Sulcata substrate

[lovesulcata]

Can anyone recommend me Good substrate for sulcata? I wanted to use coco peat/coco husk but ive seen lots of cons using coco peat, And for now im not using any substrate but the sulcata keeps digging for something(i think they need a substrate since they are a burrowing animal) But i dont know what substrate to use. Also, do i need to put hiding cave in the enclosure?

 

[TammyJ]

Please post pictures of your tortoise and let us know everything about how you are keeping it and the enclosure size, indoor or outdoor, etc...thank you!

 

[Tom]

Can anyone recommend me Good substrate for sulcata? I wanted to use coco peat/coco husk but ive seen lots of cons using coco peat, And for now im not using any substrate but the sulcata keeps digging for something(i think they need a substrate since they are a burrowing animal) But i dont know what substrate to use. Also, do i need to put hiding cave in the enclosure?

Fine grade orchid bark is the best substrate for them. If they sell ZooMed there, it's called "Repti-bark". I start brand new hatchlings on it and keep them on it until they move outside fully time.

You need a humid hide as well as other hiding caves in the enclosure.

 

[lovesulcata]

Fine grade orchid bark is the best substrate for them. If they sell ZooMed there, it's called "Repti-bark". I start brand new hatchlings on it and keep them on it until they move outside fully time.

You need a humid hide as well as other hiding caves in the enclosure.

i searched orchid bark but it shows pine bark instead, Zoomed is too expensive in my country and hard to find.

 

[Tom]

i searched orchid bark but it shows pine bark instead, Zoomed is too expensive in my country and hard to find.

Orchid bark is fir bark. Fir is a type of pine, but not all pine bark is fir. If you show us a picture of the pine bark, we can give it our best educated guess.

 

[lovesulcata]

Orchid bark is fir bark. Fir is a type of pine, but not all pine bark is fir. If you show us a picture of the pine bark, we can give it our best educated guess.

i found these

 

[Sarah2020]

Can anyone recommend me Good substrate for sulcata? I wanted to use coco peat/coco husk but ive seen lots of cons using coco peat, And for now im not using any substrate but the sulcata keeps digging for something(i think they need a substrate since they are a burrowing animal) But i dont know what substrate to use. Also, do i need to put hiding cave in the enclosure?

Hi, sulcata grow very big so you will need suitable enclosures and care for now and future years . Depending on the tortoise size and the enclosure, substrate outside is normally soil but if smaller and inside then orchid bark works well. A hide is always a nice addition along with low rocks to help break up the end to end view and provide a safe place. I would search the forum for sulcata care and then adjust accordingly for their welfare and care..enjoy.

African Tortoises

tortoiseforum.org

 

[MaNaAk]

Can anyone recommend me Good substrate for sulcata? I wanted to use coco peat/coco husk but ive seen lots of cons using coco peat, And for now im not using any substrate but the sulcata keeps digging for something(i think they need a substrate since they are a burrowing animal) But i dont know what substrate to use. Also, do i need to put hiding cave in the enclosure?

Apa khabar? I don't have a Sulcata but my dad was Malay and although I am English I couldn't resist speaking Malay. Bolehkah awak mengirimkan foto kura-kura?

Terima kasih

 

[Tom]

i found these View attachment 400411

The one on the left here looks pretty good. The one for Rp59.850.

 

[lovesulcata]

Ah okay! but from the picture I sent, what is the difference between the pinebark in the photo because all the pinebark there looks the same.

 

[Beauford]

I use Timothy Hay I buy compressed bales from Tractor Supply it not all only cushions them but they eat it and when it is soiled I compost it for my garden where I raise greens for them.

 

[Charlenegr]

Can anyone recommend me Good substrate for sulcata? I wanted to use coco peat/coco husk but ive seen lots of cons using coco peat, And for now im not using any substrate but the sulcata keeps digging for something(i think they need a substrate since they are a burrowing animal) But i dont know what substrate to use. Also, do i need to put hiding cave in the enclosure?

