Mulch substrate question

[kevantheman35]

Hi all,
I am in the process of building a new 21’x12’ indoor enclosure for my 50lb sulcata to live out the winter. I am trying to find an economical substrate to use on such a large enclosure. I have already purchased a few 5kg blocks of coco coir to mix with cypress mulch hopefully. I am unable to find bags of pure cypress mulch locally, however Home Depot has these bags of cypress blend. Does anyone think using this would be of concern? Attached are photos of the details.
In the past I have used a sand/top soil mix however I am trying to make this a little less messy. Orchard hay may be another option.

 

[Merilyn (Tortoise lover)]

I think it should be fine because cypress mulch isn't really like soil there is only really one type, but if you want to be 100% safe then go with using the mulch from pet shops.

 

[kevantheman35]

Well it’s not 100% cypress it says “with other naturally harvested woods”. Unfortunately those tiny pet store bags just aren’t feasible with the large area I need to cover.

 

[Merilyn (Tortoise lover)]

If there's any type of wood that could be poisonous to tortoises then i wouldn't use it unless you know all the types of wood in there.

 

[Tom]

Orchid bark can be found in 2.0 cubic foot bags at garden centers for about $10 a bag. You won't find it at HD or Lowes.

 

[JoesMum]

Well it’s not 100% cypress it says “with other naturally harvested woods”. Unfortunately those tiny pet store bags just aren’t feasible with the large area I need to cover.

You will do better to go to a hardware store, garden centre or online to somewhere like Amazon to make your purchase.

The same stuff without a picture of a pet on the label is much cheaper!

Just make sure that whatever you buy has no added fertilisers or white bits like vermiculite in it. The pet store stuff must not have calcium pieces in it - it’s marketed for tortoises, but it’s a bad idea to encourage your tort to eat the substrate!

Make sure the fir bark is a fine grade, otherwise it won’t hold the moisture properly. An alternative is coco coir which is frequently sold in bricks rather than sacks. The bricks break up when they’re moistened with water.

 

[vladimir]

@kevantheman35 what did you end up using for substrate? I'm trying to determine the best / most practical substrate for indoor use in an 8x16 foot enclosure. I've had no luck finding orchid bark mulch or cypress mulch in SE Pennsylvania so far.