Housing and bedding

[hayd3]

I live in the east of England and have 4 salcatas all aged between 2-4. I've recently noticed their shells going a bit dry and have heard it may be down to the humidity. Can some please explain this. In my house I have the correct uv and heating for them but have read that it should be moist. When ever I put moist soil or anything like that in it just seems to go dry like the rest of the house
Please help

 

[Yvonne G]

You're going to have to pour water over the substrate and mix it up with your hand to get it all wet, then cover or partially cover the habitat. I sometimes have to add water two or three times a week.

 

[bouaboua]

What kind of substrate you are using? and consider humidifier? do you have way to measure your humidity level?

 

[hayd3]

I use the tortoise life substrate and some topsoil and occasionally some calcium sand but as it needs to be quite warm it just seems to dry out very quickly

 

[Tom]

Sand and "tortoise life" are not good substrates. Your substrate is drying out because you have very low humidity in your house and and open topped enclosure. Its just physics.

Please read these:
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/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

Sulcatas are NOT a desert species. They need some humidity and they need warm temperatures day and night.

 

[Trigonometry]

I need a better substrate option for humidity. I own two bags or this stuff already: http://www.target.com/p/ecoscraps-n...otting-mix-1-cu-ft/-/A-14903854#prodSlot=_1_6 would this be adequate? Its description is as follows:
Allow your garden to flourish beautifully with Ecoscraps Natural & Organic Moisture Retaining Potting Mix! This earth-friendly gardening blend is great for starting seedlings or potting or re-potting indoor and outdoor plants. Your herbs and flowers and plants will bloom happily with the Ecoscraps soil, which cheekily claims to contain "No synthetic chemicals. No poop." Includes 20-lb. of moisture retaining potting soil.

 

[Tom]

I need a better substrate option for humidity. I own two bags or this stuff already: http://www.target.com/p/ecoscraps-n...otting-mix-1-cu-ft/-/A-14903854#prodSlot=_1_6 would this be adequate? Its description is as follows:
Allow your garden to flourish beautifully with Ecoscraps Natural & Organic Moisture Retaining Potting Mix! This earth-friendly gardening blend is great for starting seedlings or potting or re-potting indoor and outdoor plants. Your herbs and flowers and plants will bloom happily with the Ecoscraps soil, which cheekily claims to contain "No synthetic chemicals. No poop." Includes 20-lb. of moisture retaining potting soil.

I've got weak internet signal here, so I'm not able to open your link, but the key phrase that would worry me there is "moisture retaining". What is in that soil that makes it any more "moisture retaining" than dirt? Probably perlite or vermiculite. You don't want either. I also don't like soil, or "top soil", because it is made from people's discarded lawn trimmings. It could be pesticide covered oleander bushes for all we know.

Orchid bark works best for sulcatas, and coco coir works best for young DTs and most testudo species.

 

[Trigonometry]

ZOO MED™ ECO EARTH™ Expandable Reptile Substrate Value Pack - this appears to be something I can pick up on my way home.

 

[Trigonometry]

I just bought the loose version of this. ^

 

[Tom]

ZOO MED™ ECO EARTH™ Expandable Reptile Substrate Value Pack - this appears to be something I can pick up on my way home.
View attachment 119825

That works. You will need a lot of it. Hand pack it down and it takes a good couple of weeks to settle in. It can be pretty messy at first which is why its only my second favorite choice.

You can buy it in bulk much cheaper at a nursery. They call it coco coir and it costs about $12 for 7 times that amount.

 

[jaizei]

I've got weak internet signal here, so I'm not able to open your link, but the key phrase that would worry me there is "moisture retaining". What is in that soil that makes it any more "moisture retaining" than dirt? Probably perlite or vermiculite. You don't want either. I also don't like soil, or "top soil", because it is made from people's discarded lawn trimmings. It could be pesticide covered oleander bushes for all we know.

