Welcome home!!

[MadieM]

I picked these two up from the same owner, he said he didn't have the time anymore and wanted them gone. As stated before he was feeding them fruits, alfalfa and some greens, had them both inside a tank together, soaked them a couple of times and gave them calcium and also let them outside every now and then. When I brought them home I let them wander around my backyard (supervised), my backyard has dirt and the dirt has some pebbles. I noticed they were eating the dirt? I made sure they had greens and water near by but they didn't seem very interested. But the whole eating dirt situation got me concerned.......Oh! I also saw this bag of Miracle-gro at Wal-mart, is this safe to use for the torts? Thanks everyone!

 

[Tom]

So I read your post and looked at the pics.

Is that the tank they used to be in, but you are going to use something larger and make each one their own set up?

What are the hay pellets for? Is that what he was feeding them?

What do you want to use the Miracle Grow stuff for? Substrate? Read the ingredients and tell us what else is in it. That would not be something I would use. Orchid bark works best for these guys.

Please read these for care and feeding tips. Everything for how to set them up is explained here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

The dirt eating is likely from the poor diet they were previously on. Getting them eating all the stuff in that thread above and the dirt eating should go away. There is also a product called "MinerAll" from a company called "Sticky Tongue Farms" that will help. It is a mineral supplement. It often stops the urge to eat rocks and dirt.

 

[RayRay]

So I read your post and looked at the pics.

Is that the tank they used to be in, but you are going to use something larger and make each one their own set up?

What are the hay pellets for? Is that what he was feeding them?

What do you want to use the Miracle Grow stuff for? Substrate? Read the ingredients and tell us what else is in it. That would not be something I would use. Orchid bark works best for these guys.

Please read these for care and feeding tips. Everything for how to set them up is explained here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

The dirt eating is likely from the poor diet they were previously on. Getting them eating all the stuff in that thread above and the dirt eating should go away. There is also a product called "MinerAll" from a company called "Sticky Tongue Farms" that will help. It is a mineral supplement. It often stops the urge to eat rocks and dirt.

I'm not disagreeing, just curious.

Some animals eat dirt to get the minerals they need, could tortoises be one of those types of animals and it not be harmful?

Do rocks and pebbles help them grind up food?

I know koalas eat dirt but that is because they have one of the worst diets on the planet for the food they eat.

 

[Speedy-1]

I don't think I would use that miracle-gro . Unless it says "organic" it more than likely has chemical additives to help plant growth !

 

[RayRay]

I don't think I would use that miracle-gro . Unless it says "organic" it more than likely has chemical additives to help plant growth !

I dont believe organic means the same for the soils. If it has "bio solids" and says organic that, still means unprocessed sewage or just sanitized ones, it still will have all the heavy metals.

After rereading the biosolids Wikipedia page it says most are treated, but still contain trace amounts of stuff. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosolids

 

[MadieM]

Hey Tom thanks for responding back.
I am not 100% sure if that was the tank he was placing them both in but he said he had them both in a tank together. The pellets shown was what he used for their substrate and food. He said he put their pellets inside a blender. As for their own enclosure, I do plan on making them their own pens as for now I let them both roam around the backyard with supervision. I just wanna get the right soil as I showed above, I looked at the ingredients and it says it's only coconut husk and peat moss but no label of organic so maybe not the best idea.....

 

[JoesMum]

Rocks and pebbles don't help them grind up food. Frequently they're after calcium which is why giving them a cuttlebone helps.

Eating substrate is risky. We have had torts on here needing urgent vet treatment because a rock got stuck in the digestive system and also due to sand impacting in the gut.

It's better they don't eat the substrate; the risks are too high.

 

[MadieM]

Okay, thanks guys! what's the best organic soil to use?

 

[Speedy-1]

I dont believe organic means the same for the soils. If it has "bio solids" and says organic that, still means unprocessed sewage or just sanitized ones, it still will have all the heavy metals.

You may be right , I guess its just a matter of reading the contents and making your own decision ?

 

[JoesMum]

If kept outdoors, the garden's dirt is fine as long as there's no pesticide or herbicide in it.

Indoors coco coir and orchid bark are frequently recommended as they hold moisture well.

Make sure there's no fertilisers added to whatever you buy.

 

[RayRay]

You may be right , I guess its just a matter of reading the contents and making your own decision ?

I reread the Wikipedia page. The article I had read a while back said that it was usually just left out to dry for some types of it. The Wikipedia page is less bias I think but I'm not sure.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosolids

 

[MadieM]

I live in the high dessert so we just have rocks in our front yard and dirt in our back yard. This also might be a silly question but is cement bad for them to be on?

 

[Pearly]

How about orchid bark? Petstores call it Reptibark. People like it bcs it keeps the humidity in the the enclosure and doesn't mold

 

[Speedy-1]

I live in the high dessert so we just have rocks in our front yard and dirt in our back yard. This also might be a silly question but is cement bad for them to be on?

Speedy is on a concrete slab , but I have covered a large part of it with indoor / outdoor carpeting !

 

[Tom]

I'm not disagreeing, just curious.

Some animals eat dirt to get the minerals they need, could tortoises be one of those types of animals and it not be harmful?

Do rocks and pebbles help them grind up food?

I know koalas eat dirt but that is because they have one of the worst diets on the planet for the food they eat.

Rocks and pebble help grind up food in many animals. Its typically seen in birds who use the pebbles in their crop. Not typically seen in reptiles.

No doubt the tortoise is doing this to try and get minerals, but eating dirt, sand and rocks could lead to impaction. That is the reason for suggesting a better diet and the MinerAll. Better they get their nutrition, fiber, minerals and trace elements from safe sources, than to let them eat dirt and rocks.

 

[Tom]

Okay, thanks guys! what's the best organic soil to use?

I wouldn't recommend soil. You can't know what its made of. Could be anything, good or bad. Its also very messy and tend to turn to mud when you wet it.

 

[RayRay]

Rocks and pebble help grind up food in many animals. Its typically seen in birds who use the pebbles in their crop. Not typically seen in reptiles.

No doubt the tortoise is doing this to try and get minerals, but eating dirt, sand and rocks could lead to impaction. That is the reason for suggesting a better diet and the MinerAll. Better they get their nutrition, fiber, minerals and trace elements from safe sources, than to let them eat dirt and rocks.

Oh ok thanks.

 

[Tom]

This also might be a silly question but is cement bad for them to be on?

Yes. Its too hard and abrasive. The bigger they are, the worse it is. It can wear right through their scales and skin and turn their feet into bloody stumps if they live on it full time with nothing else. It can also be too rough on their plastron.

 

[MadieM]

@Pearly That's what I use for my little tort, guess it wouldn't hurt to use for the bigger torts! I guess I'm just looking for something I can grow some greens inside their enclosures too. Does coconut fiber help with that?

 

[MadieM]

@Tom .....oh.... lol thanks!