Changed substrate

[Jade Pardee]

So I've had my baby sulcata for about a month now and she has been doing really well! She eats and poops and walks around and is usually up waiting for someone to switch her lights in the morning and we go outside and have a great time. Well I've been keeping her at my parents house because i'm in the process of moving and im gone for the weekend and just dont want her being alone or dragging her all over Pennsylvania (This situation will be different once i move). Anyway I kept forgetting to bring her clean substrate so I bought her a different type and cleaned her house. Yesterday my step mom texted me and told me that she hadnt been out of her hiding spot all day.
Is she being inactive because she's freaked out by the substrate change, I plan on changing it back when I take the stuff she actually likes home with me this weekend, or should i be concerned by the sudden change in activity?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Any big change could and sometimes does make a tortoise inactive.
Give it a few days and it'll get used to it.

 

[Jodie]

Tortoises don't like change. Most will adjust fairly quickly to minor changes.

 

[Tom]

What was the old substrate? What is the new?

Are you using a red bulb? This can mess with their head, and it could be the cause of your issue.

What are you using for UV?

What do you feed the tortoise?

 

[Jade Pardee]

What was the old substrate? What is the new?

Are you using a red bulb? This can mess with their head, and it could be the cause of your issue.

What are you using for UV?

What do you feed the tortoise?

The old substrate was a layer of coconut fiber and a top layer of cypress and the new one is Reptile & Exotics Supplies Repterra Sand.
I dont use a red light
and I feed her cucumbers without the seeds, roman lettuce, squash, grasses and different veggies like that,
For UV, her heating lamp has UVA and I have a tube light for UVB.
For night I have a blue night light.
My step mom just told me shes coming out a little just doesnt like the sand. So we're going to change it back.

 

[Tom]

Sand is a definite no go. Very dangerous. Everything else sounds okay.

These will help you:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Tom]

Delete. Double post.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Sand can cause impaction issues if eaten and a very poor substrate for holding humidity.

 

[Jade Pardee]

Yea I had my Brother take it out. I figured none was better than that. It was there for a day.

 

[Heardofturtles]

Good call.

 

[Jade Pardee]

He also soaked her for a while and she was walking Around and happy

 

[Jade Pardee]

Would regular dirt be ok until i can take regular stuff down

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Regular yard dirt is fine as long as you are sure it doesn't contain any fertilizers, chemicals etc and doesn't have a high sand content.
Your old substrates of coco coir or cypress mulch are better, others use orchid bark.