Bedding confusion for juvenile sulcata.. Need advice

Nicole edwards

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I have tried multiple different beddings for my young sulcata and none seem to work well. I have heard bad things about every bedding I can thing of so what do I use? I just purchased some alfalfa bedding today but I did research before I used it and it looks like it isn't a good solution. I am using repti bark now and I like it, but having issues with him eating it. What do y'all suggest?
 

wellington

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I like coconut coir the best but have come to like peat moss that is very similar to the coir. Hay is not a good bedding.
Otherwise try plain dirt.
What are you not liking about the stuff you have tried?
 

Nicole edwards

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Eco earth - this is like a loose dirt and it sticks to him as he is getting in and out of water and food dishes and makes a mess.

Repti bark - has been seen in his stool which means he has ingested some.

Coconut fiber - he ingest it
 

wellington

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Patting the coir/eco earth down and laying some flat stones around the water dish will help keep it cleaner. However, they do like to mess things up anyway. That's what a lot of them do. It just comes with owning a tortoise. My leopard dirties his water every day. Just part of his routine care, to clean his water dish and give him fresh.
 

Tom

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Is he eating the substrate by the mouthful on purpose, or was there some incidental ingestion with the food that you've seen in the poo?

A little incidental ingestion is fine and harmless. If he's eating it on purpose then we need to talk about diet and supplementation routine.

Orchid bark is my first choice in substrate for sulcatas. I've literally raised hundreds of them on it.
 

Nicole edwards

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Is he eating the substrate by the mouthful on purpose, or was there some incidental ingestion with the food that you've seen in the poo?

A little incidental ingestion is fine and harmless. If he's eating it on purpose then we need to talk about diet and supplementation routine.

Orchid bark is my first choice in substrate for sulcatas. I've literally raised hundreds of them on it.

It is accidental when he eats it. He walks through it and then into his food dish and it just gets mixed in there a little. I will check the orchard bark out!
 

Tom

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It is accidental when he eats it. He walks through it and then into his food dish and it just gets mixed in there a little. I will check the orchard bark out!

He is on orchid bark.

All of mine occasionally swallow some accidentally. I see it floating in the soaks from time to time. Don't worry too much about it.
 

HenleyT

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Is he eating the substrate by the mouthful on purpose, or was there some incidental ingestion with the food that you've seen in the poo?

A little incidental ingestion is fine and harmless. If he's eating it on purpose then we need to talk about diet and supplementation routine.

Orchid bark is my first choice in substrate for sulcatas. I've literally raised hundreds of them on it.
Hi Tom.....how do you keep the orchid bark humid...just spray it down....mix with water once a week? And its safe for them to burrow in? Henley is 10 months old.
 

JoesMum

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Hi Tom.....how do you keep the orchid bark humid...just spray it down....mix with water once a week? And its safe for them to burrow in? Henley is 10 months old.
Take all the decor out. Then take a jug of water and tip some in; mix it thoroughly with your hands. Repeat until all the substrate is evenly damp.

Use the plant spray a couple of times a day to slow the rate at which it dries.

You will need to repeat the jug mixing every few weeks, but exactly how often varies depending on the warmth and humidity in your house.
 

HenleyT

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Take all the decor out. Then take a jug of water and tip some in; mix it thoroughly with your hands. Repeat until all the substrate is evenly damp.

Use the plant spray a couple of times a day to slow the rate at which it dries.

You will need to repeat the jug mixing every few weeks, but exactly how often varies depending on the warmth and humidity in your house.
Thank you but one of my concerns is that he is lying on a damp surface....I live in Albuquerque, NM our temps here are still dropping at night into the high 40s low 50s. We do not run our heater at night.......I have a reptile heat pad that is attached to the bottom of his aquarium. The substrate I was told to use is gerbil pellets. Also it has a wire top that has a light that sits on top that is supposed to help with digestion....this is all information that I was given from people that raise tortoises and run a pet shop....hmmmm!!!! As a baby Henley has not had any kept moisture in his cage. I was told to soak him 2x's a week and that the rest of his water would be taken out of his store bought organic greens.....ARGH!!! Thoughts??? what are your thoughts on zoo med eco earth vrs. orchid bark?
 

HenleyT

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I have so many questions.....I am beginning to build an outside area for Henley. My daughter gave me some extra sod from their yard renovation. My plan is to put different types of grass in his area.....thoughts? Thoughts about moisture, burrowing, shade and anything else you can think of. Hopefully it ok to post this question here
 

Tom

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I have so many questions.....I am beginning to build an outside area for Henley. My daughter gave me some extra sod from their yard renovation. My plan is to put different types of grass in his area.....thoughts? Thoughts about moisture, burrowing, shade and anything else you can think of. Hopefully it ok to post this question here

The info you got from the pet shop is wrong. This is a tropical species and they need night heat. The temperature should never drop below 80 anywhere in his enclosure.

Please give these a read through:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
 

Stuart S.

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You need to get a ceramic heat emitter to keep your baby warm at night. Make sure your enclosure is fully enclosed, aluminum foil covering an area that's open on a top screen works great, cut holes out for the lights and heat emitter as well. Go through those care sheets that Tom shared with you, they're very crucial!
 

JoesMum

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I completely agree. Your baby MUST have night heat or it will be very sick indeed.

You need a Ceramic Heat Emitter running 24/7 with a thermostat. The thermostat means it will only cut in when needed and won't cook your tortoise. A CHE gives off only heat and no light and is designed to keep ambient temperatures high enough.
 

HenleyT

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Thank you all....I have read all of the information that Tom shared. Today I am on a mission....new substrate, CHE with thermostat, terra cotta plant saucer, inquire about an ARAV, thermostat for the heating pad, plant sprayer. I need to move him to another encloser ASAP bc the aquarium Henley is in is way to small. Until I can get the big inside encloser built could someone give me any ideas as to what size rubbermaid tub or whatever I can use as a temp.
I completely agree. Your baby MUST have night heat or it will be very sick indeed.

You need a Ceramic Heat Emitter running 24/7 with a thermostat. The thermostat means it will only cut in when needed and won't cook your tortoise. A CHE gives off only heat and no light and is designed to keep ambient temperatures high enough.
Thank you so much for you encouraging information...I truely appreciate it and so will Henley I'm sure....:)
 

Shakow

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Is cypress mulch good for sulcatas?
I am torn between purchasing reptibark or cypress mulch. A little bit of advice is very much appreciated. TIA.
Is he eating the substrate by the mouthful on purpose, or was there some incidental ingestion with the food that you've seen in the poo?

A little incidental ingestion is fine and harmless. If he's eating it on purpose then we need to talk about diet and supplementation routine.

Orchid bark is my first choice in substrate for sulcatas. I've literally raised hundreds of them on it.
 

Tom

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Is cypress mulch good for sulcatas?
I am torn between purchasing reptibark or cypress mulch. A little bit of advice is very much appreciated. TIA.
Either works. I prefer orchid bark.
 
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