Oh dear..

[Brittany6]

Hi everyone,
So I set up Geniveve's new terrine of coco coir and she seemes to be having a very hard time walking in it. I did spray it down before I put her in, could that be why?

Thanks!
Britt

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And NOW SHE'S EATING IT!!!!! Is this okay?? I'm freaking out! She doesn't look happy, all coverd in dirt, can hardly see.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Brittany:

That's why I don't like coconut coir. But there are some who really swear by it.

Try mixing in something like small pieces of orchid bark, or maybe some clean top soil.

Do you have a red light on during the daytime? Sometimes the red light makes the substrate look like food.

 

[Brittany6]

No red light on. I went to lowes, home depot and 3 pet stores and the only kind of recommended soil/ terrane they had was this the coco. Not even untreated plain soil. I'm in upstate NY so it is hard to get right now. She's getting through it but she's all dirty and it's in her eyes and like I said, she is eating it. Will it hurt her to eat it? Ahhhhhh I'm so worried and frustrated. Someone said the alfalfa pellets could hurt her legs. I know they can cause allergies and mold but she seemed a lot happier in them and never ate them. I really hope the coco was the way to go. The lady at the pet store seemed weirded out that I bought it for a salcata. I hope this isn't going to hurt her :-( I'm about to take her out and in a bowl until I know what to do...??? Thanks for the response!

Brittany

 

[ascott]

I would suggest mixing in clean dirt (from your yard if no sprays used or organic fertilizer free soil from the store)...I use the coco coir / yard dirt / organic soil as substrate for the two RFs here.....they can dig in...along with the mix holds moisture well...I will usually pour about 3/4 to 1 gallon of really warm water over about 3/4 of the enclosure and then mist a few times a day with really warm water....the only time I see the tortoise with substrate on them is when they have buried themselves down into the substrate...but once they come out and walk and muck around a bit it usually will fall away without a problem....also....remember they are tortoise and love to dig in and don't seem to mind having fun getting dirty...

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Also tortoise will taste stuff that is new....so if you keep your tortoise well hydrated all should be aok

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Don't worry too much about your tortoise taking a taste of the coco coir, she will stop eating it once she discovers that it is not food lol
And if you want to make it easier for her to walk on your should pour a ton of warm waterr into it and mush the coir and water all around. Peat moss is hard for my babies to walk on until I drench it in water
I think she looks very happy in the picture you posted

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Did you mix it with play sand? You need to put about 1/4 of sand to mix with it and wet all of it then stir it all together. I use cypress mulch myself and like it much better.

 

[Zamric]

let the kid get dirty, they LOVE IT! she just looks to be playing in a new substance!

 

[l0velesly]

I thought it was sleeping with its head in the dirt Mine sometimes sniff and take a bite of coconut coir but then it'll spit it out.

 

[Tom]

Make sure its wet enough and then use your hand to pack it down a bit. Once it packs down a bit it doesn't stick to them so much. If she just starts eating mouthfuls that could be a problem. I usually put down a big plate of their favorite food before I put them on a new substrate. They are less apt to munch on the new substrate if they are already full or if here is something more appealing instead.

 

[chrishelby]

If you get it damp enough and pat it down it may help with her walking on it. I also thought I read sand was bad because it can get in there eyes? I'm new to all this as well, is that wrong? Also the new coco turned ours a darker shade of brown, so don't worry if you see that! My wife thought I gave her a sun burn!

 

[Tom]

Some people like to use sand as part of a mixture and some do not. Its not really right or wrong, its more personal preference. Personally, I don't like it and won't use it.

 

[ripper7777777]

Yea, I wasn't big on the Coir myself, to sticky, so I mixed it with top soil and dirt from the yard and than added a layer of cypress mulch. That way I could grow stuff in the dirt and help keep the humidity up with the wet substrate under the cypress mulch. But really it was a personal preference I don't think Peanut really cared either way, but I got tired of the dirt stuck to him.

