Mixing Coco Coir?

Sariss

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Hi!
I am gathering supplies for my Red Foots new enclosure. I'm planning on having the top 2 inches of substrate be Cypress mulch. The bottom 4 inches Coco Coir, but can I mix it with something? Play sand? Topsoil? Peat Moss? Any recommendations?
Thanks!
 

Yellow Turtle01

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NO sand. It can cause impactions, and heath problems (that can be serious) Topsoil is good, but not the kind with the white pellets inside. Peat moss will settle on the bottom and mold (it holds water really really really well)
 

pfara

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Feel free to mix it up. You don't necessarily have to have the enclosure substrate be uniform. Be creative. Half of my enclosure was cypress mulch (6" deep) topped with sphagnum moss around the perimeter. My reds loved to dig in and hide so the moss was a must (impossible to dig into cypress). I had a long container within the enclosure that contained different substrate to give the torts an option. It was composed of a coco coir/topsoil mix. That area was heavily planted. When I opened up the other side, I ended up having that side be plantable (coco coir, compost, topsoil mixed and topped with sphagnum). Like I said, go crazy and try different things. But remember, they'll like to dig and it'll have to be moist yet not moldy. Good luck! :D
 

Tom

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I don't mix substrates and I don't see any reason too. I don't think it hurts anything, but I just don't see what it accomplishes that the right substrate by itself doesn't.

I would not recommend any sand at all.
 

WillTort2

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One reason to add top soil to a coco coir substrate is to keep the price low while giving extra substrate depth.
 

Sariss

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Thanks guys!
Mixing mainly because, where I live I have been unable to locate Coco coir anywhere but at pet stores, so mixing in something like topsoil will prove to be much more economical.
 

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