New Mom to Sonoran Desert Tortoise Hatchling Needs Help!

Ciri

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OK y'all - I got new substrate so I need your guidance please! I admire the passion that has been so evident in this thread - but we all need to remember that parents have different ways of raising kids - so we're gonna have different opinions on how to raise our torts...it's human nature. I appreciate ALL input...keep it comin'! (I didn't realize they had such a low survival rate!!!!!!!!)

Shimmy is in a 24"x24" plastic sweater bin, 6" tall.
I have a bag of cypress mulch from the pet store, and organic compost mulch which consists of bark mulch, composted plant/wood products, sawdust & gypsum. I was thinking I could either combine them or do like a gradual transition and separate them so that I can possibly grow some plants for him in the mulch area. Is this OK? GO!!

THANK YOU!

I would be suspicious of the compost with wood products like sawdust and gypsum. The sawdust could be from plywood cuts, which means that there would be formaldehyde and glue in there as well. It also could come from cutting treated lumber, which is treated with arsenic, yet another toxin. For my animals I prefer the most natural substrate – some soil from the backyard where there have been no herbicides or pesticides sprayed for at least a few years, baking it first in the oven at 350° (for about 20 minutes?) To sterilize it. You could plant diachondra in the soil along with native plants such as globemallow.
 

Robin!

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I would be suspicious of the compost with wood products like sawdust and gypsum. The sawdust could be from plywood cuts, which means that there would be formaldehyde and glue in there as well. It also could come from cutting treated lumber, which is treated with arsenic, yet another toxin. For my animals I prefer the most natural substrate – some soil from the backyard where there have been no herbicides or pesticides sprayed for at least a few years, baking it first in the oven at 350° (for about 20 minutes?) To sterilize it. You could plant diachondra in the soil along with native plants such as globemallow.


The sawdust threw me off too - but I didnt even think about glue used in the wood! I've got 3 planter beds in my backyard with good rich soil that I've grown plants in before - but it's got mulch too, but I don't know what kind. Once I get situated, I'll try growing plants.

Thank you!
 

Hermes

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I would be suspicious of the compost with wood products like sawdust and gypsum. The sawdust could be from plywood cuts, which means that there would be formaldehyde and glue in there as well. It also could come from cutting treated lumber, which is treated with arsenic, yet another toxin. For my animals I prefer the most natural substrate – some soil from the backyard where there have been no herbicides or pesticides sprayed for at least a few years, baking it first in the oven at 350° (for about 20 minutes?) To sterilize it. You could plant diachondra in the soil along with native plants such as globemallow.

Yeah dirt that has been baked works really good, or coco coir from Home Depot, they sell it for like $15 for 3 bricks and that's a lot and it's about 1/4 of what Petco or any other pet-store would charge
 

Robin!

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Yeah dirt that has been baked works really good, or coco coir from Home Depot, they sell it for like $15 for 3 bricks and that's a lot and it's about 1/4 of what Petco or any other pet-store would charge

I went to Home Depot in search of this magic coco coir, but no luck....that's really what I was wanting.
 

Hermes

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Some local stores might not carry it depending on where you live but you can get it shipped to your local store for free and just pick it up at the front desk.
 

Robin!

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Hermes

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Robin!

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I really need to get his home situated tonight, so I'm going to use some soil from my planter beds which hasn't been exposed to any pesticides. Baking in the oven is a new one for me - but I'll give it a go!

Do you put the dirt on a cookie sheet??

This isn't the craziest thing I've done for my pets, but it's up there!
 

the_newzie

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My other quest item: appropriate non-coil UVB bulb, would prefer not to buy it online

I just bought a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) from Petsmart last week (same situation, had to set up an indoor habitat fast and didn't have time to order online). Can't remember if it was the Eco Terra or the Nat Geo brand (think it was Nat Geo), it works good so far.

Disclaimer: I'm new, not an expert.
 

Ciri

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I really need to get his home situated tonight, so I'm going to use some soil from my planter beds which hasn't been exposed to any pesticides. Baking in the oven is a new one for me - but I'll give it a go!

Do you put the dirt on a cookie sheet??

This isn't the craziest thing I've done for my pets, but it's up there!
Yes – put it on a cookie sheet. I have done this before myself, but usually do it outside with the toaster oven on my back porch. It does make a little bit of a smell, but nothing terrible.
 

Ciri

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Well, soil from the planters is out - there's evidence of fertilizer...
Good that you noticed. What about just regular old-fashioned dirt. Since you're in Phoenix it should be the usual light brown soil we have here in the desert. Do you have some in your yard that you think would be safe? I grow the diachondra in desert soil here in Tucson. As long as it has some shade it does fine.
 

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