Coco coir users, does your tort get it stuck everywhere too?

HotdogKnight

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I have my coir dice and moist, take my RT out of his morning soak and as soon as he's back in his enclosure he has it up his arms and all over his face. It's patter down flat yet he still manages to make a mess and I'm constantly having to clean his eyes for him.

Anyone else have this problem/know how to solve it?
 

Jodie

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I don't have this problem at all with coir as long as it is damp and packed.
 

HotdogKnight

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No matter how often I pack it down, my tort always uproots everything and it's suddenly on his legs and he decides to rub his eyes. I saw a thread posted about a year ago where people were complaining about this sort of thing and it does seem to be a 50/50 problem.
 

Tom

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As Jodie said. Make sure it is damp and then firmly hand pack it down. Repeat as needed. You'll need a lot of it to make a thick enough layer.

It takes about two weeks for the coir to "settle in" and make a nice firm layer for walking.
 

Arizona Sulcata

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My experience has been the same as Tom's. Usually takes a couple weeks for everything to settle. After that its never been an issue.
 

Tom

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My experience has been the same as Tom's. Usually takes a couple weeks for everything to settle. After that its never been an issue.

What do you use for baby sulcatas? I prefer orchid bark, but coir would be my second choice.


HotDogKnight, I think coir is best for baby russians.
 

johnsonnboswell

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I solved that problem in my habitats by mixing my organic compost with the coir. Topsoil would work, too.
 

mini_max

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I have had the same problem. About a month and a half ago I was freaking out because he had a puffy eye, which I later determined was from all the face rubbing from the coir. I swear It was just that batch of coir, because when we switched his enclosure, we mixed up more - same brand, different package, and it performed totally different, way better. Don't get me wrong, he still gets it all over, but it doesn't seem to stick to his face the way the other one did.

Also, if your coir is mixed with sand, it might not be packing together even though it's moist? I saw your picture of your tort sleeping, and it definitely looks wet enough to me!

We have a thin layer of bark chips over the coir in half his enclosure. He's tracked them sporadically all over and this seems to have helped too.
 

HotdogKnight

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Haha, yeah the water tracking is definitely an issue!

Nope it's not mixed with anything, it's just coir. It holds water so well, I think that's why it's sticking because he moves it about so much. It seems much better than last night so I assume time will help it to settle better.
 

WillTort2

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Keep a bath towel by your enclosure, and after soaking, dry your tortoise by gently patting the shell with the towel. The head and legs will dry due to the tort's trying to escape from your grasp and rubbing against the towel. Then I place the tort on the edge of the basking area and let the tort decide whether to bask or go hide in other parts of the enclosure.

I use a mix of top soil and coco coir and when I wet it down, I mix it well and then pack it down for a good walking surface. Not too wet; just enough so that when I squeeze it water does not drip from my hand.

And yes, some torts will track substrate into the water within minutes of putting clean water in the planter base. Others will only track a little in on rare occasions.

Good luck.
 

Yellow Turtle01

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Haha, yeah the water tracking is definitely an issue!

Nope it's not mixed with anything, it's just coir. It holds water so well, I think that's why it's sticking because he moves it about so much. It seems much better than last night so I assume time will help it to settle better.
Try some flat rocks around his dish. Helps, but mine always figures out a way to get a whole bunch in there :rolleyes:
 

Anyfoot

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I have my coir dice and moist, take my RT out of his morning soak and as soon as he's back in his enclosure he has it up his arms and all over his face. It's patter down flat yet he still manages to make a mess and I'm constantly having to clean his eyes for him.

Anyone else have this problem/know how to solve it?

Hi. You made me want a hotdog now. lol

What is the brand name of your coir? Can you mix in some sphagnum moss to break it up a little?

Cheers Craig
 

ladyengineer

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I've never used coco coir, but I need to change the substrate in my chap's house to something that's better at retaining humidity and I'm considering a coco coir mix. I've read that fibre based substrates can go mouldy. Does coco coir fall into this category? how do people find it copes?
 

HotdogKnight

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Anyfoot, my coir is the reptile bricks they sell at petsathome (they only have one type) they were on offer two for £5 when I bought them.

Ladyengineer, I'd really recommend it, it holds moisture really well and it smells nice too. Also I've read that this shouldn't go mouldy especially if you mist it/don't leave it to sit like lots of plain soils do.
 

Anyfoot

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I've never used coco coir, but I need to change the substrate in my chap's house to something that's better at retaining humidity and I'm considering a coco coir mix. I've read that fibre based substrates can go mouldy. Does coco coir fall into this category? how do people find it copes?
I'm not experienced in other substrates, but I used coir mixed with cyprus mulch then sphagnum moss on top. Over time the moss and cyprus mulch mixes in the coir. I put fresh moss in as needed for my juvy redfoots. I've never had any problems so far. I don't bother with moss for my adults.
What species is your tort.
 
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