Tips for my cherry hatchling!

Redfoot NERD

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CRITICAL INFO FOR SAFE HUMIDITY - for all to learn from. Never ever try to raise the humidity by creating a moist / wet substrate.

Put the 'coco coir' on the bottom @Edian .. ( it is like a sponge and retains the water ) -- then put a thin layer of cypress mulch.. then your 'spag-moss'. The cypress will act as a "buffer" .. it dries out and allows your moss to stay "dry and fluffy" ! Now you simply pour water in the corners to wet your 'coir' and as the heat evaporates that water it rises UP thru your drier substrate in the form of warm humidity.

Make sense???
 

Edian

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CRITICAL INFO FOR SAFE HUMIDITY - for all to learn from. Never ever try to raise the humidity by creating a moist / wet substrate.

Put the 'coco coir' on the bottom @Edian .. ( it is like a sponge and retains the water ) -- then put a thin layer of cypress mulch.. then your 'spag-moss'. The cypress will act as a "buffer" .. it dries out and allows your moss to stay "dry and fluffy" ! Now you simply pour water in the corners to wet your 'coir' and as the heat evaporates that water it rises UP thru your drier substrate in the form of warm humidity.

Make sense???

Makes perfect sense! I’ve noticed that the sphagnum is super dusty when dry. Should I not moisten it even a little? I don’t want it to irritate her eyes.
 

aqualungs

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Makes perfect sense! I’ve noticed that the sphagnum is super dusty when dry. Should I not moisten it even a little? I don’t want it to irritate her eyes.

Sphagnum is acidic. It’s going to help prevent fungus, but you want it moist not soaked. I give it a good squeeze after moistening it.
 

aqualungs

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CRITICAL INFO FOR SAFE HUMIDITY - for all to learn from. Never ever try to raise the humidity by creating a moist / wet substrate.

Put the 'coco coir' on the bottom @Edian .. ( it is like a sponge and retains the water ) -- then put a thin layer of cypress mulch.. then your 'spag-moss'. The cypress will act as a "buffer" .. it dries out and allows your moss to stay "dry and fluffy" ! Now you simply pour water in the corners to wet your 'coir' and as the heat evaporates that water it rises UP thru your drier substrate in the form of warm humidity.

Make sense???

I have. Coco coire and a few tiles in spots for dry areas. I picked up some cypress mulch. I should put some down like you recommended. Ive Been holding off to rearrange a few things in the enclosure to make better use of space.
 

Redfoot NERD

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Makes perfect sense! I’ve noticed that the sphagnum is super dusty when dry. Should I not moisten it even a little? I don’t want it to irritate her eyes.
@Edian - I'm talking "long-fiber" spag moss - like these little guys are on..



The other "spag-moss" IS nasty... especially when dry!!!
 

dmmj

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Pet gtade= small tiny bag quadruple (?) the cost. Buy in bulk if you can.
 

Toddrickfl1

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I bought mine at Home Depot :( , I’ll order pet grade this time!
The home Depot stuff is fine that's what I use. Looks like thisScreenshot_20190516-072533~2.png
 

Redfoot NERD

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I had used Mosser Lee since 2005 .. since Lowe's discontinued it - and there is not a Home Depot within 65 miles of here - I now use Better~Gro ... same stuff!

@Edian .. to my knowledge there was no redfoot caresheet to be found in the 20th century. And there was no Tortoise Forum' "Redfoot Caresheet" that you or anyone else could go to - so Yvonne asked me to post my Caresheet that was created in 2005. It has been "simplified/edited" for The Tortoise Forum.
The 'Tortoise Forum' Redfoot Caresheet is universal and has been documented successful from everywhere on the planet -- keep the "Parameters Balanced" ( regardless how you do it ) - that's the key... that's all anybody tries to do ( that has written a caresheet since ). Unfortunately some of these 'authors' base their caresheet on very limited [ or no ] experience .. and it's based on where they keep theirs.

Again all of the info in the 'Tortoise Forum' Redfoot Caresheet is based on personal "hands-on" experience from raising hatchlings from 1998 that grew up to make their own first hatchlings in Feb. 2005 .. and some of those babies started the process over again in early 2012.
 
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Edian

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I had used Mosser Lee since 2005 .. since Lowe's discontinued it - and there is not a Home Depot within 65 miles of here - I now use Better~Gro ... same stuff!

@Edian .. to my knowledge there was no redfoot caresheet to be found in the 20th century. And there was no Tortoise Forum' "Redfoot Caresheet" that you or anyone else could go to - so Yvonne asked me to post my Caresheet that was created in 2005. It has been "simplified/edited" for The Tortoise Forum.
The 'Tortoise Forum' Redfoot Caresheet is universal and has been documented successful from everywhere on the planet -- keep the "Parameters Balanced" ( regardless how you do it ) - that's the key... that's all anybody tries to do ( that has written a caresheet since ). Unfortunately some of these 'authors' base their caresheet on very limited [ or no ] experience .. and it's based on where they keep theirs.

Again all of the info in the 'Tortoise Forum' Redfoot Caresheet is based on personal "hands-on" experience from raising hatchlings from 1998 that grew up to make their own first hatchlings in Feb. 2005 .. and some of those babies started the process over again in early 2012.

Thanks man, I really appreciate the info! I don’t mean to sound like I doubt you if it came off like that, I simply question things to understand the reasoning behind it. I believe in learning the “why” instead of just the “how” and Your care sheet is fantastic in that sense. I would very much love to read your non-simplified version if you have it available!
 

aqualungs

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Si I finally went to try the Cypress mulch I picked up from Home Depot. It had some bark that looked like pine in it, and I may have smelled cedar? Anyways it says cypress blend, so that leads me to believe I should not use it. Back to the old drawing board.. can’t find fine orchid bark around here either.

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

2 cu. ft. Cypress Mulch Blend

https://www.homedepot.com/p/203579960IMG_2304.jpg
 

Redfoot NERD

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The package should say 100% cypress. You definitely don't want cedar!!! Because of the "cost" to harvest etc. Cypress .. it is now "blended" quite often now-days!

Long fiber
spag moss goes on the top layer of substrate and should stay only moist and "fluffy". Long fiber spag comes in a compressed light brick - tear it apart to virtual 'single-strands'.. babies / youngsters love to crawl up in it. A big pile of it in a corner works great for them to hide in!
 

aqualungs

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Agreed. Now it’s sitting in my garage. I’ll use it in my yard somewhere. [emoji2955]

My torts love the spagnum in their hides!
 

dmmj

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Agreed. Now it’s sitting in my garage. I’ll use it in my yard somewhere. [emoji2955]

My torts love the spagnum in their hides!
you can always use it as ground cover in your garden. To help retain moisture. Amazon has got 10 quarts of cypress mulch for 6.99.
 

aqualungs

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you can always use it as ground cover in your garden. To help retain moisture. Amazon has got 10 quarts of cypress mulch for 6.99.

I grabbed some of my orchid bark and picked out the carbon and white pumice. Rinsed it and good to go!
 

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