bugs in bedding what do i do!?

[goblinandmrturtle]

I just cleaned out mr turtles tank, hes a russian tortoise and I use alfalfa pellets bedding. I only use half a bag at a time and these bugs weren't in the first half when I cleaned his tank the time before. These weird small mite like bugs are on the second half of the bedding and im not sure what to do.

I dont have any extra bedding that was the last I had for the moment. I dont have a car or time to get to a pet store till Saterday. Will mr turtle be ok with the bugs till than? I'm really worried and dont know what to do.

I also read somewhere that mites dont like Cedar bedding can I use that for bedding or will that be harmful to mr turtle?

 

[Kristina]

OH no no no no... Cedar bedding is bad bad bad bad! It is bad for ALL animals, I don't even know why they still sell it! The oils are VERY toxic, especially to reptiles! It could actually kill him!

Alfalfa bedding is bad, too, and you really shouldn't use it. I'll come back to that.

As far as the bugs - your Russian tortoise most likely originally came from the wild. There are plenty of bugs outside When I set up a new enclosure (I use plain organic soil as bedding in mine) I actually inoculate the soil with pill bugs, snails, slugs, millipedes, and other creatures that thrive in a humid, planted environment. Bugs won't hurt your tortoise - but, we really should address the problem of the alfalfa bedding. It is a bad choice of bedding.

Here is a little clip from my article for beginner owners-

Substrate

Once you have chosen your enclosure, you need something for the tortoise to dig in, and defecate, urinate, and walk on.

There are a lot of options. Not all of them are good ones. Cedar or pine bedding is highly toxic and will kill your tortoise. Substrates made up of calcium based sand are an improper choice, as they do not hold moisture well and can both be irritating and cause impactions. Ground corn cobs and walnut shells are also very dangerous, as they can cause deadly impactions if eaten. Sheets of newspaper/newsprint, shredded paper or small animal beddings do not work because there is no way from them to hold moisture and create the microclimate that your tortoise needs. Alfalfa pellets also do not work, as they are difficult for the tortoise to walk on, and can cause permanent muscle and leg damage, and it will mold quickly if it becomes wet. Another major drawback to all the substrates that I just listed is that they do not allow the tortoise to burrow.

Aspen bedding can be used, and is safe, but it does not allow for the application of humidity. I only recommend using aspen in areas where there is a high relative humidity and with species that don't require a high humidity level, or if a humid hide is used. Timothy hay can also be used as a dry substrate.

Substrates also differ a little from species to species. For instance, cypress mulch is a good choice for Redfoot tortoises, which do not tend to dig, need a humid environment, but benefit from a drier surface due to a tendency to develop shell rot. Cypress mulch holds moisture in the lower layers even if the surface dries out some, and allows for good drainage. Cypress mulch can be purchased at your local garden supply center at very low prices, and is suitable for other species as well.

Some keepers prefer a mixture of ground coconut coir and playsand. Others prefer the coir by itself. Still others use orchid bark or organic topsoil, or a mixture of two or more suitable substrates. It depends both on personal preference and what is available to you in your area. The important thing is that it is safe for the tortoise, and allows for water to be added to create a humid microclimate. The substrate should be damp, but not wet. A good way to determine the proper amount of moisture is to squeeze the substrate in your hand. It should be moist to the touch, but not so saturated that you can wring water out of it.

For a planted enclosure, organic topsoil covered with a layer of coconut coir or cypress mulch works well. The plants can be planted directly into the substrate.

Small rocks should always be avoided as they pose both a choking hazard and an impaction hazard if ingested.

Please give the whole thing a read, and ask any more questions that you may have.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ive-or-Beginner-Tortoise-Owners#axzz1tEmhaoP5

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi goblinandmrturtle:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

...and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

 

[DesertGrandma]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I use cypress substrate and have the same little tiny bugs in it. They don't hurt anything and only come out when there is leftover food. Not to worry.

 

[goblinandmrturtle]

thank you everyone for the helpful tips! being a new tortoise owner still trying to figure out the quarks. i got scared because i dont want anything to happen to him.

im getting him a new tank tomorrow thats a bit bigger anyway so ill check the cyprus bedding i keep being reffered too. i think he'll like that quit a bit more anyway. itll give me an opportunity to look at new hide boxes for him. i tinkered around with a few other kinds of bedding and i dont think he liked some of what we tried in the past. and the alfalfa bedding was what they used in the petstore. i didnt like it though and had tried a few other things that i dont think he liked the other things. and when i saw the bugs i just flipped and didnt know what to do or if theyd be harmful to him.

thank you everyone again for your tips. they were super helpful. ill try to put some pictures up of him soon.