Yet another substrate post...

[johnreuk]

Hi everyone

So I am getting my first tortoise, an indian star, in about 3-4 weeks now!! Ridiculously excited!!

However, i am going around in circles thinking about the best substrate. I am torn between different combinations of sterilised top soil, cypress mulch and fir bark.

I don't like how splintery the cypress mulch is, hence I was leaning more towards smaller fir bark nuggets. And wasn't sure whether to use just this, or bark over topsoil?

So would love some opinions on this matter!!

Many thanks!!
John

 

[wellington]

Exciting news for you, congrats. I personally use only coconut coir. I love it. It holds in humidity, won't mold and does not cause impaction. It's like walking on nice soft sand, almost. When you need to change it out, which with spot cleaning, can be good for more then a year, but you can vacuum it right up. Then you could always add a small spot for some plain dirt or even mix plain dirt in with the coir if you want. Also, I have grown weeds and grasses in just plain coir indoors last winter. I don't like any of the stick/wood stuff, I worry about eyes being poked or other areas getting poked.

 

[Jacqui]

The bark nuggets would be my last choice. Is the star going to be an adult or a hatchling? I keep my stars on coir (bed-a-beast) expandable blocks and children's palysand. The sand being about 20%. When I first got my hatchlings the breeder recommended using paper towels at first. I did that and had their hide be a humid one (their's had the sponge on top inside the hide itself). Congrats on the pending arrivial!

 

[johnreuk]

Thanks for the replies A hatchling, will be 8 weeks old when I collect him/her!
I've seen lots of people on here use coconut coir, my impression is that it doesn't seem so widely used in the UK, don't ask me why though!

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The bark nuggets would be my last choice. Is the star going to be an adult or a hatchling? I keep my stars on coir (bed-a-beast) expandable blocks and children's palysand. The sand being about 20%. When I first got my hatchlings the breeder recommended using paper towels at first. I did that and had their hide be a humid one (their's had the sponge on top inside the hide itself). Congrats on the pending arrivial!

Thanks! And yeh I was going to use a humid hide with a sponge attached to the roof!! And either sphagnum moss or the substrate in it.

 

[Tortus]

I use 50/50 coco coir and organic peat moss. Nothing with fertilizer in it!. Then I put some loose New Zealand sphagnum (the stuff that comes compressed in blocks) on top that it likes to hide in and sometimes eat.

It stays moist for a long time and the tort loves to nestle down into it to sleep. Like wellington said I also wouldn't trust the splintery stuff. Not only because of the, "you'll poke your eye out" factor, but it just doesn't look comfortable for the tort to snuggle in like softer substrate.

 

[sueb4653]

I use 50/50 coco coir and organic peat moss. Nothing with fertilizer in it!. Then I put some loose New Zealand sphagnum (the stuff that comes compressed in blocks) on top that it likes to hide in and sometimes eat.

It stays moist for a long time and the tort loves to nestle down into it to sleep. Like wellington said I also wouldn't trust the splintery stuff. Not only because of the, "you'll poke your eye out" factor, but it just doesn't look comfortable for the tort to snuggle in like softer substrate.

do they burrow into the coconut coir if thats all you use with no additives like sand I would worry about the impaction I have read about with using sand

 

[bogart20]

They don't really burrow from whAt I know of except to lay eggs. If you build them one they will go in it.

 

[johnreuk]

Do you not find coconut coir really messy? Like it sticks to them and everything else? This is based on hearsay, I have no personal experience with it!!

 

[Tortus]

No it doesn't burrow but it gets down into the substrate a bit to go to sleep. I find coir less messy than potting soil. When it's moist it sticks a little but it falls off fairly easily. I only notice this in the morning after she's been sleeping in it.

It's not like the tort is walking around looking dirty. In fact it looks remarkably clean all day.

 

[johnreuk]

Brilliant thanks for the information. I spent a long time perusing the different options today, and am now the proud owner of a couple of coco coir bricks!
Now to set it all up....!!!