Indoor enclosure Substrates

[yagyujubei]

I use a mixture of topsoil and coir, and a thin layer of cypress mulch on top. I think the mulch provides firmer footing, and keeps their feet cleaner (less tracking).

 

[Tom]

I like cypress mulch, orchid bark, coco coir, chips and fine coco, peat, long fibered peat moss and plain soil, with no additives. I have used all of these for years and never had any problems with any species of reptile. I like them all because because you can keep them wet for humidity and none of them mold, grow fungus, rot or stink. Also, since I soak small indoor torts daily, they never poop in their enclosure and all of the above lasts forever. I NEVER clean out and replace substrate. I stir it up from time to time and I'll dump it if a new animal is going into that enclosure, but that's it.

I don't like any type of pellet. You can't keep them wet, so no humidity and no water bowl. They also turn to dust after a week or two and make a mess of your house. I've never had a problem with little ones walking on it in the past when I used to use it, but its just too dry.

I don't like sand by its self or as a mixture. Its messy and I've seen to many impactions.

I don't like any other substrate that can't be kept wet. As far as I can tell right now ALL species need humidity as babies. I could be wrong on this. There might be an exception somewhere, but I haven't found it yet.

 

[-ryan-]

I find that it's always good to start out trying plain old dirt. I am a big fan of dirt, but that being said, it is not always practical. For instance, I use cypress mulch with my red foot because it holds humidity well and is not a weight issue (as his enclosure is above my russian enclosure). I used to have my russian breeding group on 8" of dirt (throughout their enclosure) but I have since switched to using 8" of dirt in a sunken concrete mixing bin (2'x3'), and the rest of the enclosure is just hay, which is inexpensive and light. Most of my other enclosures I utilize about 2-3" of regular old dirt. Really, dirt is my favorite substrate, but to be most effective you usually need a lot of it to create a substrate with good moisture-holding capabilities while retaining appropriate drainage properties.

I use coconut coir bedding in my hatchling enclosures. BTW: Sold 3 russian hatchlings last Sunday, and today another clutch is hatching. They are very prolific and a testament to the effectiveness of a good deep layer of dirt (as my females refuse to use more traditional nesting boxes or piles of dirt as many others will indoors.)

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Aside from going rancid and getting mushy, most typical pet bedding options (pellets/nuggets/recycled paper/whatever) just seem too difficult for torts to walk on, which apparently leads to leg developement issues (though I've never seen that first-hand).

The only thing I dislike about orchid bark and cypress mulch is it still seems like a slightly awkward surface for my tortoises to walk on.

I've gotten flack for this before and it has been called no-better than pellets by folks I respect, but I'm still convinced a soil substrate is best. By this I mean that I blend compost formulated topsoil, peet and sand to create a nice substrate that affords good traction and provides ample drainage and moisture retention. Good old fashioned sandy loam.

I like to give my tortoises as naturalistic a home as I can.

Many keepers are strongly opposed to the use of sand in a substrate blend for fear of impaction. I contend however, that natural soil (which always contains some part of sand) is only a risk to poorly hydrated tortoises. They live on dirt in nature, so I give them dirt in captivity. I suspect a small amount of sand in the diet may be beneficial to aid in digestion and the horror stories of the past occured when tortoises were kept dehydrated on pure sand substrates of a clumping nature.

I may be wrong, and someday my tortoises may pay the price of my arrogance, but I sure hope not.

I'm inclined to agree that sandy loam is a very good substrata...as you correctly point out, it's pretty much what tortoises have been walking over/digging into for millenia!

Nature's way is just fine, but for the short amount of time my torts stay inside (cold part of the year only), cypress mulch works great, too...sandy loam is what they live on outside for most of the year, though.

I mix mine about 20% compost, 50% top-soil earth and 30% play" sand, well mixed before spreading it about 4-6" deep in my outside encosures...lots of good things grow in that mixture, and the torts can dig in if they feel the urge.

