Substrate

xBapes

Active Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2018
Messages
113
Location (City and/or State)
Cockeysville, MD
So I’m thinking of changing substrate this month. I still want to use my soil as a bottom layer but I was thinking of adding more cypress mulch as a top layer. This last setup I did a very light top layer with magnolia leaf litter but I was thinking of making the mulch layer a bit thicker to help cut down with Iggy dragging the soil into his water dish or when he goes into full psycho mode with his live feedings and drags his worm to death. Any thoughts? How deep can I make the mulch layer? How see should the base soil layer be?

Thanks everyone ;)
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
The more the merrier. If you take a hike into the woods, boggy, marshy area where they are hanging out, you will notice tons of natural mulch. From boggy areas, leaves, ferns, etc. the more cover you add to your enclosure, the more natural it becomes. Add some worms, crickets, “bugs” in general....and u create a nice little ecosystem.

Don’t worry about dragging dirt into the water. Thats what boxies do. And torts in general.

Have fun, explore.
 

xBapes

Active Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2018
Messages
113
Location (City and/or State)
Cockeysville, MD
The more the merrier. If you take a hike into the woods, boggy, marshy area where they are hanging out, you will notice tons of natural mulch. From boggy areas, leaves, ferns, etc. the more cover you add to your enclosure, the more natural it becomes. Add some worms, crickets, “bugs” in general....and u create a nice little ecosystem.

Don’t worry about dragging dirt into the water. Thats what boxies do. And torts in general.

Have fun, explore.

Yeah I have at least 4-5 fake plants in his indoor enclosure. I have a pretty decent size stock tank that he’s living in. Unfortunately I can’t house him outside as I live in a bottom floor apartment. However, I have created a comfortable setup for him. He seems to be very happy. I’m not concerned about him dragging dirt in the water as much as I am with him dragging his live food into his death center through the dirt. He’s been ok even if he’s consumed a bit of the dirt as I’ve found his waste in the water dish or wherever he decides to go. I would just feel more comfortable him not getting any of it on his food. He’s not the kind of turtle I can take out and feed him in a separate area because he’s super stubborn and won’t eat that way. I asked the reptile place he was shipped to me from in Las Vegas and he said all they used was just the cypress mulch (Forest Floor) with no kind of soil which I kind of contemplated myself. I do like have some type of soil though, as I have one of the box turtles that actually like to dig lol
 
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