Tortoise table substrate

[kousagi1205]

Hi. I am very new to tortoise keeping and am looking for advice on substrate.
I have an 18 month old Horsefield/Russian tortoise and have bought a tortoise table for him. The pet shop recommended hay pellets for the substrate but I've read that half sand/soil is the best substrate for a Horsefield as they like to dig and it is better for their limbs and muscles.
Can any experienced tortie owners offer advice please? I want make sure that he has the best possible environment. Thanks.

 

[mctlong]

Welcome to the forum, kousagi1205!

As a rule, I never listen to anything I hear at petstores. They simply have too many animals be exerts in every single one. Also, as a retailer, they are primarily salespeople, not animal experts.

Hay pellets are not a good substrate, IMO. I've tried them. They get moldy and stinky when wet. And they're expensive.

Some folks on this forum have had success using the sand/soil combination. Personally, I prefer a cheap topsoil without sand. I recently acquired a tortoise who has severe health problems, in part from eating too much sand. I stay away from the stuff completely. Plain topsoil (without sand) is great substrate for digging, it holds moisture well, it doesn't mold, and a big bag costs less than $3 at Home Depot.

Another good option is coco-coir. Its qualities are very similar to topsoil. Doesn't mold, non-toxic, great for burrowing.

Cypress mulch is also a good option. I use this stuff alot. Its not as good for borrowing as the topsoil and coco-coir are, but its less messy, non-toxic, smells decent, and doesn't mold.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[Tortoise]

I just set up a group of Russians and used coconut fibre. I may mix in some soil when the snow has melted but so far this seems to be working well and they like to dig in it.
I wouldn't use hay pellets. Mine were on shavings before I got them but it wasn't very good for them as they were constantly swimming around without good footing.
Here is a good article on Russian tortoises
http://www.dght.de/ag_schildkroeten/pdf/ehorsfield.pdf

 

[Spn785]

I like the soil/sand mix, but half and half is too much sand, I would do no more than 2 parts soil to 1 part sand, less would probably be better, but this would be for an older tortoise, for one as young as yours I wouldjust do plain old topsoil.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Lots of advise here for you. The pellets mold which is bad for the health of anything living with it. Also, substrate such as that provides inadequate footing and encourages long nail growth. I've seen russians that could barely walk from over grown toenails.
I use a 50/50 organic top soil-organic peat moss mix. Both are fairly inexpensive. They hold moisture well, allow normal burrowing activity, and best of all, the peat moss will not mold.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I use 100% coconut coir, about 5-6 inches deep, and I recommend that to other tortoise and box turtle keepers, too.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Yep, I love the coco coir! It doesn't get moldy, it holds moisture well (I mist 1-2x per week with warm water to keep it from drying out too much).

You can buy it in brick form at the pet store, and then you add water. Since I end up using so much (4 different enclosures) I buy it as a HUGE brick from the garden supply store.

I spot clean daily, and do a complete switch every 3 months or so. I dump all the old coir into the compost, or directly onto the garden beds!

I use 100% coconut coir, about 5-6 inches deep, and I recommend that to other tortoise and box turtle keepers, too.