Orchid bark works best for sulcatas, and coco coir works best for young DTs and most testudo species.

Do you have reasonable evidence to suggest that pesticide covered oleander bushes are routinely turned into compost and then sold?

 

[Trigonometry]

I figured, I just wanted to get the alfalfa pellets out ASAP. I put in the new substrate, added some moisture, and packed it down as best as I could but my tort doesn't seem to be able to maneuver very will in this substrate, he just kinda sinks when he/she walks hahaha. I also tried to give him a dandelion leaf to comfort him, he got dirt on his/her tongue and wasn't very thrilled about it.. are these concerns?

 

[Tom]

Do you have reasonable evidence to suggest that pesticide covered oleander bushes are routinely turned into compost and then sold?

None. Do you have any evidence that it is not?

I don't know how it works where you are, but here we have three bins that we roll out to the curb weekly. Trash, recycling and "yard waste". This yard waste can be fallen leaves, grass clippings, rose bush trimmings and any other "green" type plant waste, including anything sprayed with chemicals, like grass clipping with weed killer, or rose bushed with aphid killing pesticides, and yes oleander. I have personally disposed of many oleander bushes by chopping them up and tossing them in my bin. I have been told by multiple nurseries, commercial plant growers and other people that the companies that make the soil and compost mixes we buy use the materials collected curbside to make their product.

So that product you buy all neatly bagged up might be the composted oleander I chucked months ago, or it might be someone's mulberry leaves that fell off in the fall. Or a mixture of any of the above. Do you know what's in that bag? I don't.

 

[Tom]

I figured, I just wanted to get the alfalfa pellets out ASAP. I put in the new substrate, added some moisture, and packed it down as best as I could but my tort doesn't seem to be able to maneuver very will in this substrate, he just kinda sinks when he/she walks hahaha. I also tried to give him a dandelion leaf to comfort him, he got dirt on his/her tongue and wasn't very thrilled about it.. are these concerns?

Yes. Very much so. They need something relatively solid with good footing to walk on. They also need to be fed in a bowl or on some sort of plate so their food is not covered in substrate when they eat it. Terra cotta plant saucers sunk into the substrate work very well for this purpose.

 

[Trigonometry]

So this was a bad choice of substrate? I will try it pack it more but am not certain how solid I could make it without adding a considerable amount of water and even then.. I will post a pic when I get home, I am currently using a terrarium I already owned until I build or get a box(in the near future) I accept any and all shunning.

 

[Tom]

So this was a bad choice of substrate? I will try it pack it more but am not certain how solid I could make it without adding a considerable amount of water and even then.. I will post a pic when I get home, I am currently using a terrarium I already owned until I build or get a box(in the near future) I accept any and all shunning.

Eco earth is fine. Not my first choice because of the reasons you are experiencing, but its fine. You need it damp, you need a very thick layer of it, and you need to hand pack it down thoroughly. In two weeks it will settle in and be just fine. It will be pretty messy and need daily packing until that point.

With damp substrate make sure your night temps are properly maintained. Keep it around 80 all night, but still dark.

 

[Trigonometry]

OK, need to get a ceramic heating element for night and some better temp/humidity gauges. I had a bearded dragon for 9 years until he passed, so I have a rock that plugs in and generates heat and a pad that sticks to the bottom of the terrarium, are these of any use?

 

[Trigonometry]

I also have a red bulb I currently put on for 4 hours from 8am -12pm and a 75watt day heat bulb from 8 am - 8 pm, both on timers. Can the red bulb be utilized as a nighttime heat source?

 

[Tom]

OK, need to get a ceramic heating element for night and some better temp/humidity gauges. I had a bearded dragon for 9 years until he passed, so I have a rock that plugs in and generates heat and a pad that sticks to the bottom of the terrarium, are these of any use?

I would not use any sort of heat rock or under tank heating mat with a tortoise. I would also not use a red bulb day or night. Its all explained here:
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/