Will there be any problem if the tortoise buries themselves deep in the coconut coir

ariesxiao

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Finally put more than 4 inches coconut coir soil into my tote. I soaked the coir soil so it is wet as people in the forum said. Then I found my tortoise will dig deep to bury themselves into the soil. Sometimes they will leave part of the shell outside and sometimes the whole body will be under the soil.

Will there be any problem? For example, tortoise may be hard to breath? Although the soil is wet, will it breath in any soil? When they come out of the soil, I find the soil is attached to post of its body since it is wet. Some of the soil even is attached to its eyes. I can see the tortoise is not comfortable and it will wipe its eyes. I am worried if the soil will damage its eyes?

Thanks
 

NicJ

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My tortoise does exactly the same thing. I have let the coconut husk get very dry and he still likes to bury himself in it. Its been about two years and he seems fine no respiratory problems.
 

Quixx66

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I had this question myself as I’m just planning the set up.

Does coir or cypress bother their eyes even if respiration is fine? I saw on a Facebook group to use soul and soil alone.

What do you advise?
 

Tom

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Coir won't harm them, but its messy. I don't like it for anything except baby Testudo and baby CA desert tortoises.
 

Tom

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I had this question myself as I’m just planning the set up.

Does coir or cypress bother their eyes even if respiration is fine? I saw on a Facebook group to use soul and soil alone.

What do you advise?
I've heard nothing but bad things about these tortoise FB groups. All bad all the time. If anyone anywhere has had something good to say about them, they haven't said it to me.

I recommend against bought-in-a-bag soil because you cannot know what composted material it is made of. It might be something safe, or it might be oleander trimmings. No way to know. Better to use something known to be safe. Its also very messy and turns to mud when wet.
 

pepsiandjac

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I've heard nothing but bad things about these tortoise FB groups. All bad all the time. If anyone anywhere has had something good to say about them, they haven't said it to me.

I recommend against bought-in-a-bag soil because you cannot know what composted material it is made of. It might be something safe, or it might be oleander trimmings. No way to know. Better to use something known to be safe. Its also very messy and turns to mud when wet.

Tom most of the Facebook groups are horrific,I was in a few.
Everyone is an expert,but they all repeat the same generic rubbish,that’s been disproved over and over,
Some of the advice they give is dangerous.and the UK groups are the worst.
 

snivloc16

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I just got kicked off a Facebook group for a day. Only because I said that Repti Bark ( fir bark) is safe. Meanwhile they will encourage people to let their tortoise roam the floor for exercise if their enclosure isn’t big enough. [emoji53]
 

Kelly.324

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How dry or moist should the coco coir be kept? I’ve been misting mine once a day but not sure if I’m doing it should be kept dry?

Thanks :)
 

Quixx66

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Tom most of the Facebook groups are horrific,I was in a few.
Everyone is an expert,but they all repeat the same generic rubbish,that’s been disproved over and over,
Some of the advice they give is dangerous.and the UK groups are the worst.
A UK one is the one which told me to use only soil because coir is dangerous. After Tom said soil can contain dangerous content, I’m leery.
 

snivloc16

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How dry or moist should the coco coir be kept? I’ve been misting mine once a day but not sure if I’m doing it should be kept dry?

Thanks :)

It needs to be kept moist but not soaking wet. I use to keep my hermanns on coco coir when he was little. I would spray daily with squirt bottle then every 3 days or so pour a few cups of water in it and mix it with my hands. If it gets to dry it gets kinda dusty.
 

KarenSoCal

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I've heard nothing but bad things about these tortoise FB groups. All bad all the time. If anyone anywhere has had something good to say about them, they haven't said it to me.

I belong to two of the FB groups, mostly for enjoyment of different pictures, anecdotes, and/or enclosure ideas, etc.

I think most of the "advise" given is by people who are new to torts, rather than like here, where keepers have many years of experience. And here, those who have many years of experience for the most part agree with each other. On FB, there are so many differing "answers" provided that the OP is left to just pick the one he likes. This makes for a lot of incorrect info.

I posted that I brumate Chug in an operating fridge, and the concensus was that I should be dragged off and publicly flogged. I was mean, cruel, unfit as a keeper, and he would definitely die in there. The mod asked about my method, then advised the members to not attempt this unless very experienced. I wonder how one gets experience if he never does it?

Anyway, I read the posts, look at the pictures, and comment only when I read something I just can't ignore.
 

Toddrickfl1

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I got kicked out of a Redfoot FB group for saying Cypress mulch wasn't toxic.
 

Tom

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I belong to two of the FB groups, mostly for enjoyment of different pictures, anecdotes, and/or enclosure ideas, etc.

I think most of the "advise" given is by people who are new to torts, rather than like here, where keepers have many years of experience. And here, those who have many years of experience for the most part agree with each other. On FB, there are so many differing "answers" provided that the OP is left to just pick the one he likes. This makes for a lot of incorrect info.

I posted that I brumate Chug in an operating fridge, and the concensus was that I should be dragged off and publicly flogged. I was mean, cruel, unfit as a keeper, and he would definitely die in there. The mod asked about my method, then advised the members to not attempt this unless very experienced. I wonder how one gets experience if he never does it?

Anyway, I read the posts, look at the pictures, and comment only when I read something I just can't ignore.
What I can't understand is what makes these people accept unfounded incorrect assertions from people with minimal experience while banning and silencing people who have years or decades of first and experience.
 

KarenSoCal

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I think the mods of the FB groups I'm on have experience and generally give good advise. But it's mixed in with 20 other commenters who don't know what they are talking about. No cadre of members with good info back each other up, unless it's a one-liner of "me too".
Rarely does anyone give their credentials, then give a detailed understandable response to the OP. Someone who posts a question just to hear what he wants to hear is always satisfied.
 

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