Mulch lvl2

[tortoise Resort]

Hello everyone, I have searched most of the shops for bark and I did not find it , I got rid of the soil and sand as a substrate, i have idea for making a good hole with this soil 😀.
I will share with you as soon as I do, I was able to find oak shavings, am I using it as a temporary replacement ?or will it do more harm than good?
And I started using a heater instead of heat lamps, but I began to notice that the percentage of humidity was decreasing .

 

[Tom]

Hello everyone, I have searched most of the shops for bark and I did not find it , I got rid of the soil and sand as a substrate, i have idea for making a good hole with this soil 😀.
I will share with you as soon as I do, I was able to find oak shavings, am I using it as a temporary replacement ?or will it do more harm than good?
And I started using a heater instead of heat lamps, but I began to notice that the percentage of humidity was decreasing .

I would not use oak shavings.

What species and size tortoise are we talking about? There are four elements to heating and lighting:
Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello everyone, I have searched most of the shops for bark and I did not find it , I got rid of the soil and sand as a substrate, i have idea for making a good hole with this soil 😀.
I will share with you as soon as I do, I was able to find oak shavings, am I using it as a temporary replacement ?or will it do more harm than good?
And I started using a heater instead of heat lamps, but I began to notice that the percentage of humidity was decreasing .

Humidity is decreasing, probably because the temperature is up and substrate doesn't give away enough water vapour.
If you can't find the orchid bark, there is a coco coir. It's almost as much mess as soil (gets into food and water dishes), but less dust and it doesn't rot or mold, and holds humidity well enough. You can find it in bricks to be soaked in water or in bags. It's cheap as well.

 

[tortoise Resort]

My tortoise is a Greek tortoise , subspecie is tetsudo graeca gracea, 9.4 cm long, female, I live in Morocco, in my city the temperature is not low, it is high more than 20 degrees Celsius, but at night it may drop to 18 degrees Celsius except in winter .
I take out my tortoise all day to graze and when the sun goes down I put them in a plastic container consisting of a mixture of soil and sand, a clay pot for drinking and a small wooden house for sleeping+ the sun is always present most days of the week even in winter

I would not use oak shavings.

What species and size tortoise are we talking about? There are four elements to heating and lighting:
Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

 

[tortoise Resort]

The problem is that all the animal shops don't have these things , they told me that they only have hamster sawdust, could Palm bark be useful?

Humidity is decreasing, probably because the temperature is up and substrate doesn't give away enough water vapour.
If you can't find the orchid bark, there is a coco coir. It's almost as much mess as soil (gets into food and water dishes), but less dust and it doesn't rot or mold, and holds humidity well enough. You can find it in bricks to be soaked in water or in bags. It's cheap as well.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Coco coir and bark can be found in gardening shops (they are used to cover flower beds, mixing with plant soil for roots aeration and for hydroponics planting). Sawdust is definitely - no-no. Not sure about palm bark, need to check it.

 

[tortoise Resort]

Coco coir and bark can be found in gardening shops (they are used to cover flower beds, mixing with plant soil for roots aeration and for hydroponics planting). Sawdust is definitely - no-no. Not sure about palm bark, need to check it.

I have empty coconut wrappers 🙂if I break them I will have coco coir?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Coco coir is a crumbled coconut inner shell - it consists of really small particles, like sugar or sesame seeds. And there is a whole process of drying it. So, it's not the thing you can make at home easily

I have looked for a "palm bark". There are only a few mentions of it, unfortunately. It's very different from tree bark. And it's used mostly in "bioactive" vivariums - it's good for raising insects and one mention of it was, that it molds and degrades easily. So far I just don't have enough information to recommend it or against it. Perhaps, you can give it a try if doesn't cost too much and you won't be able to find coco coir.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Just in case, there are mentions of coconut chunks, coconut husk, coconut bark. Maybe it's exactly the palm bark you have found. It could be used as a substrate as well, however is not the optimal one. Maybe you can get a photo of the pine bark bag?

 

[tortoise Resort]

Coco coir is a crumbled coconut inner shell - it consists of really small particles, like sugar or sesame seeds. And there is a whole process of drying it. So, it's not the thing you can make at home easily

I have looked for a "palm bark". There are only a few mentions of it, unfortunately. It's very different from tree bark. And it's used mostly in "bioactive" vivariums - it's good for raising insects and one mention of it was, that it molds and degrades easily. So far I just don't have enough information to recommend it or against it. Perhaps, you can give it a try if doesn't cost too much and you won't be able to find coco coir.

Even I am researching now, I found orchid bark and coco coir but the price is expensive for my purchasing power (20dollar), the lowest price is 40 dollars and 30 dollars, if I was working, I would have been able to buy it without problems, but unfortunately I am still a student at a faculty. Do you have any other choice? Would oak mulch be bad if it was just going to sleep on them? If the mulch gets wet, will that be bad ? Palm bark currently shown as an alternative?
As for the large container, it will be ready next summer.

 

[Tom]

Even I am researching now, I found orchid bark and coco coir but the price is expensive for my purchasing power (20dollar), the lowest price is 40 dollars and 30 dollars, if I was working, I would have been able to buy it without problems, but unfortunately I am still a student at a faculty. Do you have any other choice? Would oak mulch be bad if it was just going to sleep on them? If the mulch gets wet, will that be bad ? Palm bark currently shown as an alternative?
As for the large container, it will be ready next summer.

Just use plain regular dirt from outside. Does your tortoise have an outdoor enclosure? Use some dirt from there.

The palm bark will mold and rot. Oak bark can't get damp, and the tortoise needs damp substrate.

If you can't get one of the recommended substrates, just use dirt and keep it lightly damp to reduce the dust. Replace it as needed.

