Worms and coco coir

[abclements]

I've been tossing about the idea of putting worms in my enclosure as a waste processing aid and snacks for Franklin. Can they survive in the coco coir/Will they thrive too much to the point where I'll have a worm epidemic on my hands? Any suggestions/ideas would be great! Thanks!

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[shellfreak]

The worms will survive in that substrate. As long as you keep it very moist and occasional throw in some lettuce, sliced fruit, etc so they can eat that as and indirectly will pass it on to the turtle. As far as keeping waste down, I don't know that answer. I keep all my hatchling box turtles in 40 gallon tanks with that substrate and I throw in a about 100 wigglers. Occasionally I will catch a hatchling eating one.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

You can add a leaf pile. That will support the worms, too. Or else mix finished compost with the coir for a nutrient rich substrate. Coir alone won't support worm or bug life for long.

My favorite indoor BT substrate is a mix of my own organic compost & coir with a leaf pile that I constantly refresh as it gets ground in. It's good to find worms and slugs and pill bugs under the water dish when lunch doesn't get eaten and lives to grow and reproduce.

 

[xXtortoiseloverXx]

u can try put organic soil under coco coir

 

[jjsull33]

I put soil with coco on top and add worms to it as well as pill bugs/sow bugs, they stay out of sight and eat debris like left over food and poop that worms don't get, and they keep gnats/mites at bay. As long as you keep it moist both the worms and bugs stay alive and help clean things.