Got confused. Please, help me out!

[victoria146]

Hi there!
I'm currently looking for the ideal bedding decision for my russian torts. We have had alder wood chips for the last 5 years. I was initially recommended to use that substrate for it's not dusty.
But, recently I've decided to switch it to sth else because wood chips do not provide the torts with humidity needed.
Since I live in Russia, here forumers have a way different opinion from what I found out in this forum.

For example, they all recommend using loam (a combination of sand, silt and clay, 40%-40%-20%), whereas I read here that sand is strictly prohibited.
I tried to do it myself and mix that all but I must have put too much of clay and it all stuck together and kinda froze and not soft at all, let alone if you don't water it (literally water) it gets dusty.

So I then purchased Lucky Reptile Tortoise bedding 20L (based on peat) and mixed it a bit with coco coir (btw coco coir is another thing that russian keepers recommend not doing,because they say it's not digestible, which I really doubt now after having read you, guys).
So and with peat and coco coir now it's too humid lol.

My question is (or rather questions):
1) Can I mix this Lucky Reptile Tortoise bedding with orchid bark or the latter can get moldy? Asked my grandma about but she confused me even more?
2) May be you would have a recommendation of what I could mix better with this Lucky Reptile peat, because I have two terrariums of 28/78 inches both and another one of 31/47, so there's plenty of space and covering it all with only Lucky reptile I guess will cost me a fortune ?
3) Oh, and one more, could you give opinion on using loam as a bedding for russian torts.

Many thanks in andvance! Sorry if the post was too long?

 

[Blackdog1714]

Fine fir bark is the best overall choice - Reptibark is what I use. I have my leopard on that. My Russian has cypress mulch and easily dugs into. Also have you seen the Russian care guidehttps://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/

 

[victoria146]

Fine fir bark is the best overall choice - Reptibark is what I use. I have my leopard on that. My Russian has cypress mulch and easily dugs into. Also have you seen the Russian care guidehttps://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/

thanks for your reply but the question is - can I mix Lucky Reptile tortoise bedding (peat) with orchid bark..
The link also doesn't answer that question

 

[Maro2Bear]

There‘s really no reason why you can’t mix the peat with the orchid bark, but you might just want to go 100% with the orchid bark. The peat/orchid combo really shouldnt get moldy. I would go with the orchid mix if thats available & cheaper.

I would stay away from using the “loam” that you asked about. Mixing in sand is never a good idea since it can easily get ingested with wet food & reportedly causes impaction.

ps - what part of Russia?

 

[Yossarian]

thanks for your reply but the question is - can I mix Lucky Reptile tortoise bedding (peat) with orchid bark..
The link also doesn't answer that question

You can mix anything you want but the reason coir and orchid bark are used together or on their own is because both are relatively "clean" substrates and have high moisture retention. The Lucky reptile mix doesnt look great to me, I would just use coco instead if I were you. I dont like sand in any mix because I have seen my tort injure his shell rubbing it against the wall of his enclosure where dirt(and sand) had become impacted in the liner and effectively acted like sandpaper, wearing a thin spot in his shell.

 

[victoria146]

There‘s really no reason why you can’t mix the peat with the orchid bark, but you might just want to go 100% with the orchid bark. The peat/orchid combo really shouldnt get moldy. I would go with the orchid mix if thats available & cheaper.

I would stay away from using the “loam” that you asked about. Mixing in sand is never a good idea since it can easily get ingested with wet food & reportedly causes impaction.

ps - what part of Russia?

Thank you very much for you replay! Hope this one will be the perfect combination for us

It called "Central part", but in fact it's 500 km south of Moscow. It gets pretty cold here in winter as well, temps go down to 10-15C below zero, so no outdoor enclosure for us ?

 

[victoria146]

You can mix anything you want but the reason coir and orchid bark are used together or on their own is because both are relatively "clean" substrates and have high moisture retention. The Lucky reptile mix doesnt look great to me, I would just use coco instead if I were you. I dont like sand in any mix because I have seen my tort injure his shell rubbing it against the wall of his enclosure where dirt(and sand) had become impacted in the liner and effectively acted like sandpaper, wearing a thin spot in his shell.

Thank you for your answer! Lucky reptile mix isn't good enough you mean mixed with coco and orchid or on it's own? Anyways, could you please comment why?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Thank you very much for you replay! Hope this one will be the perfect combination for us

It called "Central part", but in fact it's 500 km south of Moscow. It gets pretty cold here in winter as well, temps go down to 10-15C below zero, so no outdoor enclosure for us ?

Hahah, that narrows it down. ? I guess near Voronezh... Ive traveled to a few locations there as well as some FSU locations too. Yeah, not a good time for outdoor enclosures.

 

[Blackdog1714]

The Lucky mix looks like it has sand and vermiculite in it that is why we do not suggest it.

 

[Yvonne G]

Anything you use will eventually be dusty if you don't keep moistening it.

 

[victoria146]

Hahah, that narrows it down. ? I guess near Voronezh... Ive traveled to a few locations there as well as some FSU locations too. Yeah, not a good time for outdoor enclosures.

Wooow, you got it right! I live exactly in Voronezh haha. That's incredible that you've been here because that's not quite a tourist city. Impressed!? Did you like it??

 

[victoria146]

The Lucky mix looks like it has sand and vermiculite in it that is why we do not suggest it.

Oh I must have confused you, I don't use Lucky Reptile Mix, I use Lucky Reptile Tortoise bedding and there's no sand or vermiculite, that's only peat

 

[Tom]

Just use all coco coir or all orchid bark. No sand, no peat, no soil, no loam, That's all old thinking.

 

[victoria146]

Just use all coco coir or all orchid bark. No sand, no peat, no soil, no loam, That's all old thinking.

Thank you, Tom, for your replay. Could you please comment on why peat is bad for torts?

 

[Tom]

Thank you, Tom, for your replay. Could you please comment on why peat is bad for torts?

Peat can rot their plastron in some cases. A friend tried to use it for some SA leopard babies in an open topped, relatively dry enclosure in a humid room, and it literally ate away at their plastrons. I had never seen any kind of "shell rot" on a leopard before this.

 

[victoria146]

Peat can rot their plastron in some cases. A friend tried to use it for some SA leopard babies in an open topped, relatively dry enclosure in a humid room, and it literally ate away at their plastrons. I had never seen any kind of "shell rot" on a leopard before this.

Ooooomg that must have been way too acid. the peat I use is pH 2,5-3,5, I figures that was not very acid because what you usually buy in a store will be at pH 5,5-7,0.
But anyways probably that will be better to go with orchid bark and coco coir. Thank you very much for sharing this story!

 

[Yossarian]

pH 2.5 - 3.5 is a much more acidic than 5.5-7. 7 is neutral pH. Also, peat is a naturally decomposing material, much like mulch, whereas coco is more of an inert substrate, it doesnt decompose noticeably over the timeframe that we use it.

 

[victoria146]

pH 2.5 - 3.5 is a much more acidic than 5.5-7. 7 is neutral pH. Also, peat is a naturally decomposing material, much like mulch, whereas coco is more of an inert substrate, it doesnt decompose noticeably over the timeframe that we use it.

Wooow ! I didn’t know about it, I thought the less the better now that you explained this for sure I will have to get rid of the peat I’m using. Thank you very much for your comment!!! I appreciate!