Substrate confusion for star tortoise baby

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

After many research i found that i can use the coconut husk chips as a bedding for star tortoises enclosure, as i used coconut peat which is consumed by juneviniles i thought i can use the coconut husk chips, also i saw benefits of absorbing the poop and pee making fertile for some natural weeds. Please suggest if this idea is fine! Also for poop and pee breakdown im planning to leaves few springtales and bugs for natural cleaning of poops done by tortoises.. what do you guys think of this, does these bugs harm baby tortoises or the husk chips hurts my stars ????? Awaiting fir the responses.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

After many research i found that i can use the coconut husk chips as a bedding for star tortoises enclosure, as i used coconut peat which is consumed by juneviniles i thought i can use the coconut husk chips, also i saw benefits of absorbing the poop and pee making fertile for some natural weeds. Please suggest if this idea is fine! Also for poop and pee breakdown im planning to leaves few springtales and bugs for natural cleaning of poops done by tortoises.. what do you guys think of this, does these bugs harm baby tortoises or the husk chips hurts my stars ????? Awaiting fir the responses.

I've been using Orchid bark for a long time. That should act similarly to your chips.
Although I spot cleaned mine. I removed small scoops as it got soiled. I didn't need to do it often. But there might be more waste than you are expecting.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

I've been using Orchid bark for a long time. That should act similarly to your chips.
Although I spot cleaned mine. I removed small scoops as it got soiled. I didn't need to do it often. But there might be more waste than you are expecting.

Yes pilot, thats my major worrying part of leaving the scopes if poops,.. and also i dont see anywhere how to easily handle this with less often,.. so i came with this idea of filling with cocohusk chips with very little cocopeat and some aquarium stone ships, i assume this may become like a natural decomposer of poops,.. and also i got idea of leaving few poop eater bugs to breakdown and maintain the clean substrate as much as possible,. I have not experimented yet as finding these ingredients is very very hard in my place... if anyone wants to try this expriment and share the results would be much helpful and appreciated .

 

[Tom]

After many research i found that i can use the coconut husk chips as a bedding for star tortoises enclosure, as i used coconut peat which is consumed by juneviniles i thought i can use the coconut husk chips, also i saw benefits of absorbing the poop and pee making fertile for some natural weeds. Please suggest if this idea is fine! Also for poop and pee breakdown im planning to leaves few springtales and bugs for natural cleaning of poops done by tortoises.. what do you guys think of this, does these bugs harm baby tortoises or the husk chips hurts my stars ????? Awaiting fir the responses.

Coco coir (aka coco peat) is fine, but you have to hand pack it down. Coco chips shouldn't be used. Fine grade orchid bark is best.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Coco coir (aka coco peat) is fine, but you have to hand pack it down. Coco chips shouldn't be used. Fine grade orchid bark is best.

Coco peat are eaten by babies in curious so i have come in this idea of using coconut husk chips... can you explain why we shouldnt use coconut husk chips???

 

[Tom]

Coco peat are eaten by babies in curious so i have come in this idea of using coconut husk chips... can you explain why we shouldnt use coconut husk chips???

I've used coco peat for decades. It is not eaten by babies. Why do you say that? I've raised 100s of hatchlings of several species on it.

If coco chips are eaten incidentally, they can cause choking or intestinal impaction. Coir does neither.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

I've used coco peat for decades. It is not eaten by babies. Why do you say that? I've raised 100s of hatchlings of several species on it.

If coco chips are eaten incidentally, they can cause choking or intestinal impaction. Coir does neither.

I've used coco peat for decades. It is not eaten by babies. Why do you say that? I've raised 100s of hatchlings of several species on it.

If coco chips are eaten incidentally, they can cause choking or intestinal impaction. Coir does neither.

Just to give some clarity on this i have attached the images of coconut husk chips, and this is how it looks and i dont think that they will be able to swallow these and get choked, neither they can bite to bits and chewy them... what do you think about this.? Please note that im not debating on this nor arguing. Just want to make sure and get the conclusion on best substrate.
And in my case i initially tried to use cocopeat and i saw one or two babies or juveniles consuming it but not all of them are intrested in it.

 

[Tom]

Just to give some clarity on this i have attached the images of coconut husk chips, and this is how it looks and i dont think that they will be able to swallow these and get choked, neither they can bite to bits and chewy them... what do you think about this.? Please note that im not debating on this nor arguing. Just want to make sure and get the conclusion on best substrate.
And in my case i initially tried to use cocopeat and i saw one or two babies or juveniles consuming it but not all of them are intrested in it.

Thanks for the picture. Its always good to be sure we are talking about the same thing. Those are exactly the "chips" that I'm referring to. I use those for some lizard species, like blue tongue skinks, because the softer chips won't damage their snouts as they root through the substrate. I don't use the chips for tortoises for the reasons stated. The chips are also hard for small tortoises to walk on. When coir is used and a thick layer is compacted, it works well and is not intentionally eaten.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Thanks for the picture. Its always good to be sure we are talking about the same thing. Those are exactly the "chips" that I'm referring to. I use those for some lizard species, like blue tongue skinks, because the softer chips won't damage their snouts as they root through the substrate. I don't use the chips for tortoises for the reasons stated. The chips are also hard for small tortoises to walk on. When coir is used and a thick layer is compacted, it works well and is not intentionally eaten.

Do you use whatsapp?? If yes i would like to get it from you. Just felt to be much closer for these talks and i got more intrested when you said you have lizards also... iam planning to get blue iguana now...

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Do you use whatsapp?? If yes i would like to get it from you. Just felt to be much closer for these talks and i got more intrested when you said you have lizards also... iam planning to get blue iguana now...

Also i would like to see your substrate setup so that i can replicate for mine....

 

[Tom]

Do you use whatsapp?? If yes i would like to get it from you. Just felt to be much closer for these talks and i got more intrested when you said you have lizards also... iam planning to get blue iguana now...

I do not. This forum is the extent of my social media presence.

Pics of my set ups can be seen in my caresheets, like this one:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

I do not. This forum is the extent of my social media presence.

Pics of my set ups can be seen in my caresheets, like this one:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Hey tom, when i click on your images application lands to login page, iam unable to view it.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

I do not. This forum is the extent of my social media presence.

Pics of my set ups can be seen in my caresheets, like this one:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Tom]

Hey tom, when i click on your images application lands to login page, iam unable to view it.

The link works for me. Don't know how to fix it for you, but you can find the thread in the sulcata section.

That is my preferred calcium supplement.

 

[TortoiseAwarness& Conserv]

Do you see the ingredients, how about this, cuz this product just 10dollars, where as the other one is 28dollars