 

[Brittany6]

Whoa I come back and tons of replys!!! Thanks I laughed when I read "ahhh let the kids get dirty" I love it!!!! Before I left I figured out I should wet it and pat it and it is a little better. She seems to be better and moving around more and she stopped eating the coco and is eating her food my question now is half her tank is about 100-108 and the other half is about 85 (that's with the day lamp still have to do the night lamp tonight and see what is says) should I take out the basking rock with temp that high one one side. I never see her on the rock and Even though it's not hot hot to the touch, it is quiet warm. Thanks again for all the advice!!! I am also trying to keep the humidity steady. Seems the cooler side stays around 65 until I most it and then it will stay at 85 and drop again. On the warm side the humidity is less around 45 and I can mist I up to 80 and then is slowly drops back down. Will I always just keep misting through out the day to keep the humidity up? I do have foil on the top...

Thanks again as always!

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Whoa I come back and tons of replys!!! Thanks I laughed when I read "ahhh let the kids get dirty" I love it!!!! Before I left I figured out I should wet it and pat it and it is a little better. She seems to be better and moving around more and she stopped eating the coco and is eating her food my question now is half her tank is about 100-108 and the other half is about 85 (that's with the day lamp still have to do the night lamp tonight and see what is says) should I take out the basking rock with temp that high one one side. I never see her on the rock and Even though it's not hot hot to the touch, it is quiet warm. Thanks again for all the advice!!! I am also trying to keep the humidity steady. Seems the cooler side stays around 65 until I most it and then it will stay at 85 and drop again. On the warm side the humidity is less around 45 and I can mist I up to 80 and then is slowly drops back down. Will I always just keep misting through out the day to keep the humidity up? I do have foil on the top...

Thanks again as always!

Yes you will probably have to kee misting mulitiple times a day to keep humidity up buts thats a good thing because you should misting you tortoise while your at it and thats very good for them.

 

[chrishelby]

You are right where we were at before we did the false bottom with the lights under. After that we put a 2 liter a day in and it holds 85% all day on the hot side.

 

[TortandHare]

I use the coconut husk stuff from the let store and mix in a brick of the less ground up coconut husk as well. Seems to give Stewie a little more traction and less stuck to him. Good luck... sounds like you are doing great!

 

[Brittany6]

Thanks again everyone! She's doing great now and is not having problems moving around. Although I was wondering if the warm side of her tank was to Hott at 109?? The cool side is about 80. I'm keeping it nice and wet in there. Humidity is at least 60 on hot side and 85-90 on cool side. Does that sound ok? Thanks again

 

[chrishelby]

I think you got it!

 

[Tom]

109 is not too hot of a basking site, BUT watch your tortoise's behavior. If she's always under the basking spot and rarely leaves that area, things are probably too cool. If your tort never goes directly under the lamp and spends most of her time on the other side of the cage, then things are probably too warm. If you get a nice mix and your baby uses the entire enclosure, then leave it alone. I'm assuming by "basking rock" you mean a flat rock directly under your lamp. If that's the case, then I would leave it in. If she's never on it, you may need to raise the fixture up a bit to get it to the right temp.

How are you measuring temps? Do you have a remote probe and a temp gun? Those little stick on types have very limited value.

 

[Brittany6]

Hi. Yes the rock is flat and flush to the coco and she's never on it and doesnt go to the hot spot enless she just had a soak. So I guess I should raise the lamp and buy a clip to do so. I'm so obsessed with her. I may pick up my 150 tank fri and put her in. I have the exact same wireless digi as you have, I bought it from lows. It is 109 in the warm side, 111 directly on the rock. And 80-85 in cool area. Night it is about 75-80 cool and 85 warm spot. Moister is being kept up with constant mists. Cool side is easy to stay moist at 85 humidity. Hot side doesn't stay humid long and raises up to 50ish a hour after I spray.... Soooo it seems I just need to raise that bulb up or go to a lower wattage. I have noticed she is a lot slower in her new terrain. Maybe she's still getting used to it. She was just VERY active before and now she's sleeps more. She is eating just not as much. She used to nearly constantly move and eat and go in her pool and her hut and try to climb and now she sleeps half the day :-/ hopefully this is all normal! She gets her calcium every 3 days. Her shells excellent. Has all the right bulbs...