Substrate smell .,,?

[Watsonpartyof4]

I always scoop Tyrone's viv, sometimes he will drag his food about and bury it. Usually when I am adding water and stirring things up I will find the buried food and scoop out that area. Sometimes of course I will find his poo nuggets that I missed or he buried. I have noticed the last few days his viv is stinky! I have not changed it since October. It is a lot of work to scoop it all out and change it ... But I don't want Tyrone to be a real stinker!

 

[ascott]

You may want to add some worms and peel bugs...and get the substrate working for you....also, you don't have to do a full substrate change....you can scoop some off the top and then add some new substrate to give a fresh en up....if you feed alot of protein, the poo will be stinky for sure....

 

[Madkins007]

How long a substrate can go before it 'sours' depends on a lot of things. I can generally get 6-9 months on cypress mulch or most substrates. I got a year out of a large bio-active substrate system (https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/Indoor-Housing/substrates-1)

What kind are you using?

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

How long a substrate can go before it 'sours' depends on a lot of things. I can generally get 6-9 months on cypress mulch or most substrates. I got a year out of a large bio-active substrate system (https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/Indoor-Housing/substrates-1)

What kind are you using?

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Let me try again ...I use mostly the Eco earth and add some of the repti bark around his soaking dish. I feed cooked chicken maybe once a month, he get Mazuri 3 times a week. He get fruit 2-3 times a week he always has fresh weeds and greens, I just give less on the Mazuri days.

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You may want to add some worms and peel bugs...and get the substrate working for you....also, you don't have to do a full substrate change....you can scoop some off the top and then add some new substrate to give a fresh en up....if you feed alot of protein, the poo will be stinky for sure....

When I add water .. I usually mix or turn the top layer to the bottom. I have thought about adding "bugs" ... Will that help with the odor? What are your thoughts on hermit crabs? I think I could deal with them more so than the worms!

 

[Madkins007]

If you are using that stuff, you can save a bundle by switching to garden center-type bagged hardwood mulch, like cypress or whatever is used in your area.

 

[FLINTUS]

My stuff rarely needs changing. I have a bio-active substrate with soil, leaflitter and moss from the local woods-doesn't cost me a penny.

 

[ascott]

I have zero experience with using hermit crabs....just don't know----I kinda think of them as a bit crunchy and may end up being hounded by the tort---or heck, maybe the other way around? Perhaps someone here has that direct experience....

The smell, the protein in the food has a way to be the smelly cuprit---so that will likely depend on how well and quickly that you remove poo...bugs will help on processing of the decay, but I don't know that they will serve well as a smell remover...

My stuff rarely needs changing. I have a bio-active substrate with soil, leaflitter and moss from the local woods

This is effective as well---also, the torts really seem to romp about and digging more when I have collected and added piles of leaves from outside as well...they love to hide in the leaf piles...

 

[Alan RF]

OMG I must be the odd one out! I'm changing my orchid bark once a month! His 4x2ft viv has a waterproof membrane underneath so I scoop it all out, clean with a bacterial reptile spray then put in new orchid bark! My garden is loving the bark that's getting added to it each month and I'm enjoying not weeding it!

 

[Rover15]

OMG I must be the odd one out! I'm changing my orchid bark once a month! His 4x2ft viv has a waterproof membrane underneath so I scoop it all out, clean with a bacterial reptile spray then put in new orchid bark! My garden is loving the bark that's getting added to it each month and I'm enjoying not weeding it!

Once a month that must get expensive :s but even though you are using a reptile spray I would do it once a month at best and just to be sure you are spraying it on a paper towel then using the paper towel to wipe the viv. If you spray directly on the glass it creates fumes and can be toxic.

As for assinf bugs and worms your red foot will love it. I have pill bugs and red wigglers in both my box turtles set up and my yellow foots the smell is almost absent I still pick out the left over food and poo that I see but what ever I miss the bugs and worms get. Also add plants it should help as well.

And feel free to send a picture of your setup and tort XD

 

[Alan RF]

Once a month that must get expensive :s but even though you are using a reptile spray I would do it once a month at best and just to be sure you are spraying it on a paper towel then using the paper towel to wipe the viv. If you spray directly on the glass it creates fumes and can be toxic.

