Newly Sulcata Parent

[HonuFonu23]

Hi! Just wanted to introduce myself.. I'm Tamara and I reside in Arizona.

My bf got me an awesome tort for Christmas.. he knows I love turtles.

I named him Hacksaw Jim Duggen, yes.. after the WW(f)E wrestler, but I just call him bubba.

I've had turtles in the past.. but they were all box turtles.

I think i've done everything wrong with this wee one. So I do have a dozen or so questions...

His shedding/substrate* is all wrong. The guy at the pet store told my bf that alfalfa pellets were fine. After "snooping" around this site... looks like we just committed a cardinal sin.

And I think I just found the reason for my sneezing and my itchy eyes. So I can only imagine what my bubba is going through .

So my first set of questions would be.. is it ok if I just use just the Cypress Mulch for his substrate.. or would I also need to mix something else with it? If yes.. what else do I mix with it? And where do I buy that stuff from?

Where can I buy this Cypress Mulch from? Home Depot seems to carry this stuff.. I just want to make sure I'm buying the right kind.

Is there a particular brand that I need to buy?

Help!!

 

[Katherine]

Welcome and congrats on your new sulcata! No worries about the alfalfa pellets, I certainly wouldn't say you committed a cardinal sin- what matters is that you took the time to research the best care you can provide and are willing to modify your current system : ) If you have been reading this site you probably already stumbled upon a few good hatchling care sheets. If not I am certain someone will link them for you soon. I personally rather grass to cypress mulch but many people use it with success and getting it at homedepot should be fine. Good luck with your new baby and welcome to the forum!!

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. Plain cypress mulch is fine. I like to put it in a big clean container and soak/rinse it before I use it. I use a big tub or 5 gallon bucket, depending on the quantity I am cleaning. I just put in the mulch, stir it all around, pour off the dirty water, and repeat as needed.

Here are a bunch of helpful (hopefully) threads that I put all in one place:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Helpful-Threads#axzz1j1jXTgIl

 

[dmarcus]

Hello Tamara and welcome to the forum...

Cypress mulch is fine just try to avoid the one that have the huge pieces in it...

 

[pdrobber]

welcome

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tamara:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Arizona is a great place to raise sulcatas!!

 

[DSaenz]

Welcome!

 

[HonuFonu23]

Welcome and congrats on your new sulcata! No worries about the alfalfa pellets, I certainly wouldn't say you committed a cardinal sin- what matters is that you took the time to research the best care you can provide and are willing to modify your current system : ) If you have been reading this site you probably already stumbled upon a few good hatchling care sheets. If not I am certain someone will link them for you soon. I personally rather grass to cypress mulch but many people use it with success and getting it at homedepot should be fine. Good luck with your new baby and welcome to the forum!!

Thanks Katherine. I feel slightly better now. I got a lot of wrongs to right. And yep.. read a lot of great informative threads. It's a lot of information to take in, but I want my bubba to be healthy and live a healthy life. Ty for the friendly welcome.

Hello and welcome. Plain cypress mulch is fine. I like to put it in a big clean container and soak/rinse it before I use it. I use a big tub or 5 gallon bucket, depending on the quantity I am cleaning. I just put in the mulch, stir it all around, pour off the dirty water, and repeat as needed.

Here are a bunch of helpful (hopefully) threads that I put all in one place:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Helpful-Threads#axzz1j1jXTgIl

WOW! Thanks Tom! I'll make myself a pot a coffee and I'll be reading pretty much all of those threads. Great community you guys have here! So supportive.

 

[HonuFonu23]

Hello Tamara and welcome to the forum...

Cypress mulch is fine just try to avoid the one that have the huge pieces in it...

Thanks Dmarcus. I'm taking notes.

welcome

Thanks Pdrobber.

Hi Tamara:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Arizona is a great place to raise sulcatas!!

Thanks Emsemys. He certainly loves grazing around in our back yard.

 

[Tony the tank]

Welcome

 

[HonuFonu23]

Welcome!

Thanks Dsanez.

Welcome

Thanks Hector.

-

Well I went to Petco and bought Eco Earth and the Cypress Mulch. Glad I could buy them both at the same store! I did about 50/50. I just changed out his "bedding" and so far so good. I've stopped sneezing and I think Hacksaw is good to go.

 

[HonuFonu23]

Here's my bubba. He now soaks in a better seasonal container

He's so tiny and so active.. and makes me laugh. Can't wait to see what the future brings.

 

[pam]

Welcome He is soooooooo cute

 

[evlinLoutries]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[HonuFonu23]

Welcome He is soooooooo cute

Thanks Pam. He's quite a ham.

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

Thanks evlinLoutries.

Welcome.

Thanks Aldabraman.

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[HonuFonu23]

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks Joker!

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Hello and welcome!

 

[HonuFonu23]

Hello and welcome!

I missed this post.. my bad. Thanks Arizona Sulcata.

I just found your website