Best substrate for Sulcata Tortoise???

[Disowned122]

Today I started to upgrade my Sulcata (Spur Thigh) enclosure from a 20 gallon tank to a 40 gallon tank. Before I used a type of soft bark for the substrate but after some research i ended up buying a soft type of sand that if ingested, would dissolve and not be harmful for the tortoises. I also added some nice rocks so that when they are not outside they could still have something to climb on for exercise. Is this sand substrate okay for them. I heard that if i dampen the sand it would be ideal for the humidity levels and such but was unsure. Basically my question is that should I keep the sand and mix in another type of substrate ( this would be the option I hope to choose) or should I get a whole now substrate for them entirely?
Thanks in advance!

 

[wellington]

Never heard of that sand and I wouldn't rely on it dissolving. Mix it with coconut coir. More coir then sand. The coir is really good for humidity and won't mold. Check out the threads below in my post. All are great reads for raising a sulcata

 

[Jacqui]

Is this Calci-sand? If so, personally I would dump it and start over with Children's playsand and the coir. Make the sand no more the 20%.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Sand is almost always bad news, I would suggest dumping it like Jacqui said and either get coco coir, top soil, or cypress mulch.

 

[Disowned122]

Sand is almost always bad news, I would suggest dumping it like Jacqui said and either get coco coir, top soil, or cypress mulch.

You really saved me here! Thanks for the great suggestions! I now know to never trust petsmart employees when it comes to tortoises! Im on my way right now to get some cypress mulch!

 

[Deac77]

FOR THE RECORD! take it back to petsmart!! im a employee (manager) and they have to take it back if not satisfied stay away from any type of "calcium sand" all it is is ground up tums pretty much and its awful if they breath it in (all reptiles/hermit crabs) a mixture of coco coir (eco earth) and cypress mulch will hold burrows and humidity very very well i use this for my tegu's and torts

 

[Tom]

There are several good substrate choices and it all boils down to personal preference. I like orchid bark, coco coir (the brick things that you have to soak to decompress), coco chips, sphagnum peat moss, plain additive free soil, cypres mulch and even plain old dirt.

Sand and rabbit pellets are sadly the worst two choices there are, but still the most commonly used.

There is a ton of sulcata info if you click the links in my signature.

 

[DeanS]

Eliminate sand altogether! Yes there is traces of calcium in it...but the benefits are lost when you consider the degree of impaction you'll have to deal with! How big is your sulcata...because even a 40 gallon tank isn't gonna last long! I use an 80/20 combination of coconut bark/coco coir. Keep it soaked and your temps high...at least 80 in the coolest spot...over 100 where your basking spot is and you'll be fine!

Here's a link to the care sheet I did last week...it covers all the vital points...

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-AFRICAN-SPURRED-TORTOISE-SULCATA-CARE-SHEET#axzz230UaOdPU

 

[Disowned122]

There are several good substrate choices and it all boils down to personal preference. I like orchid bark, coco coir (the brick things that you have to soak to decompress), coco chips, sphagnum peat moss, plain additive free soil, cypres mulch and even plain old dirt.

Sand and rabbit pellets are sadly the worst two choices there are, but still the most commonly used.

There is a ton of sulcata info if you click the links in my signature.

Thanks for the info. I went yestarday and bought some Cypress mulch and am thinking of getting some coco coir! Thanks!!