Still, so conflicted on substrate choice....

Legmaker72

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Reading everything I can find and the more I read from various resources, the more conflicted I get on which substrate to use with my Margi.
Right now she is in a temporary housing with Reptibark. I like the size of the pieces as she is 7 y/o and around 6" long, she moves around in it well, can dig in it and doesn't seem to pick it up while eating.
The thing is I am ready to move her into her new enclosure and I bought Forest Floor natural cypress mulch bedding for it. It's much more moist and stringy in a way.
Just read another article about keeping Marginates on dryer substrate as not to increase the humidity levels too high...this goes against a good amount of recommendations I've read and on here about humidity and substrate choices.

I really wish there were more precise and consistent recommended substrates for this particular species of tort.

Some have said 50/50 play sand and coconut coir ...but in all honesty, is going to be too messy for my setup inside.
Maybe for an outdoor enclosure.

I realize that a lot of recommendations are made without knowing someone's exact setup, age, size or kind of tort.
Ie, a lot of info is provided with baby torts in mind. Mine is 7 years old and around 6" long.

Sorry for the long winded post....just a little frustrated and I just want to do right by my Margie.

So, before I get her in to her new enclosure, what are the thoughts on the two substrates I have on hand. Reptibark which is small/medium chunks of fir bark and not moist by itself, and/or the forest floor natural cypress which has more moisture in it initially, larger and more "stringy" in consistency.?
I appreciate all input and information. Hopefully it won't just confuse me any more ;-)
 

dmmj

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regarding substrate you want something that will hold moisture and if swallowed can be digested or passed.
 

Tom

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You are going to drive yourself crazy reading all those different sites…

Sand and low humidity are disproven old myths. Because it was printed and so many people learned those things that way back then, the old, out-dated, incorrect info persists. We know better now. Sand is dangerous, and moderate humidity for any species is good. Many tortoises have died of dehydration related complications over the years, and extreme low humidity was/is a large contributing factor.

You already know the answer. Your using it now and its working. Why do you want to change it? Fine grade orchid bark is the best substrate for any of the Testudo species once they are over 4" or so. I like coco coir for baby Testudo.
 

Legmaker72

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You are going to drive yourself crazy reading all those different sites…

Sand and low humidity are disproven old myths. Because it was printed and so many people learned those things that way back then, the old, out-dated, incorrect info persists. We know better now. Sand is dangerous, and moderate humidity for any species is good. Many tortoises have died of dehydration related complications over the years, and extreme low humidity was/is a large contributing factor.

You already know the answer. Your using it now and its working. Why do you want to change it? Fine grade orchid bark is the best substrate for any of the Testudo species once they are over 4" or so. I like coco coir for baby Testudo.

Tom...you are so right... I am driving myself nuts, but that is my MO ...I'm a researcher...

The Reptibark says it's "fir bark" ... So how does that compare to the fine grade orchid bark you mentioned?
 

Tom

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The Reptibark says it's "fir bark" ... So how does that compare to the fine grade orchid bark you mentioned?

You pay $12 for a tiny little bag of "Repti-bark" at the pet store. You pay $6 for a giant 2.0 cubic foot bag of "Fine Grade Orchid Bark" at the garden center. They are exactly the same stuff.
 

Legmaker72

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You pay $12 for a tiny little bag of "Repti-bark" at the pet store. You pay $6 for a giant 2.0 cubic foot bag of "Fine Grade Orchid Bark" at the garden center. They are exactly the same stuff.

That's what I needs to hear. Looks like I will be visiting the local garden center tomorrow.
Thank you for your help !
 

tglazie

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Tom is correct. Orchid bark is what you should be using for your animals. It is cheap and effective. Also, marginated tortoises originate from Greece and the surrounding islands. They are not inland species like Russians or Desert Tortoises. They are accustomed to living in environments with some degree of atmospheric humidity. I don't know about other margie keepers, but mine go positively bonkers anytime it starts raining, splashing about in the puddles while shaking their hind quarters. Weather is extremely unpredictable in my neck of the woods, and the margies seem to keep adaptive strategies for dealing with both the bone dry heat and the heavy summer showers. Fortunately, we haven't had the sort of flooding down here that Austin was experiencing last year (thank heavens), but that's beside the point. Marginated tortoises are adaptable, but moderate humidity for the juveniles and adults is ideal, and a substrate like orchid bark helps achieve this.

T.G.
 

dmmj

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Tom is correct. Orchid bark is what you should be using for your animals. It is cheap and effective. Also, marginated tortoises originate from Greece and the surrounding islands. They are not inland species like Russians or Desert Tortoises. They are accustomed to living in environments with some degree of atmospheric humidity. I don't know about other margie keepers, but mine go positively bonkers anytime it starts raining, splashing about in the puddles while shaking their hind quarters. Weather is extremely unpredictable in my neck of the woods, and the margies seem to keep adaptive strategies for dealing with both the bone dry heat and the heavy summer showers. Fortunately, we haven't had the sort of flooding down here that Austin was experiencing last year (thank heavens), but that's beside the point. Marginated tortoises are adaptable, but moderate humidity for the juveniles and adults is ideal, and a substrate like orchid bark helps achieve this.

T.G.
do the showers urge them to start mating?
 

tglazie

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To be honest, I'm not sure. I keep all of my animals singly. I introduce the males to supervised sparring matches a week out of hibernation, and anywhere from a day to a week after the combat rituals, I introduce the females to their respective mates in the male enclosures (I do this to ensure paternity, given that I've never felt my tortoises would appreciate traveling for a guest spot on Maury). I do this on clear, sunny days so that I can supervise the copulation, basically to make sure that the tortoises don't cause each other any serious damage. But yes, as I engage this behavior during the sunny days of spring, I couldn't say whether or not the rain is a factor. I mean, I'm sure it's a factor, but I don't know how much of a factor it is, given that spring rains produce rapid vegetative growth when it comes to all graze... So, short answer, I don't know, but probably.

T.G.
 
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