 

[Charlenegr]

I built a pretty large enclosure and the base was just dirt and then I covered it with "play sand" because its clean and made for children....I have 3 sulcatas- and there's some edible plants and a couple of large rocks for shade. There's a structure over one corner as a hide and they can dig but they need a lot of sun. Supplement their food with powdered calcium so their shells grow properly...Mine are very friendly because I handle them alot and we have kids that play with them to keep them sociable...

 

[Tom]

I built a pretty large enclosure and the base was just dirt and then I covered it with "play sand" because its clean and made for children....I have 3 sulcatas- and there's some edible plants and a couple of large rocks for shade. There's a structure over one corner as a hide and they can dig but they need a lot of sun. Supplement their food with powdered calcium so their shells grow properly...Mine are very friendly because I handle them alot and we have kids that play with them to keep them sociable...

I mean you no offense, but this is terrible advice. Sand should never be used as tortoise substrate as it is an impaction risk and also a skin and eye irritant. West coast play sand seems to yield the worst consequences, most likely due to its origin or composition compared to other sands from other parts of the country. You should remove this sand as soon as possible before your tortoises come to harm.

Check this thread out for the current and correct care info. A lot has been learned and changed over the years. All of your questions are welcome:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[kenni]

Can anyone recommend me Good substrate for sulcata? I wanted to use coco peat/coco husk but ive seen lots of cons using coco peat, And for now im not using any substrate but the sulcata keeps digging for something(i think they need a substrate since they are a burrowing animal) But i dont know what substrate to use. Also, do i need to put hiding cave in the enclosure?

Vermiculite. You can even buy it at a garden center, home depot, lowes.
Its the only thing i from birth to adulthood. Anything else i believe caused respiratory problems with my babies.

 

[Tom]

Vermiculite. You can even buy it at a garden center, home depot, lowes.
Its the only thing i from birth to adulthood. Anything else i believe caused respiratory problems with my babies.

If you had respiratory problems with baby sulcatas, it was most likely due to temperatures. I've raised thousands on multiple substrates and never once had any respiratory issues.

 

[SaltersTrader]

After raising Sulcatas the size of my hand to some as large as a 150 lbs, I have some successful history. We built a couple of oversized dog house wooden buildings with a shingle roof and dirt floor that can house as many as 3 big guys and more smaller ones. Small amounts of hay work fine. Tortoises do well if you give them minimal substrate and let them dig around some in the ground. We pounded in some rebar around the circumference of the buildings to keep them from digging too far.

In the winter we use Heatstorm heaters than can be operated by internet. We are in South Carolina and the winters can get pretty cold. This works fine in a housing of 8' x 6' and about 4 feet to 5 feet to the ceiling. We set the temperature lower than many recommend because sulcatas do not like too warm of a housing. I have had them evacuate if it gets warmer than 70 degrees in an enclosure for example..

Do not use heat lamps because these can dehydrate them. We have had a 16 year track record of raising healthy Sulcatas this way. They are hearty animals that need fresh water and a warm housing in the winter. We feed them hay, grass, certain weeds and occasionally Mazuri Tortoise food (pellet size that look like tater tots). I know that a lot of zoos use the Masuri tortoise chow. It's expensive but is good as a filler when we don't have other food.

 

[bruce1234]

Hi, my answer to you is in the topic of tortoise enclosure substrate, (see below)

Thank you

 

[lovesulcata]

Fine grade orchid bark is the best substrate for them. If they sell ZooMed there, it's called "Repti-bark". I start brand new hatchlings on it and keep them on it until they move outside fully time.

You need a humid hide as well as other hiding caves in the enclosu

The one on the left here looks pretty good. The one for Rp59.850.

The one on the left here looks pretty good. The one for Rp59.850.

Should i use Medium or small size pinebark? “Kecil = small” “Sedang = medium”

 

[Tom]

We call it fine grade over here. The picture just to the right of your highlighted picture looks the best to me.