Wood chippings

[ustwoandthekids]

Hi sorry I know you get a lot of questions on substrates!!! I am currently using wood chipppings for my marginated tortoise as this is what he was on before I got him. But from this site I can see a lot of people are not keen on it, I know a lot of people use different soils etc, but as my tort is from the Mediterranean group would this not be too moist?

 

[FLINTUS]

Hi sorry I know you get a lot of questions on substrates!!! I am currently using wood chipppings for my marginated tortoise as this is what he was on before I got him. But from this site I can see a lot of people are not keen on it, I know a lot of people use different soils etc, but as my tort is from the Mediterranean group would this not be too moist?

No, plain topsoil is perfect, water it a little every day so he can dig down into it(humidity is good for torts)

 

[ustwoandthekids]

I have got that stuff you get in blocks and add water too and orchid bark which I have for my giant afican snails but thought it would be way to damp? And messy!!!

 

[FLINTUS]

I wouldn't use orchid bark for Margies, more for species like Hinges and Red Foots. I don't know what you mean by block you can add water to, there are a lot of different versions of that, do you mean something like Eco-Earth? It shouldn't be mud but it should be dampish, like what you'd keep plants indoor in. Too dry substrates like woodchips draws moisture away from the shell partly contributing to pyramiding. In the Med they'd be on grasses, soil and sometimes sand(but don't use this as it can lead to digestion problems).

 

[ustwoandthekids]

It's coco fibre block

 

[Spn785]

Coco Fibre is good, so is organic topsoil. Some people like to mix sand and topsoil (so a quarter to a third of it is sand no more), it all depends on what works for you. I'd try different things and see what your tortoise likes, but if you mix sand with your soil keep an eye out so that he/she doesn't eat any.