Coco coir

Alisha Hawkins

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Hey guys! Just looking for a second opinion, my hermanns tortoise (originally on topsoil) was struggling with getting little particles of soil stuck in his eyes and it would only come off in soaks or if i washed it out. Ive last minute switched him over to beech chips which we had spare from our other animals ***very temporarily, dont worry*** which hes still burying down on and doesnt seem bothered by just for now.

So now im looking into buying some coconut coir to try him on, i dont mind paying the extra as its only 1 tortoise table but also have NO IDEA how much to buy??? How much does it expand?? Am i better off buying more and just using it as i need it?

Thanks for help [emoji1]
 

katieandiggy

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I warn you now coco coir is messy like topsoil. My Russian gets it in his eyes too.
Personally if I was you I would use Fine grade orchid bark. It’s soooo much better.

At the moment I have half an enclosure of coco coir and half orchid Bark. I only had the coir as my baby is small and I wanted him to be able to dig easy, if he was bigger I would have all orchid bark.
 

Alisha Hawkins

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I warn you now coco coir is messy like topsoil. My Russian gets it in his eyes too.
Personally if I was you I would use Fine grade orchid bark. It’s soooo much better.

At the moment I have half an enclosure of coco coir and half orchid Bark. I only had the coir as my baby is small and I wanted him to be able to dig easy, if he was bigger I would have all orchid bark.
I was just about to reply to this asking about orchid bark! Thankyou [emoji16]
My local pet store sells big bags of the ochid bark for a similar price to their chippings as well i think...
Will i have to check ingredients for anything specific to avoid or should it all be the same?
 

baldegale

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i started using a 25/75 mixture of organic top soil and play sand. the sand binds the top soil together. i do have to say its not great for keeping up humidity though
 

katieandiggy

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Fine grade orchid bark from a pet store will be absolutely fine.
Lots of people here buy it straight from a garden centre because it’s a lot cheaper.
It holds moisture well so you can damp it down. not sure how much humidity you need for your hermanns but you can just tip a jug of water over the bark and mix it all up if you need humidity.
 

Alisha Hawkins

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Fine grade orchid bark from a pet store will be absolutely fine.
Lots of people here buy it straight from a garden centre because it’s a lot cheaper.
It holds moisture well so you can damp it down. not sure how much humidity you need for your hermanns but you can just tip a jug of water over the bark and mix it all up if you need humidity.
Yeah he needs a little, i usually just use a mister over the top soil.
That should be great, thanks for the advice!
 

Dorothy L

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i started using a 25/75 mixture of organic top soil and play sand. the sand binds the top soil together. i do have to say its not great for keeping up humidity though
Um... I just want to say that sand is not a good choice for substrate. Judging by the information I’ve found on the forum, I’ve heard sand is too dry, irritates tortoises eyes, etc. However, if it’s mixed with soil I’m not sure what’s wrong... I think @Tom or @Yvonne G would know.
 

baldegale

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Um... I just want to say that sand is not a good choice for substrate. Judging by the information I’ve found on the forum, I’ve heard sand is too dry, irritates tortoises eyes, etc. However, if it’s mixed with soil I’m not sure what’s wrong... I think @Tom or @Yvonne G would know.

im now using cypress mulch anyways!
 

baldegale

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Um... I just want to say that sand is not a good choice for substrate. Judging by the information I’ve found on the forum, I’ve heard sand is too dry, irritates tortoises eyes, etc. However, if it’s mixed with soil I’m not sure what’s wrong... I think @Tom or @Yvonne G would know.

also, with the mixture its way more top soil, you dont see much sand, i had no problems with it at all, doesnt get in the eyes and the soil holds moisture.
 

Dorothy L

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also, with the mixture its way more top soil, you dont see much sand, i had no problems with it at all, doesnt get in the eyes and the soil holds moisture.
im now using cypress mulch anyways!
Ohh, ok. Gotcha. Sorry, didn’t mean to be a busybody, just I sort of instinctively caught the word sand, read the rest, and was just like ‘Hmm... what if they’re using too much sand??! Not good, not good!”:p
 

baldegale

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Ohh, ok. Gotcha. Sorry, didn’t mean to be a busybody, just I sort of instinctively caught the word sand, read the rest, and was just like ‘Hmm... what if they’re using too much sand??! Not good, not good!”:p

i cant remember if i mentioned this already or not, but since i have a redfoot the sand was also to hold some burrows
 

Minority2

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I agree that coco coir can be dusty and messy if the substrate is not thoroughly mixed regularly. I also believe the quality and the process used to condition the coco coir does effect how it behaves.

Pouring boiling into coco coir prior to using it doesn't dry it out as fast as baking or microwaving it. Some people have also claimed that pet-branded coco coir substrate is poorly packed and can contain foreign materials as plastic and metal scraps inside their packaging. I suggest buying some fully washed, hydroponic branded coco coir and test it out to see.

I use both coco coir and orchid bark. I personally love the combination and the how insulating coco coir can be for small tortoises.
 

T Smart

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I agree that coco coir can be dusty and messy if the substrate is not thoroughly mixed regularly. I also believe the quality and the process used to condition the coco coir does effect how it behaves.

Pouring boiling into coco coir prior to using it doesn't dry it out as fast as baking or microwaving it. Some people have also claimed that pet-branded coco coir substrate is poorly packed and can contain foreign materials as plastic and metal scraps inside their packaging. I suggest buying some fully washed, hydroponic branded coco coir and test it out to see.

I use both coco coir and orchid bark. I personally love the combination and the how insulating coco coir can be for small tortoises.

Very messy indeed. I learned the hard way. But, if your on top of soaks/mists it's a great substrate to use. Also, I found that a layer of cypress mulch, above the choir, helps to retain some moisture and keep dust down.
 
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