I bought some Reptibark, quick question...

Bmatic

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Hi there,
I'm about to use a big bag of Reptibark for a new indoor enclosure. At present it is sitting in the bag dry, it doesn't look dusty much. Can some kind person describe the simplest, most practical way to dampen or otherwise make it all tortoise-ready at once? I'm not sure if I should place it in the container dry and then spray dampen just the bits I can see, or soak it briefly and allow it to dry a bit before use. If you have a method you prefer, please let me know. Thanks :)
 

Maro2Bear

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I usually take a big bucket, pour the substrate in and add a ton of warm water. Let it sit overnight. The substrate slowly absorbs a ton of water, fully saturating the substrtate. In the morning, drain out all the water, maybe use a colander / strainer, then add this fully saturated substrate. By doing this, you are ensuring your substrate is fully wet, inside & out. If you only add & spray - the substrate never stays moist & quickly dries out.

What kind of tortoise?

good luck
 

Bmatic

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Maro2Bear, thanks for that, seems to make plenty of sense to me. I may need to accelerate it a little and and just soak it for a couple of hours (only because i have scheduling/ work issues) - i appreciate u taking the time to answer and I am going to soak these chips now.
 

Tom

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I just put it in dry and dump water into the substrate. It will disperse and absorb on its own.
 

Maro2Bear

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I just put it in dry and dump water into the substrate. It will disperse and absorb on its own.

That works too of course. I still like the bucket method - it ensures complete saturation of the substrate.

Just like gardening.....if anyone has experienced a plant that has totally dried out, the best way to refresh is to submerge that pot in a bucket of water, the peat/compost/soil rehydrates. If you just pour water onto the plant, the water runs off the top, down the sides & out the drain holes. Never soaking the soil & roots. ??
 

Bmatic

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Tom, thanks for yr reply, I saved a quarter of the bag dry as insurance but comment noted. Must quickly say thanks for a ton of other advice of yours I've read here. In a brief sentence could you give me a better idea of the damp/ slightly dryer balance, particularly with regard to his sleeping area, are they happy in dampened woodchips for bedding down, or should I keep any areas of the substrate a bit dryer? Not the best articulated question but just wondering if the 'slightly damp' general rule extends to every area, (and depth but i guess you answered that already) . Sorry to ask for more!
 

Tom

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That works too of course. I still like the bucket method - it ensures complete saturation of the substrate.

Just like gardening.....if anyone has experienced a plant that has totally dried out, the best way to refresh is to submerge that pot in a bucket of water, the peat/compost/soil rehydrates. If you just pour water onto the plant, the water runs off the top, down the sides & out the drain holes. Never soaking the soil & roots. ??
Doing it the way I do it, I think the enclosure itself functions as the bucket. There is just nowhere for the water to go, so it gets soaked up.

I'm short on time, so I try to get things done in as few steps as possible.
 

Tom

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Tom, thanks for yr reply, I saved a quarter of the bag dry as insurance but comment noted. Must quickly say thanks for a ton of other advice of yours I've read here. In a brief sentence could you give me a better idea of the damp/ slightly dryer balance, particularly with regard to his sleeping area, are they happy in dampened woodchips for bedding down, or should I keep any areas of the substrate a bit dryer? Not the best articulated question but just wondering if the 'slightly damp' general rule extends to every area, (and depth but i guess you answered that already) . Sorry to ask for more!
The beauty of orchid bark is that you can keep the lower layers more damp, while the surface remains drier. My substrate is usually wet around the water bowls and more damp in the humid hide, but dry-ish on top in the rest of the enclosure. I also tend to dump the water bowl on the basking rock daily as long as there is no poop in it. This dries out pretty quickly and adds humidity to that dry area around the bulb.
 

Bmatic

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in the UK it seems the only type of Fine orchid bark you can buy in larger amounts is derived from pine.
I don't want to pay Reptibark prices forever, but have seen no conclusive opinions one way or the other, is the pine stuff equally OK to use in future?
thanks.
 

Hamiltondood

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in the UK it seems the only type of Fine orchid bark you can buy in larger amounts is derived from pine.
I don't want to pay Reptibark prices forever, but have seen no conclusive opinions one way or the other, is the pine stuff equally OK to use in future?
thanks.
you can try adding a bit of coco coir (any will work, no chemicals) to the bottom and add the reptibark on the top
you shoudnt have to keep buying reptibark much if you spot clean daily or soak everyday
i find the coco coir helps with the humidity if you use reptibark too
i just buy an 11 lb block for 10 dollars (sometimes 15), lasts quite long
this is what i use with a bit of reptibark:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FB8ZPG7/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
you can also get nine bricks for 30 dollars (still a bit pricey)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IBV2DZO/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
you can probably find coco coir in the UK, right? :)
 

Ljanderson

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Hi there,
I'm about to use a big bag of Reptibark for a new indoor enclosure. At present it is sitting in the bag dry, it doesn't look dusty much. Can some kind person describe the simplest, most practical way to dampen or otherwise make it all tortoise-ready at once? I'm not sure if I should place it in the container dry and then spray dampen just the bits I can see, or soak it briefly and allow it to dry a bit before use. If you have a method you prefer, please let me know. Thanks :)
 

Ljanderson

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Sep 27, 2020
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St Peters
Once a week I use a watering can and pour warm water all over it then slowly mix it (bc it is dusty when dry) so all is soaked. I have to mix it up every couple days in between to make sure the top layers stay moist. It helps keep the humidity up and my torts love digging after I mess up their beds ???
 

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