As for assinf bugs and worms your red foot will love it. I have pill bugs and red wigglers in both my box turtles set up and my yellow foots the smell is almost absent I still pick out the left over food and poo that I see but what ever I miss the bugs and worms get. Also add plants it should help as well.

And feel free to send a picture of your setup and tort XD

It costs £21.50 for a large sack which lasts about 5 months?! Alan is always out of his viv when I change him. The spray I use a damp cloth and spray it,clean the area then rinse the cloth and go over it again without the spray. The spray is 'clean and safe' by johnsons. I don't put him until its all safe. The glass comes off and just goes in soapy water and them dried I'm thinking of adding a spider plant?

 

[Rover15]

Once a month that must get expensive :s but even though you are using a reptile spray I would do it once a month at best and just to be sure you are spraying it on a paper towel then using the paper towel to wipe the viv. If you spray directly on the glass it creates fumes and can be toxic.

As for assinf bugs and worms your red foot will love it. I have pill bugs and red wigglers in both my box turtles set up and my yellow foots the smell is almost absent I still pick out the left over food and poo that I see but what ever I miss the bugs and worms get. Also add plants it should help as well.

And feel free to send a picture of your setup and tort XD

It costs £21.50 for a large sack which lasts about 5 months?! Alan is always out of his viv when I change him. The spray I use a damp cloth and spray it,clean the area then rinse the cloth and go over it again without the spray. The spray is 'clean and safe' by johnsons. I don't put him until its all safe. The glass comes off and just goes in soapy water and them dried I'm thinking of adding a spider plant?

Just one?

I have two pothos (spl?) Top of picture by the water dish and I have 3 spider plants. All on the left side my yellow foot loves to hide under the leaves of the two near the bottom of the picture there is fake plants on the tube in the middle of the picture but I might plant some philodorne(spl?) On either side of the tube instead of fake plants

I just haven't had the time plus I would have to worry about the seeds I have planted as well.

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

These are from October ..

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In the one he is on the log with a carrot in his mouth... Had to remove the log because he would climb on top and act crazy ...he flipped off while we were gone and we got home to find him on his back... Very scary moment!

I

 

[luvpetz27]

Great looking enclosures!!

 

[Alan RF]

Just one?

I have two pothos (spl?) Top of picture by the water dish and I have 3 spider plants. All on the left side my yellow foot loves to hide under the leaves of the two near the bottom of the picture there is fake plants on the tube in the middle of the picture but I might plant some philodorne(spl?) On either side of the tube instead of fake plants

I just haven't had the time plus I would have to worry about the seeds I have planted as well.

Yeah it's a big one minds! Not sure what else to plant I've not heard of the other one you mentioned so I'll do some research at the weekend! great enclosure by the way!

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These are from October ..

---

In the one he is on the log with a carrot in his mouth... Had to remove the log because he would climb on top and act crazy ...he flipped off while we were gone and we got home to find him on his back... Very scary moment!

I

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showed super chunk the pics and he was impressed with his holiday home! Lmao. The only thing missing though is a few tinnies and some disco lights oh and a few female torts! Hee hee my greenhouse pics are on!!!!!! Take a look!

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

Yeah it's a big one minds! Not sure what else to plant I've not heard of the other one you mentioned so I'll do some research at the weekend! great enclosure by the way!

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showed super chunk the pics and he was impressed with his holiday home! Lmao. The only thing missing though is a few tinnies and some disco lights oh and a few female torts! Hee hee my greenhouse pics are on!!!!!! Take a look!

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laughing out loud for real! Oh Super Chunk and Tyrone sure do have fun!

I am going to look now!

 

[Alan RF]

Have you seen the picture my daughter text me!!!??? Check it out lol it's defo super chunk

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

Have you seen the picture my daughter text me!!!??? Check it out lol it's defo super chunk

Where can I find it ?!?

 

[antoniocormier]

If you're issuing moss then take all the moss out and put it in a bucket full of water. Then stir the moss around and brush the moss off until it looks clean. Rinse the water out and repeat the process again until the smell has gone away. You should be fine and if the odor is still there then i would say buy a new bag.