 

[tortoise Resort]

Just use plain regular dirt from outside. Does your tortoise have an outdoor enclosure? Use some dirt from there.

The palm bark will mold and rot. Oak bark can't get damp, and the tortoise needs damp substrate.

If you can't get one of the recommended substrates, just use dirt and keep it lightly damp to reduce the dust. Replace it as needed.

I move the tortoiss at night only inside, out of fear of predators and cold, I have wet dirt( I always put a glass of water with a towel in the container and close the container tightly, so the container retains moisture and heat) will this do the trick?

 

[Tom]

I move the tortoiss at night only inside, out of fear of predators and cold, I have wet dirt( I always put a glass of water with a towel in the container and close the container tightly, so the container retains moisture and heat) will this do the trick?

That is not ideal. Better to make a safe enclosure outside and build an insulated, sealed, temperature controlled box for them to sleep safely in.

In this thread I explain how to do it and show pictures of a box made just for this purpose that will keep your tortoises safe and healthy.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[tortoise Resort]

But the tortoise is not an adult. is it dangerous to put the container inside the House?+ If it's not dangerous, I don't prefer keep the container out of the garden.
This is a photo of the plastic container, you will notice the presence of some dew drops as a result of the evaporation of water

That is not ideal. Better to make a safe enclosure outside and build an insulated, sealed, temperature controlled box for them to sleep safely in.

In this thread I explain how to do it and show pictures of a box made just for this purpose that will keep your tortoises safe and healthy.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Tom]

But the tortoise is not an adult. is it dangerous to put the container inside the House?+ If it's not dangerous, I don't prefer keep the container out of the garden.
This is a photo of the plastic container, you will notice the presence of some dew drops as a result of the evaporation of water
View attachment 363044

The moisture there is a result of the moist air inside the box hitting the cold sides of the box and condensing. This could be bad as it indicates cold conditions where that box is sitting. Cold and dampness can lead to respiratory infections.

At 9.4cm I would have this guy set up in a large indoor closed chamber with the correct heating and lighting, and use the outdoor enclosure periodically during fair weather.

Once he gets to around 13-15cm, I'd set him up outside as shown in the care guide I linked for you with a temperature controlled shelter.

I would not bring him indoors and keep him in a box like that at night, and I would not want him out doors all day every day with no proper shelter.

 

[tortoise Resort]

The moisture there is a result of the moist air inside the box hitting the cold sides of the box and condensing. This could be bad as it indicates cold conditions where that box is sitting. Cold and dampness can lead to respiratory infections.

At 9.4cm I would have this guy set up in a large indoor closed chamber with the correct heating and lighting, and use the outdoor enclosure periodically during fair weather.

Once he gets to around 13-15cm, I'd set him up outside as shown in the care guide I linked for you with a temperature controlled shelter.

I would not bring him indoors and keep him in a box like that at night, and I would not want him out doors all day every day with no proper shelter.

Well, now I understand , I'm not going to use this method again, I'm going to try to buy a heat lamp. do you know how much electricity that lamp consumes? do you have photos of him?how to put it? where i put the heat lamp?

 

[Tom]

Well, now I understand , I'm not going to use this method again, I'm going to try to buy a heat lamp. do you know how much electricity that lamp consumes? do you have photos of him?how to put it? where i put the heat lamp?

Scroll back up to post number two for heating and lighting info.

Read this for the complete care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

It looks like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SPLJDBQ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
For a small container you can get low wattage CHE, 40-60 watt, no more. To mount it you will need a lamp fixture (maybe just a socket or a reflector dome, lamp socket itself must be ceramic, not plastic and rated for correct wattage). Without a thermostat CHE can overheat the box, so it's another thing you will need (on the good side, thermostat will help you to save some electricity).

CHE should be inside or over the container at height of 30-35 cm over tortoise shell. And because it can get hot (up to 300-400C), you should place at some distance from plastic walls.

To use CHE for heating a container is certainly cheaper, than to heat the whole room. But if you use room heater for yourself, you can move the tortoise container closer to the heater (I think no closer than 40-50 cm). If the heater and container are placed under the table this should help as well.

 

[tortoise Resort]

The moisture there is a result of the moist air inside the box hitting the cold sides of the box and condensing. This could be bad as it indicates cold conditions where that box is sitting. Cold and dampness can lead to respiratory infections.

At 9.4cm I would have this guy set up in a large indoor closed chamber with the correct heating and lighting, and use the outdoor enclosure periodically during fair weather.

Once he gets to around 13-15cm, I'd set him up outside as shown in the care guide I linked for you with a temperature controlled shelter.

I would not bring him indoors and keep him in a box like that at night, and I would not want him out doors all day every day with no proper shelter.

Well, now I understand , I'm not going to use this method again, I'm going to try to buy a heat lamp. do you know how much electricity that lamp consumes? do you have photos of him?how to put it? where i put the heat lamp?

Scroll back up to post number two for heating and lighting info.

Read this for the complete care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you 😊

 

[tortoise Resort]

I may need the CHE when I will move the container outside, but for now I will use the heater.

It looks like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SPLJDBQ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
For a small container you can get low wattage CHE, 40-60 watt, no more. To mount it you will need a lamp fixture (maybe just a socket or a reflector dome, lamp socket itself must be ceramic, not plastic and rated for correct wattage). Without a thermostat CHE can overheat the box, so it's another thing you will need (on the good side, thermostat will help you to save some electricity).

CHE should be inside or over the container at height of 30-35 cm over tortoise shell. And because it can get hot (up to 300-400C), you should place at some distance from plastic walls.

To use CHE for heating a container is certainly cheaper, than to heat the whole room. But if you use room heater for yourself, you can move the tortoise container closer to the heater (I think no closer than 40-50 cm). If the heater and container are placed under the table this should help as well.