Keeping humidity with Zoo Med Hydroballs

[Austin110]

Hi everyone,

I am new on the forum and have a 2 year old Sulcata (I used to think he was a desert tortoise). I have been reading up on keeping humidity in his habitat and was wondering if anyone has tried this stuff?

It is Zoo Med Hydroballs Clay Substrate. Would this pose any danger to the tortoise?

Thanks!!

 

[Killerrookie]

I would only use it for waterfalls and little streams. If you use it as a substrate most likely would not absorb the water because it's clay. I wouldn't use it.

 

[Yvonne G]

...and if it sticks to the food as he's eating, it may cause impaction.

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

We have good care sheets for sulcatas pinned at the top of our Sulcata section.

 

[Yvonne G]

I did a Google image search after I posted my answer above, and I don't know as there'd be a danger of them eating it, however, it doesn't look like it would be very easy for the tortoise to walk on. I wouldn't use it. Cococoir holds moisture well and if you cover the habitat, the humidity would be ok too.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

My response is speculative. I use coco chunks, they are smallish cubes of coco husk (sugar cube size) and what I like about them is that with a three to four inch layer of them they wick water up, so standing water in the first inch or two of the chunks is okay, the top is not water logged at all, and if the tortoise want to be more wet than can work their way down some.

I imagine with these expanded clay balls, which are used in hydroponics a great deal, would/could serve the same role. Have a few inches of them and your substrate of choice on top. Then keep water most of the way up through the expanded clay balls. Coco coir might not work with this kind of layering, as the particles are so small, but cypress or other hardwood mulch, medium size orchid bark or the coco husk chunks. The value would be that you could sanitize the expanded clay pellets and get years and years of use from them while using half the disposable substrate that would lie on top.

As a warning of sorts when I do this I put a few cups of activated carbon in the layer that will stay wet, and some mosquito bits.

http://www.summitchemical.com/mosquito/mosquito-bits/

 

[Austin110]

Thanks for the response. I was thinking of having these underneath with the substrate on top in order to help keep it humid.