- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,173
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
The best substrate is not one item, there is some thinking and consideration involved YOU have to do. Just asking what's best and getting a single answer, a correct answer is impossible - because there are many 'bests'.
The constant drive for a single best this or that, substrate is what this post is about, is a false path. There is no single answer. There are many bests. Again there are many bests.
Many substrates work, it's more a pass/fail selection process. It is what will work best for you and the species you have.
Substrates for indoor enclosures that work include actual backyard soil, cypress mulch, fir bark, coco products, packaged 'organic soil', packaged top soil etc. They will all get those small bugs that seem to creep so many of you out, bake it, boil it, stored in sealed black bags in the sun, it does not matter, those little bugs will get in there. Stop worrying about those little bugs, it's okay. Most are springtail, sometime some kinds of fungus nats, little decomposing vegetation flies, isopods (pill bugs) etc. They become a part of the enclosure.
Best, is more based on accessibility than any other factor, can you readily get it? This is not some kind of D&G quest silliness, use what is easy to get. That way you'll more likely keep it turned over (replaced). Part of the replacement criteria is what to do with the soiled substrate. I toss the old substrate into a flower bed.
I use micro fir bark, many brands in different places around the USA. If I lived in the southeast I might go for cypress wood shred's (chips - whatever), but I don't live in the southeast, so the readily available and inexpensive substrate I can get it micro fir bark.
I find fir bark relatively clean (no contaminates), it works well to maintain humidity, it's easy for the tortoises, even the smallest babies, to shimmy into. The particles are too big for baby tortoises to accidentally eat it. Once larger and better able to make there eating parts (mouth, beak, tongue etc.) to eject it out of their mouth, or just swallow it. The small bits of bark will pass, it does not accumulate like sand or gravel bits in the intestines. It does not get muddy, no matter how wet it gets.
I do not turn over 100% all at once, I replace about 1/4 to 1/3 at a time, that way the tortoise has enclosure stability (they know their world based on yesterday). I do this replacement based on how much stuff that is not substrate gets in it. Like feces, spilled food, dead leaves from the live plants etc.
For me micro bark is best. But my best may not work best for you. Do your own factor consideration.
The constant drive for a single best this or that, substrate is what this post is about, is a false path. There is no single answer. There are many bests. Again there are many bests.
Many substrates work, it's more a pass/fail selection process. It is what will work best for you and the species you have.
Substrates for indoor enclosures that work include actual backyard soil, cypress mulch, fir bark, coco products, packaged 'organic soil', packaged top soil etc. They will all get those small bugs that seem to creep so many of you out, bake it, boil it, stored in sealed black bags in the sun, it does not matter, those little bugs will get in there. Stop worrying about those little bugs, it's okay. Most are springtail, sometime some kinds of fungus nats, little decomposing vegetation flies, isopods (pill bugs) etc. They become a part of the enclosure.
Best, is more based on accessibility than any other factor, can you readily get it? This is not some kind of D&G quest silliness, use what is easy to get. That way you'll more likely keep it turned over (replaced). Part of the replacement criteria is what to do with the soiled substrate. I toss the old substrate into a flower bed.
I use micro fir bark, many brands in different places around the USA. If I lived in the southeast I might go for cypress wood shred's (chips - whatever), but I don't live in the southeast, so the readily available and inexpensive substrate I can get it micro fir bark.
I find fir bark relatively clean (no contaminates), it works well to maintain humidity, it's easy for the tortoises, even the smallest babies, to shimmy into. The particles are too big for baby tortoises to accidentally eat it. Once larger and better able to make there eating parts (mouth, beak, tongue etc.) to eject it out of their mouth, or just swallow it. The small bits of bark will pass, it does not accumulate like sand or gravel bits in the intestines. It does not get muddy, no matter how wet it gets.
I do not turn over 100% all at once, I replace about 1/4 to 1/3 at a time, that way the tortoise has enclosure stability (they know their world based on yesterday). I do this replacement based on how much stuff that is not substrate gets in it. Like feces, spilled food, dead leaves from the live plants etc.
For me micro bark is best. But my best may not work best for you. Do your own factor consideration.