lizardmittens
New Member
Hi everyone! My name is Dana and I have a eight year old russian tortoise, Pixel, who has been kept in a 25% coconut coir, 75% sand substrate for most of his life. I know that sand is not a good substrate for tortoise and that there are many many risks with using it, so I’m looking to change him to a 100% coconut coir environment.
He lives in a 2’ x 6’ wooden enclosure (two zoo med tortoise houses put together) with two water dishes and a basking spot that gets up to 95-100 degrees and is on for 10 hours each day. He also has two long UV lights across the enclosure.
What are the best ways to keep a habitat with a coconut core substrate at proper humidity? Are you supposed to “water” the coir every so often to keep it wet and if so how often? Are there any dangers to keeping it wet, such as shell rot? Basically, I’m just looking for some advice on how to maintain the best possible substrate for my little guy. Do you guys have any tips or any daily routine for substrate upkeep?
Thank you so much!
He lives in a 2’ x 6’ wooden enclosure (two zoo med tortoise houses put together) with two water dishes and a basking spot that gets up to 95-100 degrees and is on for 10 hours each day. He also has two long UV lights across the enclosure.
What are the best ways to keep a habitat with a coconut core substrate at proper humidity? Are you supposed to “water” the coir every so often to keep it wet and if so how often? Are there any dangers to keeping it wet, such as shell rot? Basically, I’m just looking for some advice on how to maintain the best possible substrate for my little guy. Do you guys have any tips or any daily routine for substrate upkeep?
Thank you so much!
