Ok...substrate 2...ugh

[*~*sully_girl*~*]

So I switched my torti from repti bark to coconut coir to give her a change of pace...however...ALL she has done in the 5 mins she's been in there is cover herself in it and track it in both her food AND water dish...little turd lol

I am going to be switching her back.

My question is, will it hurt her to ingest some of the coir?

 

[Yvonne G]

I didn't like the coir because of the long strings in it. The tracking it all over was a problem too. It isn't harmful if eaten, so not to worry about that. But I just simply prefer orchid bark!

 

[*~*sully_girl*~*]

I didn't like the coir because of the long strings in it. The tracking it all over was a problem too. It isn't harmful if eaten, so not to worry about that. But I just simply prefer orchid bark!

Thanks! That makes me feel better at least. I called the store and they were really nice about it, they're going to exchange the half of bag of coir I have left for a full bag of the bark. Good to know!

 

[tyrs4u]

I didn't like the coir because of the long strings in it. The tracking it all over was a problem too. It isn't harmful if eaten, so not to worry about that. But I just simply prefer orchid bark!

Were did you purchase the Orchid Bark? Got a photo?or a sku?

 

[Yvonne G]

I get mine at Orchard Supply Hardware. I think its pretty much a California store associated with Sears. Look at plant nurseries. You may even find it online, however shipping would be lots of $$$ for big packages of it.

This is what I get at Orchard's :

http://www.activepowersports.com/black-gold-orchid-bark-1-cu-ft/

It comes in small, medium and large pieces of bark. I buy the small.

 

[tyrs4u]

Awesome thank you for the information. I miss California... Why'd I move to Portland is beyond me... But looks like they won't ship it to Oregon... I hate little companies like that. It's NOT Contraband for christ sakes :-(

 

[Yvonne G]

Do you have a Home Depot in your city? I just checked online and Home Depot sells orchid bark...but only in small bags.

 

[*~*sully_girl*~*]

I am not actually putting her on the orchard...just going to switch her back to her original repti-bark. She really did great on it! But I'm going to go by Home Depot and check into the orchard and see if they carry it here

 

[Rambo]

Are these for Juveniles ??or hatchlings ??

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I had the same problem with coco coir. Also after a few months I noticed the coco coir soot was getting all over the walls too!!

 

[jaizei]

I am not actually putting her on the orchard...just going to switch her back to her original repti-bark. She really did great on it! But I'm going to go by Home Depot and check into the orchard and see if they carry it here

Repti-bark and orchid bark are the same thing - fir bark. But orchid bark should be cheaper.

 

[Yvonne G]

I am not actually putting her on the orchard...just going to switch her back to her original repti-bark. She really did great on it! But I'm going to go by Home Depot and check into the orchard and see if they carry it here

It's actually "orchid" not "orchard." Its for growing the orchid plants in.

 

[*~*sully_girl*~*]

Lol...yeah...I knew it was orchid. However my fingers didn't want to cooperate and type that apparently lol...stupid smartphone!!

However i did NOT know that repti bark was the same thing...so that's a useful piece of info!! I'll have to remember that!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

It's very difficult to find orchid bark in the Pacific North West. I finally have given up and I pick up as many bags of orchid bark as I can when I go South and visit with my sister...
I have family on their way to Fresno to see my son, so I talked them into going to my sisters house and getting the bags of orchid bark she has collected for me. You can tell I'm a tortoise freak when I get so excited about getting the substrate...

 

[acrantophis]

It's very difficult to find orchid bark in the Pacific North West. I finally have given up and I pick up as many bags of orchid bark as I can when I go South and visit with my sister...
I have family on their way to Fresno to see my son, so I talked them into going to my sisters house and getting the bags of orchid bark she has collected for me. You can tell I'm a tortoise freak when I get so excited about getting the substrate...

Funny thing is, I think orchid bark and repti bark are both just different sizes
Of pine bark mulch. Which is probably produced in the Pacific Northwest. Probably mostly redwood and or Douglas fir.