Plywood only as substrate - (and how to clean?)

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johnsonnboswell

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I got one of my RTs with a plywood habitat. There was no way to get the smell out of it, no matter how much airing out - over a year- or vinegar scrubbing or coating with poly. Finally I took it to the curb where someone was delighted to haul it away. His nose and mine didn't register the same thing at all. That's my experience with plywood.
 

mikeh

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Re: RE: Plywood only as substrate - (and how to clean?)

Will wrote: The iodine based cleaners are not so good, they build up in inert plastic, complex molecule cleaners do to.


Will,
Does that also mean diluted iodine solution for disinfecting/cleaning enclosure is not safe?
(The vet I use told me it was safe and instructed me to soak a turtle in diluted iodine solution after an ear abscess surgery as I was unable to get turtles head out to use cotton swab on the wound.)



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Sulcata_Sandy

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For an injury or infect its very safe to use for a treatment. But not chronic use in bedding or wood.
Hope that helps.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Re: RE: Plywood only as substrate - (and how to clean?)

mikeh said:
Will wrote: The iodine based cleaners are not so good, they build up in inert plastic, complex molecule cleaners do to.


Will,
Does that also mean diluted iodine solution for disinfecting/cleaning enclosure is not safe?
(The vet I use told me it was safe and instructed me to soak a turtle in diluted iodine solution after an ear abscess surgery as I was unable to get turtles head out to use cotton swab on the wound.)



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Iodine does not seem to volotolize. It kills a wide range of microbes, but it does not seem to ever be thoroughly rinsed away.

It seems to me one desired quality of a sanitizing agent, is for that agent itself to not leave any residue behind.

Those other agents listed do not, in my experience.

Baoh is suggesting vinegar changes the micro environment in a way as to provide fungus a place to live. I have not had a problem getting vinegar residue removed. I do not know if there is a post residue removal of vinegar effect, or if fungal growth occurs due to poor residue removal.

Iodine has been very difficult for me to get all the sanitizing agent removed.

Once dry, the iodine stays, does not volotolize away, the other cleaners do.

Complex molecule cleaners like rocal D, never rinse out.

Will

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theelectraco

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I think it is only fair to mimic their natural habitats as best as possible, and a flat floor is definitely not a part of any tortoises natural environment.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek


theelectraco said:
I think it is only fair to mimic their natural habitats as best as possible, and a flat floor is definitely not a part of any tortoises natural environment.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

Also, I don't see how a tortoise could successfully make a nest and lay eggs with a hard flat floor.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek
 

ben awes

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theelectraco said:
I think it is only fair to mimic their natural habitats as best as possible, and a flat floor is definitely not a part of any tortoises natural environment.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek


theelectraco said:
I think it is only fair to mimic their natural habitats as best as possible, and a flat floor is definitely not a part of any tortoises natural environment.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

Also, I don't see how a tortoise could successfully make a nest and lay eggs with a hard flat floor.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek



I totally agree - mimic their natural environment as best as possible. Plywood to me is as best as possible. I would imagine that the ground in their natural environment is often fairly flat and hard. My female does dig a nest and lay eggs in a rubbermaid tub that is sunk directly into the plywood floor. Works quite well. I had made a large pen for her with a 12" deep dirt floor, but she just keep walking back over to the plywood area and tried to dig there - over and over. I did not want to "lock her in" to the dirt area because I wanted her to tell me where she wanted to be - and it was on the plywood. Once we noted the spot where she kept returning to, we cut a hole right there and sunk the dirt filled tub. Now she has laid 17 clutches in that spot over three years.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Re: RE: Plywood only as substrate - (and how to clean?)

BenAwes wrote: " I did not want to "lock her in" to the dirt area because I wanted her to tell me where she wanted to be - and it was on the plywood. Once we noted the spot where she kept returning to, we cut a hole right there and sunk the dirt filled tub. Now she has laid 17 clutches in that spot over three years."

The animal informs the keeper. This is the art of the interest. Good job. I hope you will post lots more.

Will




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SulcataSquirt

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all this talk, lets see some pictures of this setup! it sounds kinda interesting with the sunk in tub and all.
 
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