New Tortoise Owner =)

BenDoc

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Ot shouldn't mold.
What are you using?
(I never had orchid bark get moldy.)


I had the cypress mulch originally, and there was snow mold forming on the top of the mulch and the glass of the tank. I changed the bedding today to cypress mulch mixed with eco earth.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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Get some ORCHID BARK from Home Depot.
Just plain, unmessed with, nothing added Orchid Bark.
It doesnt mold, smell weird and stays damp.
There also haven't been any reports of Redfoot eating it, etc.
I have in the past used about 4" of Orchid bark with another 2 or so inches of plain potting soil (also without anything added) and orchid bark mixed at about 50/50 on top of it. I pour water into the corners about once a week or whenever the humidity drops off. The Orchid bark retains liquid. Giving off humidity. But the top layer with potting soil stays relatively dry. It should never be REALLY WET.
Also. My sleep areas are always dry. The enclosure is humid. But the sleeping areas are dry. The ground that is.
Now. It's TRUE that not all potting soil in every location of the country, or the world is like ours here. A lot of it is full of sand. The potting soil I get is the black, dark brown crumbly kind. Very little sand.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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Mulch is what I use outside in my pens.
I always hand sift it in a wheelbarrow first. There is a LOT of garbage, plastic, all kinds of crap in it.
And Eco Earth I've never used at all. So I cant say if it's any good.
 

BenDoc

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Mulch is what I use outside in my pens.
I always hand sift it in a wheelbarrow first. There is a LOT of garbage, plastic, all kinds of crap in it.
And Eco Earth I've never used at all. So I cant say if it's any good.


I'm definitely going to look into the orchid bark then. I appreciate the help with everything! She seems to be much happier and active lately.
 

Pastel Tortie

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Ot shouldn't mold.
What are you using?
(I never had orchid bark get moldy.)
I haven't used orchid bark in my box turtle's indoor enclosure (yet), but I have plenty of experience using orchid bark for repotting, well... orchids. I don't usually have a problem with smell or mold until the orchid bark starts to break down. Then you just have to replace it. Depending on how wet it's kept, that could be as short as a year, or more likely two to three years, possibly more if it stays on the dry side.

If you didn't have to worry about possible ingestion by the tortoise, I'd suggest mixing in activated charcoal. That's what I'd do for an orchid, before I moved onto something stronger.

Cinnamon is supposed to have some mild antifungal properties, but usually by the time I resort to applying something to a plant, it usually requires something stronger than cinnamon. I can't say it's helped much if the mold is readily visible.
 

BenDoc

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Okay, I have a good resource for you regarding cleaning and disinfectants. From one of my most trusted resources about reptiles www.anapsid.org.

Information on Disinfectants from the Reptile Veterinary Literature
http://www.anapsid.org/disinfectants.html


Thank you for the response! The problem I'm having is snow mold on the top of her substrate. I was trying to find a simple mixture or solution that can be used to wipe or spray on the inside of the tank to kill off and protect everything inside the tank from getting moldy. I have no idea how everyone can keep a tank at 80% humidity with heat and uv lamps on for almost all day, inside of a house, without a single mold problem! Lol
 

Pastel Tortie

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Thank you for the response! The problem I'm having is snow mold on the top of her substrate. I was trying to find a simple mixture or solution that can be used to wipe or spray on the inside of the tank to kill off and protect everything inside the tank from getting moldy. I have no idea how everyone can keep a tank at 80% humidity with heat and uv lamps on for almost all day, inside of a house, without a single mold problem! Lol
I suspect NOT living in Florida contributes to their success. ;)
 

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