Substrate Questions

[PowersSax911]

My 6 month greek tortoise is having some trouble moving around his tank. The substrate is just bark and my tort is very small as he uses a lot of effort to move. I was thinking of changing the substrate from bark to something that would be easier for him to walk on. After a trip to a local nursery, i came upon some irish and scotish moss. The moss is very green, flat, smooth, and feels very fuzzy to the touch.

Would it be a good idea to change the substrate?
Would i need any other supplies to keep it alive? If so what supplies?

 

[desertsss]

I am no expert but I just had this discussion with many people a couple of weeks ago. I don't know about the moss, it seems the moss might bring the humidity up too high if used by itself. I used a mixture of play sand and eco-earth 30/70. I am going to change that now though because my torts are eating it I believe. I have had other suggestions here as well such as orchard bark. The play sand and eco-earth though will be something that your little baby could crawl on easily. Good luck, and I am sure more people will post here shortly.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Eco earth and play sand mixed 70/30 and kept moist. I think most of the trouble walking would happen if the substrate is too dry. I prefer 'fine' grade orchid bark or cypress mulch. I used alfalfa pellets to raise my desert torts but then everybody was saying that caused their legs to get deformed but I never experienced that. I LOVE cypress mulch, but I can't find it in big enough bags. I can only find bags that are 10 quarts and I need 100 quarts or more...
I reached under an aquarium to read the cypress mulch bag just now and got bit by a spider hard enough that it hurt and is now bleeding...I'm prolly gonna lose my finger now... big black spider I am lucky it wasn't a hobo...

 

[godrules95]

Why don't you use either calcium sand for reptile carpet.

 

[Yvonne G]

Why don't you use either calcium sand for reptile carpet.

We don't recommend using the calcium sand as it could cause impaction if ingested. I know...I know...its for reptiles! However, just because something is manufactured and advertised for reptiles doesn't mean its a good product.

Yvonne

 

[Crazy1]

I have used the reptile carpet, eco-earth (bed a beast) and sand mixed 70/30 and 50/50, fine shredded aspen and currently have my 6 month old hatchlings on the 70/30 mix. I can better control the humidity and they walk on it fine. They tasted it when I first put them in it but it soon stopped. I use the reptile carpet in the hospital or brand new hatchlings pen, so that I can better monitor the first poo and for cleanliness in the hospital pen.

PowersSax 911 please be careful of bark. It is very hard on their little legs and if it is from a pine or fir can be bad for them especially their eyes and respiratory system. It has to do with the pine oils.

You could;
1) use fine shredded aspen (they have it in the snake area at my pet store) and make a humid hide (affix a sponge on the
top of its hide or use sphagnum moss kept damp).
2) you could use the cypress mulch as you only have a small tort and won’t need too much of it. You can keep it damp to
provide humidity.
3) you set up a 50/50 or 70/30 % enclosure making one side shredded aspen and the other eco-earth and sand a 70/30%
mix then just keep the eco-earth side damp, but make sure no water gets into your aspen as it can mold.
Here is a link to one that is set up 70/30 http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-6988.html[hr]

Maggie, here is a couple of places you may be able to order Cypress Mulch from in larger amounts.

http://customcypress.com/
Contact information:
Email me @: [email protected]
Call me @: (601)-772-9139
Snail mail me @:
Richard C. Amacker
8141 Hwy. 43 North
Poplarville, MS 39470

Also try:
http://www.mid-americamulch.com/cypress_premium.cfm
http://www.upstatemulch.com/mulch.php#cypressmulch

This place is in Australia (for those who live there) http://www.cypressmulch.com.au/Product.html