 

[Madkins007]

My NO! List...
- Carpet- Just plain messy as the tortoise drags its feces through it
- Hard surfaces like linoleum, woods, etc.- too smooth, no natural behaviors, deformed limbs, no water or feces absorption
- Skinned rubber foam, like exercise mats- no natural behaviors, no absorption
- Sand- Unstable, messy, causes blockages under some conditions. May be OK in small areas.
- Food pellets- messy and molds when damp, unstable, harbors germs
- Artificial mulches (shredded rubber, etc.)- smelly, harsh, non-absorbing
- Cedar mulch or shavings- known health risk. Pine is less well documented as a risk, but many avoid it as well.
- Pebbles, marbles, etc.- slippery, hard to clean. OK in small areas
- Smelly or 'enriched' bagged soils- strong smells are just bad news, and enriched products may include chemicals, etc. The worst are the little white chemical balls that torts love to eat

My "There Are Better Choices in My Opinion" List...
- Bagged pet store barks and mulches- cheaper in larger bulk at the home or garden center
- Coconut products- Not bad at all, but I think hardwood mulch is better, and I got a lot of pests when I used it
- Moss- My experiences with various mosses is only so-so
- Most soil-based mixes- see below

My Faves...
- Cypress or other hardwood mulches or chips that do not smell strongly of cedar (or maybe even pine)- for all of the reasons give above, plus it is light weight, which is a blessing in a larger table or indoor pen!
- Bioactive substrate- Not good for smaller spaces, but great otherwise. Combine a good soil mix with some sand and organic material (mulch, loam, compost, moss) in a 2-6" layer. Add some healthy garden soil, worms, and isopods/wood lice. pill or sow bugs. Keep slightly moist and stir periodically. What will happen is beneficial microbes will colonize the soil and sand to give the soil a silky feel that does not stick to the tortoises and has almost no smell. It will 'digest' feces and some food wastes (still remove as much as you can), and fight common pests. It compacts easily under the tortoise's constant clomping, but still allows some digging and nestling. You can also grow plants in it.

 

[Edna]

The only thing I dislike about orchid bark and cypress mulch is it still seems like a slightly awkward surface for my tortoises to walk on.

I can tell you for certain that my tortoises are not concerned about the surface being awkward to walk on. I think they welcome and even search out awkward. They go over rocks, logs, and plants as if they weren't even there, and never seem bothered by the cypress mulch. Part of a naturalistic enclosure is challenges similar to what they might encounter in the wild.

 

[tortoises101]

Aldabras live on well drained landscapes in the wild, and this can be replicated in captivity by a 70/30 mix of play sand and topsoil. I wouldn't add too many decorations, just a few robust plants or some opuntia cacti.

 

[russianhenry]

I'm mainly concerned with indoor enclosures in this thread, I've never seen an impaction in a tort or other reptile living in an outdoor enclosure, even with a wide variety of substrates that I wouldn't use in an indoor enclosure for fear of an impaction. Have to admit that most of the problems I see arise from new owners taking the advice of petstore employees selling products for the new pet's environment. I believe the chances of running into a problem with reptibark in your outdoor enclosure, unless you are feeding directly on top of it, are pretty slim.

Totally agree. My russian was on alfalfa pellets when I got her and they told me I had to get that otherwise she would get gut impaction. Thought this was strange, should have listened to my gut. I got her last Thursday and am changing her substrate to coco coir w/ sand. It is an indoor enclosure in the winter.

 

[exoticsdr]

I would be leary of using too much sand.....I have seem more impactions due to sand substrate than any other.

 

[mike1011]

Hello, I've been using the sand/ topsoil mix for several years now with aldabs. It works extremely well especially cleaning. It has to be sanitized daily any changed frequently as they get big(they **** ALOT and it is RANCID) When larger depending on what they are fed on they will not intake enough to harm.

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I should have mentioned that this is in their heated shed, but I would still use it in an indoor enclosure as well.

 

[russianhenry]

I would be leary of using too much sand.....I have seem more impactions due to sand substrate than any other.

Alright so just coco coir? I have a pretty humid house but I think she might need more, especially while she is inside.