Hello I'm New

[VikkiGT4]

Hi all

My name is Vikki and I'm owned by Puck, an 8 year old grump Russian tortoise.

Having trouble getting his substrate right and after some opinions on what is the best substrate. We've have him on tortoise pellets and he's currently on a top soil mix. I was looking to try coco coir and found Zoo Med Eco Earth for sale and was wondering if this is any good at all?

Any help offered would be gratefully received

Vikki xx

 

[Pearly]

Hi all

My name is Vikki and I'm owned by Puck, an 8 year old grump Russian tortoise.

Having trouble getting his substrate right and after some opinions on what is the best substrate. We've have him on tortoise pellets and he's currently on a top soil mix. I was looking to try coco coir and found Zoo Med Eco Earth for sale and was wondering if this is any good at all?

Any help offered would be gratefully received

Vikki xx

Hi Vikki and welcome from Texas! Coco coir is great, but you'll have hell of a job keeping the water dish clean. Many members here like fine grade orchid bark. I love coir for baby torts and use sheet moss around their water and food to keep things little cleaner

 

[VikkiGT4]

Hi and thanks.

I struggle to keep it clean with his soil mix he has now. With Orchid bark is there not a risk of impaction?

 

[Pearly]

Hi and thanks.

I struggle to keep it clean with his soil mix he has now. With Orchid bark is there not a risk of impaction?

I've never seen my babies nor heard of other people's torts trying to chomp on the bark. I know "pebbles (rock) should be too big to fit in their mouth". I think the impaction issue tends to happen when food gets dredged with substrate and then swallowed. That's why people advise against sand. But I maybe under wrong assumption. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I think good way to keep substrate from mixing with food is to serve food on flat stone or tile mine is a piece of slate. For the outdoor enclosure I'll look for nice big slate tile. I like slate bcs it's easy to hose down and keep clean.

 

[VikkiGT4]

Ok cool. I'll order some then. He already had a large piece of slate to eat his dinner off but he likes to walk through his dinner first, get it stuck to his claws and then drag it around the water bowl and over his log and then he'll eat it

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Vikki, and welcome to the Forum!

Yes, the Zoo Med eco earth is the same as coco coir.

 

[Sandy Martinez]

Hi Vikki - Welcome! - I use cypress mulch for my russian and have never had a problem. My first choice was the orchid bark but I had a hard time finding it sold in my city in bulk. Small bags only and my enclosure is 8x4 so I went with cypress mulch.

 

[VikkiGT4]

Hi Sandy

Thanks for the response I'm going to give the eco earth a go and see how I get on but I'll bear cypress mulch in mind xx

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Vikki

 

[VikkiGT4]

Thank you

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Sandy

Thanks for the response I'm going to give the eco earth a go and see how I get on but I'll bear cypress mulch in mind xx

Once you get it in, pat it down with your hand. Makes it easier to walk on and not so bad about dragging it into the food.

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome Vicki and Puck !

 

[VikkiGT4]

Hi *\ x

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Vicki and Puck, there's lots of great up to date advice here - have you found the caresheet for Russians yet?
Looking forward to seeing some pics of Puck and his home.

 

[JoesMum]

Hllo and welcome from another Brit

This is the Russian Care Sheet which is packed full of excellent advice
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[VikkiGT4]

Hi guys

Thanks for all the welcomes

I'm having a look through the care sheet now xxx

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome

 

[Amron]

Hello and welcome from yet another Brit.

 

[VikkiGT4]

Hello *\

 

[VikkiGT4]

Sooooo I've tried the Eco Earth and I now have one fed up tortoise - he hates it!

I've pressed it down firmly but it keeps coming loose and getting into his water bowl and his food. He really doesn't seem to be happy with the new substrate so I'm going to change back to the pellet substrate he was on before.

Temperamental tortoise lol