where does one buy this for substrate and is it used alone or mixed with something else?
coconut coir
- Thread starter sueb4653
- Start date
- Status
You can buy it at petco or petsmart or even eBay. You can use it alone which is what I do or you can add some type of mulch. I wouldn't recommend adding sand though.
I get mine on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DQPS5U/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
I have both the coco coir and cypress mulch. When I use up all my cypress mulch I am just going to use the coco coir. I like it better without the cypress mulch. I get mine at a pet store but I have seen it online. I have seen it on amazon. You can buy a package with a few bricks for $10.
Make sure to compare the actual weight (usually grams) to the number of bricks when you purchase on Amazon or eBay, to ensure you getting the best bargain for your buck. Not all those bricks are the same: some are only 250 grams, while others are 650 grams.
I use coco coir alone, and I get mine from my local gardening store (it's cheaper than the pet store that way).
GeoTerraTestudo said:
great I think I will be getting some , how long does a substrate usually last for ? right now I am using cypress mulch but I like the idea of being aboe to throw some grass or clover seed into the coconut coir and having it grow in the enclosure.
sueb4653 said:
Coco coir is great, but remember: tortoises can dig in it like soil, but it is not soil (it's actually ground up coconut husk). If you sew seeds in coco coir, they may sprout, but they will die within a few days, simply because there are not as many nutrients in coir as there are in true soil.
Indeed, that's why coco coir is a better indoor substrate: it does not support growth. Soil may allow plants to grow in it, but it also comes with fungi and insects that can become pests. Coco coir, in contrast, comes clean and resists infestation. You may not get plants growing in it, but you should get zero growth of fungi and insects, unless you allow waste material to accumulate, in which case you may get a few pests (which can be easily eradicated by throwing out the fouled matter).
Which brings me to your question. If you spot-clean coco coir, picking up uneaten food and tortoise waste everyday or several times a week, your coir can last for many months or even years. If you don't, then you may have to change it out once or twice a year - still not bad at all.
I had some coco coir from the pet store (in a bag) and the first two times I used it I was getting little gnats & some other crawly bug in it. Then the third time I got smart, bought the bricks, baked them and wa-la. No bugs. Then one morning while I was tending to my other two monsters outside before i left for work, Sophie thought she found a new kitty litter box! Now I'm using Cyprus mulch.
Point: bake your coco coir if you end up with bugs!
Point: bake your coco coir if you end up with bugs!
GeoTerraTestudo said:sueb4653 said:
Coco coir is great, but remember: tortoises can dig in it like soil, but it is not soil (it's actually ground up coconut husk). If you sew seeds in coco coir, they may sprout, but they will die within a few days, simply because there are not as many nutrients in coir as there are in true soil.
Indeed, that's why coco coir is a better indoor substrate: it does not support growth. Soil may allow plants to grow in it, but it also comes with fungi and insects that can become pests. Coco coir, in contrast, comes clean and resists infestation. You may not get plants growing in it, but you should get zero growth of fungi and insects, unless you allow waste material to accumulate, in which case you may get a few pests (which can be easily eradicated by throwing out the fouled matter).
Which brings me to your question. If you spot-clean coco coir, picking up uneaten food and tortoise waste everyday or several times a week, your coir can last for many months or even years. If you don't, then you may have to change it out once or twice a year - still not bad at all.
Thank you for the answers guess I will keep the grasses growing in their own substrate but will still probably get the coconut coir in the future when the cyprus mulch needs changed out
So far I use half coir half peat moss. It holds moisture well and the tort likes to nestle down into it. I also put some New Zealand sphagnum on top that the tortoise likes to hide in and sometimes eat (saw it eating some the other day). Don't know if that's good or not.
Sonja215 said:
Wow, that's too bad. I've never had to bake my coco coir. It has always come clean and usable. If it does develop gnats many months later, I just make sure I clean out the uneaten food and the tortoise waste, and then I add water and give the stuff a good mixing. That seems to get rid of the bugs, and whatever stragglers are left starve within a couple days.
I used to use cypress mulch and soil, and those did seem to develop bugs rather quickly. Not sure if they were stowaways or colonists, but either way, even with spot-cleaning, it was tough to get rid of them. Plus, it's tough to dig in cypress mulch. So, when it came to switch them out, I went to coco coir and have been happy with it since. I have heard of other baking their cypress mulch or soil, but I'd rather reserve my oven for cookies.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
