Substrate question

[thefnshow66]

Hello,
I've been using aspen bedding for my tortoise for almost a year now but I feel that he's in need of change. I've read a lot about other tortoise keepers using organic potted soil with sand instead. If I decide to go this route, do I just mix both soil and sand together or do I do half enclosure sand, the other half potted soil? Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[Paige Lewis]

You mix both the sand and soil together, i wouldn't do anymore than about 30% of the mixture as sand as it sticks to their eyes and you also want to make sure you have an area for feeding that is not on the substrate as sand can cause impaction. Hope thats helped.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Sand can cause compaction so we generally advise not to use it. You can use a regular organic top soil, or I use cypress mulch and many use coir bought at Petsmart or a place like that. But sand is not good...

 

[thefnshow66]

Sand can cause compaction so we generally advise not to use it. You can use a regular organic top soil, or I use cypress mulch and many use coir bought at Petsmart or a place like that. But sand is not good...

I went to Home Depot this weekend to look for organic soil but all the organic soil I found had fertilizer in it. I'm assuming that's a no to use right? I just would like to find a substrate I can use that doesn't really smell since my tortoise is in the same room that I sleep in. Do you think Zoo Med's eco earth or coconut fiber would be fine to use?

 

[Tom]

You are correct. It has become quite difficult to find plain soil with out a bunch of "stuff" added to it. It does exist. You can also use sphagnum moss, the soil type one, not the long fibered one, and coco coir. I found this stuff at Lowes for $4.38 a bag and it has worked great for me for a couple of years now and several species of reptiles, including tortoises.

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-13520.html

 

[thefnshow66]

You are correct. It has become quite difficult to find plain soil with out a bunch of "stuff" added to it. It does exist. You can also use sphagnum moss, the soil type one, not the long fibered one, and coco coir. I found this stuff at Lowes for $4.38 a bag and it has worked great for me for a couple of years now and several species of reptiles, including tortoises.

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-13520.html

Would this substrate work for a hermann's tortoise? Does the substrate have a odor to it?