Please help Sand+compost=UGH OHH! :O

[tyler0912]

I have a redfoot tortoise and many people on this thread told me to get a play sand and a organic compost for a 50/50 mix i did mixed them together put it in his enclosure then disaster strikes he ate abit then abit more i heard it crunching in his mouth then he left it alone im worried that when im not there hell' eat it and ive heard that they canot digest sand! please help give me grief etc..i dont care just want to know if hes going to be okay??....
Btww. he is 6'' and 5years old....never ate substrate before...please help! i had to but zoomed forest floor on top just in case he ate more then sphagnum moss in his hide and around the water bowl!! Please help
pleases' and thankyous' all around! XXX :'(
Im worried for my ...

 

[Guggie]

I think they do that when given something new. I would give it a bit of time and see if it continues over the next day or so.

Note: I'm a newbie with 2 baby Greeks; I could be totally wrong.

 

[tyler0912]

okay thank-you and WELCOME!

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

From everything I have read sand is bad. It can cause impaction and is an eye irritant. Also eating substrate can cause problems if they eat enough of it.

 

[african cake queen]

hi tyler, i hope some one can help you. i dont use that stuff, dont know a thing about it. i am sure somebody will be along to help you soon. lindy

 

[Jacqui]

Calm down. He should be just fine. It's normal for tortoises to try a bit of their substrate. Think of them like little children who have to put everything into their mouths. As a rule, impaction will only happen, if your animal is not in good health and under hydrated.

I use a mixture of sand and coir on mine, as a base in almost all the inside enclosures and have done so for years. Mine is less then 50% sand and I add other things in like cypress and leaves, which end up all mixed in to the base at some point.

 

[jackrat]

Keep an eye on him. If it continues,I would make changes. Like Jaqui says,it might be just checking it out. I like cypress,dirt,or compost. Just my opinion.

 

[wrmitchell22]

When I changed Boulders substrate he tried a couple bites and never tried it again. I wouldn't worry too much unless he stops eating or pooping

 

[tyler0912]

He has been chomping on it every 10 mins since i posted this thread so i got worried took it all out put organic soil in with sphagnum moss and everythings fine! ? thanks all!

---

I bathed him si he would empty his stomach every thing fine!

 

[Madkins007]

Red-foots in the wild almost always have sand in their droppings, and some have theorized that they intentionally ingest some to help with digesting some kinds of food.

It is true that eating substrate can cause impactions, but one has to wonder if there were other issues involved as well, such as dehydration, etc.

Personally, I did not like a '50/50' mix (although if you are using the Russian Tortoises.com idea, it is done by weight, so there is a lot more mulch by volume). The 'bioactive substrate' idea just uses enough sand in the substrate to help prevent compaction, and to host the micro-organisms that help do the real work of the system.

 

[ascott]

Hi...I totally understand your freaking out....I would NEVER use sand in any deliberate amount...ever. I have dealt with an impacted tortoise and he (tortoise) took about 5 weeks to clear the impaction out, with me soaking him 2-3 times per day during that entire time. As we are aware, tortoises can be ill for sometime before we can notice the outward affects....with that being said, I would consider each and every tortoise a potential impaction candidate. I believe that there is no viable reason to use sand. If your tortoise is housed indoors I would suggest mixing plain old dirt and some other mix you have mentioned.

I know people will disagree with what I have shared as my opinion here, I am ok with that if my sharing aids in avoiding an impaction of your tortoise....the tortoise I helped was lucky..he was literally crapping perfectly round solid sand balls once the intense soakings allowed the sand to be moved out...this tortoise I am talking about was housed in enclosure with alot of sand (at least 50% he was an adult) he is now living with me...he is no longer housed with sand...but rather good old dirt outside all day and when he sleeps at night he is in a sleeping box on a soft fluffy pad in my bedroom (he is near blind in his left eye and only enough vision in his good eye to
maneuver and eat..so he sleeps indoors for safety)

 

[tyler0912]

^^thankyou...took all substrate out now and just organic soil now looks wayyy better ohh yehh and sphagnum moss!

 

[Tropical Torts]

I think you got the sand idea from me by a bit of confusion. Apologies, Tyler. What I said in previous posts was to use a 50/50 mix of top soil and PEAT not sand. As for when i meantioned to add some sand I meant to put a moderade amount in there not near 50% (more like 15-20% or less). The main purpose for sand in any enclosure (in my experience) is to keep the substrate from getting compacted. This is a great help for nesting females btw. Again, apologies for that bit of confusion.

I have never really had the problem with sand being consumed and impaction usually coincides with a hydration problem, so you should have no real problem as i can see you have been soaking him regularly as a responsible owner should.

 

[Laura]

feed him some canned pumpkin if you are worried. ( no pie filling) it will help it move along and digest..

 

[tyler0912]

Thanks all,