-4E6C-BCA3-6F9602D95DDB.jpeg
    ECDBD97A-3AFF-4E6C-BCA3-6F9602D95DDB.jpeg
    768.1 KB · Views: 14

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
I use coco chip and it has never molded. But it is in a skink's viv, and it's kept with low to moderate humidity.

Maybe you could try pushing the top layer aside and moisten the lower layers, then recover the damp layers with the dry. Maybe some of the moisture will wick up from the bottom layers, helping to dry the top so no swamp, and no mold.
 

Chip0282

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Semarang
It happen in certain area. Let me try switch to exoterra Coco Chip. One or two times a week I give them Mazuri , or maybe because of that , some area of Coco Chip become molded?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
It happen in certain area. Let me try switch to exoterra Coco Chip. One or two times a week I give them Mazuri , or maybe because of that , some area of Coco Chip become molded?
The coco itself doesn't mold. If there is anything, like food residue, on the surface of it, that can mold. I'd remove the molded stuff.

I only feed Mazuri to them in their outside enclosures. Keeps things much neater inside.
 

Chip0282

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Semarang
The coco itself doesn't mold. If there is anything, like food residue, on the surface of it, that can mold. I'd remove the molded stuff.

I only feed Mazuri to them in their outside enclosures. Keeps things much neater inside.
After more investigation , i noticed that the molded coco chip is found at inside the hiding cave, so maybe tortoise sit on mazuri while eating, after that they go to hiding and sleep there. so the mazuri's residue there become molded.

so thanks for the advice, better feed mazuri outside, then clean them, after that can put it inside enclosure again
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom
Top