we’ve been told to get fine grain orchid bark for our Herman tortoise however on the back of the packet it says not suitable for “Mediterranean tortoise” and not suit for “horsfield tortoise” it’s 100% natural is this still okay to use we’ve been getting told so many different things? Thanks
Need help on Substrate
- Thread starter Eve0810
- Start date
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
I'm sure its fine. But... where did you get the substrate?
We got it from Amazon, it was one I had seen suggested on this forum to get
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/r.html?...MMI8A&ref_=pe_27063361_487055811_TE_dp_1&tag=
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/r.html?...MMI8A&ref_=pe_27063361_487055811_TE_dp_1&tag=
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
Im sure its fine.
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
I answered this same question on your other thread:
Hmmm... Nobody told all the "Mediterranean" tortoises that have been in my care over the last several decades that their substrate wasn't suitable.
There is a lot of old incorrect tortoise info out in the world. Some of it even makes it onto packages in pet shops. This is like the bales of cedar shavings with the cute pictures of little furry animals on them. Cedar is literally toxic to small mammals. People would bring back a dead hamster and ask: "Well why is there pictures of hamsters and rabbits on the label?" I did not have a good answer for them.
If you are doing online "research" and talking to the people in the pet shops, you are about 95% certain to get wrong info, contradicting info, and experience a lot of frustration. I'm trying to fix this problem, as are many other here on our wonderful tortoise forum, but its truly an impossible task. Here is the good news: You have now found the one place on earth that I know of with loads of experienced tortoise keepers that actually give first hand, experienced based advice for tortoises that actually works. Welcome!
The same people telling you that orchid bark is not suitable will undoubtably tell you to use soil and sand, both of with can kill your tortoise and sometimes does.
FIne grade orchid bark is the best of all compromises for most indoor tortoise housing situations. I prefer a damp, thick, hand packed layer of coco coir for baby testudo or California desert tortoises, but I move both of them to fine grade orchid bark once they get to about 3-4 inches. All my other species are started as brand new hatchlings on fine grade orchid bark from day one in their first enclosure.
More here:
Questions are welcome. You don't have to just accept this info because I said so. Feel free to ask for more explanation.
Hmmm... Nobody told all the "Mediterranean" tortoises that have been in my care over the last several decades that their substrate wasn't suitable.
There is a lot of old incorrect tortoise info out in the world. Some of it even makes it onto packages in pet shops. This is like the bales of cedar shavings with the cute pictures of little furry animals on them. Cedar is literally toxic to small mammals. People would bring back a dead hamster and ask: "Well why is there pictures of hamsters and rabbits on the label?" I did not have a good answer for them.
If you are doing online "research" and talking to the people in the pet shops, you are about 95% certain to get wrong info, contradicting info, and experience a lot of frustration. I'm trying to fix this problem, as are many other here on our wonderful tortoise forum, but its truly an impossible task. Here is the good news: You have now found the one place on earth that I know of with loads of experienced tortoise keepers that actually give first hand, experienced based advice for tortoises that actually works. Welcome!
The same people telling you that orchid bark is not suitable will undoubtably tell you to use soil and sand, both of with can kill your tortoise and sometimes does.
FIne grade orchid bark is the best of all compromises for most indoor tortoise housing situations. I prefer a damp, thick, hand packed layer of coco coir for baby testudo or California desert tortoises, but I move both of them to fine grade orchid bark once they get to about 3-4 inches. All my other species are started as brand new hatchlings on fine grade orchid bark from day one in their first enclosure.
More here:
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
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
Questions are welcome. You don't have to just accept this info because I said so. Feel free to ask for more explanation.
Thank you so much. I feel this forum has been very helpful already. I have read through the information you provided and we have gone with the orchid bark. We have ordered some coco coir to mix in with where he sleeps but in the meantime have popped some hay down so it’s comfy for him. This is the layout of our viv and just wanted to post a picture to see if there are any changes we should make? Thank youI answered this same question on your other thread:
Hmmm... Nobody told all the "Mediterranean" tortoises that have been in my care over the last several decades that their substrate wasn't suitable.
There is a lot of old incorrect tortoise info out in the world. Some of it even makes it onto packages in pet shops. This is like the bales of cedar shavings with the cute pictures of little furry animals on them. Cedar is literally toxic to small mammals. People would bring back a dead hamster and ask: "Well why is there pictures of hamsters and rabbits on the label?" I did not have a good answer for them.
If you are doing online "research" and talking to the people in the pet shops, you are about 95% certain to get wrong info, contradicting info, and experience a lot of frustration. I'm trying to fix this problem, as are many other here on our wonderful tortoise forum, but its truly an impossible task. Here is the good news: You have now found the one place on earth that I know of with loads of experienced tortoise keepers that actually give first hand, experienced based advice for tortoises that actually works. Welcome!
The same people telling you that orchid bark is not suitable will undoubtably tell you to use soil and sand, both of with can kill your tortoise and sometimes does.
FIne grade orchid bark is the best of all compromises for most indoor tortoise housing situations. I prefer a damp, thick, hand packed layer of coco coir for baby testudo or California desert tortoises, but I move both of them to fine grade orchid bark once they get to about 3-4 inches. All my other species are started as brand new hatchlings on fine grade orchid bark from day one in their first enclosure.
More here:
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...
Questions are welcome. You don't have to just accept this info because I said so. Feel free to ask for more explanation.
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Hay will mold and your species doesn't eat it. I would remove that.
Much suggestion for improvement would be to go MUCH bigger with the enclosure. 4x8 feet minimum. Tortoises need large enclosures.
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