Substrate help, please?

[kirdy]

Hello,
So I have a new hermann tortoise. I've been doing a lot of studying up about what is the best substrate for his indoor enclosure. I had bark (because the pet store lady told me to do that... boo on her). I quickly changed that out for Alfalfa pellets. Henry (my little guy) is now much more active than before. But it's almost like he is unsettled. Moving around a ton more and trying to get comfy under his wooden hidey thing. He keeps going in and out of it and I'm not sure, is it the pellets? I also bathed him for the first time today.. could it be the pet store never did that and now he is just more hydrated? I'm really wanting to take the best care of little Henry!

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum! pellets are not good substrate for any tort species because they don't hold any humidity. i recommend coco coir, or cyprus mulch. is your profile pic your new tort? thats a russian tortoise, not a hermann tortoise.

 

[kirdy]

Hey thanks! Ya that's him, but the pet store told me he is a hermann tortoise... I guess they were wrong! . So do you think he is agitated by the pellets?

 

[lismar79]

I really like the reptibark myself & I second the bad pellets. They mold easy and will cause leg issues down the road. Plus they do not hold humidity well

 

[kirdy]

I had him in reptibark... but then I was reading and somewhere it said that bark puts off a toxins under heat?? This whole subtrate thing is really stressing me out!

 

[Yvonne G]

Sorry to say, but the first substrate you had, the bark, was better than the alfalfa pellets. My favorite substrate to use indoors is orchid bark. And your avatar picture shows a Russian tortoise, not a Hermanni.

Be thinking about setting the tortoise up in an outdoor habitat as soon as the weather gets warmer. Russian tortoises need a lot of space to wander.

 

[kirdy]

Thanks so much! So I'll put the bark back in! What brand of orchid bark do you buy?

 

[Yvonne G]

You'll be lucky to find any brand. But its the size of the bark you need to pay attention to. Get the bark with the smallest pieces. The large pieces are hard for a small tortoise to walk on.

 

[kirdy]

Ok cool I'll keep my eye out for it and in the mean time put back in the reptibark. Should I be spraying it down at all?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Welcome! Yep, Henry looks like a russian, not a hermanns! Of course, spraying it is a great idea! Helps humidity.
Here's a lovely caresheet for your new russian!
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[kirdy]

Thanks so much! This will Help! I am excited to give Henry the best life possible! Next is getting him into the right enclosure! I'm not so good with woodwork, but I don't really want to put him in a tank... currently he is in a like 2 foot by 1 foot plastic storage box... I take him out daily to roam around and what not but I want (and NEED) to get him a full enclosure! Any helpful tips??

 

[lismar79]

Here is a thread for enclosure ideas
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/ideas-for-indoor-enclosures.65798/

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Thanks so much! This will Help! I am excited to give Henry the best life possible! Next is getting him into the right enclosure! I'm not so good with woodwork, but I don't really want to put him in a tank... currently he is in a like 2 foot by 1 foot plastic storage box... I take him out daily to roam around and what not but I want (and NEED) to get him a full enclosure! Any helpful tips??

Do you have an old dresser/book case? Just pop the shelves/drawer system out, and pin/staple a protective curtain, or spray a sealant (I like the spray, it lasts FOREVER!) and BAM! New enclosure. Add dirt, lights, so on.
Another, probably far easier thing to do is buy a large storage tub, such as Christmas tree storage tubs. Very large, and soon they'll be on sale! You can even cut and connect them for a bigger space.