WHAT IS A BETTER SUBSTRATE HELP PLEASE!

[alben909]

What Is A Better Substrate.

Ok so my buddy has a Russain tortoise and he is currently using rabbit pellets. He has playsand for his little boy but he never used it. I told him a 1/2 mixture between play sand and dirt would be his best option. I don't know if I'm wrong. Can someone tell me the affects of rabbit pellets and the effects of playsand/dirt mixture. Oh and also tell me which is better so I could shoot my buddy an email real quick. THANKS

 

[ShervyBaby]

Ok so my buddy has a baby russain tortoise and he currently uses rabbit pellets. I noticed an unopened bag of playsand. I told him that his best option for a substrate was a half and half mix of dirt and playsand. I may of given him the wrong answer. Can you tell me the affects of both and which one is better so I can give him an email and give him the right answer. THANKS

cypress mulch

 

[rltwaddle]

RE: What Is A Better Substrate.

Well most people will tell you to definitely not to use rabbit pellets. They don't hold moisture for a microclimate and can mold and hold fungi.

Others will say that playsand/dirt mixture is
Ok, but sand can cause compaction.

And the majority will tell you to use either a
Mix of coco coir, dirt, or cypress mulch are your best options.

---

Got this from a post i was following:

There are two problems with using a sand substrate in a tortoise enclosure:

1) Sand does not retain moisture very well. Although wild tortoise may be found on well-drained, sandy soils, they still do encounter some organic matter, silt, and clay, too. These other materials help the soil retain a little more moisture, so that when a tortoise digs down, he will have a microclimate with a little more humidity than the ambient air.

2) As the previous poster mentioned, sand can cause gut impaction. In the wild, tortoises feed on live, growing plants and would rarely take in mouthfuls of substrate. But in captivity, where we feed our tortoises plants on a dish, there is a greater risk of ingesting some substrate. If this happens often enough, the sand can block the intestines, which is a potentially life-threatening condition. This is more likely to happen in dehydrated tortoises, but just to make sure, it is probably best not to include sand at all.

A better alternative wood be coco coir, cypress mulch, orchid bark, top soil, or potting soil (without perlite or vermiculite, which can also lead to gut impaction if ingested). Some people like to mix these, but I now use 100% coco coir, because not only does it retain moisture and provide a humid microclimate, but it also has a sand-like texture that allows for digging. It also comes clean, without fungi or insects in it, and it resists mold. Finally, coco coir does not pose a risk of gut impaction if ingested. For all these reasons, I think coco coir is the best.

 

[alben909]

RE: What Is A Better Substrate.

Where can you find these things

 

[rltwaddle]

RE: What Is A Better Substrate.

I got a large bag of cypress mulch and organic top soil from lowes, maybe home depot, gardening center. Much cheaper than a pet store

You can get coco coir from a pet store in a bag or it comes in bricks that you soak in water to break it up.

 

[Jacob]

RE: What Is A Better Substrate.

I Like use coco fiber either from the petstore or a home department store and get organic. Cypress mulch or reg dirt works fine too.
Sand isnt to good it gets in eyes or any openings, messy, and can cause impaction if swallowed, as coco fiber wont

 

[wellington]

From what I have learned about Russians here, the plain dirt or the dirt mixed with sand would both be okay. The sand can casue impactions, but that is why people that uses it, mixes it. More like 60/40 dirt to sand probably would be better. The rabbit pellets is never okay.

 

[Angi]

I like cypress mulch.

 

[ascott]

RE: What Is A Better Substrate.

Well in my opinion any substrate can cause impaction if your tortoise is not well hydrated.

I personally use coco coir and the finely processed peat moss (not the stringy stuff)..I have not seen the coco coir in the big chain home stores but in performance or petsmart they have it....I only house Redfoot Tortoise indoors so I look for higher constant humidity than your friend would with a Russian Tortoise....so when I get the coco coir I buy the bricks so they can be soaked so the substrate going in is damp for the spots I run moist in the enclosure....but your friend can purchase the bagged already loose coir....or you can buy the huge bag of peat moss at LOWES...it is more cost effective if you have multiple enclosures or a larger single enclosure....I would also recommend him purchasing enough substrate to have it fill the enclosure by 4-6the inches in depth...he will want to press the substrate down with his hand to make a firm walking ground...I personally would not ever use sand nor would I ever use the rabbit pellets...he has a tortoise, not a rabbit...lol...

Also..you should hook your friend up with the Tortoise Forum....

 

[alben909]

RE: What Is A Better Substrate.

Ill try!!!!

 

[Jacob]

reg plain dirt works well, coco fiber, cypress mulch

 

[alben909]

Can he get dirt by digging it up

 

[Utah Lynn]

You'll never notice the dirt. On the other hand, I give my RT's a bath every morning to keep them clean; and to do their toilet.