Redfoot questions!

[Ryuu2713]

Can anyone tell me some safe plants that I could put in the enclosure to help with humidity and environment? Not just safe, necessarily, but also some that might just be a good idea.

I'm also curious, I've been using Spagnum Peat Moss, Miraclegro brand from Wal-mart to coat the bottom of the enclosure, is this safe to use?

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

Miraclegro OMG NO! It has fertilizer in it! I would change that right away! It is toxic to your tortoise! I have a Redfoot also.

I use coconut fiber substrate (Eco earth) and coconut bark. (repti bark) I mix it about 60/40. The coconut fiber absorbs water well and the coconut bark gives him some footing. I stay away from sand, although others may use it mixed with dirt.

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These are pictures of what I use

 

[joseppa96]

I use the Eco earth coconut bedding also, i think it works really well and helps with humidity and if you want to put plants in your torts enclosure, I read that most herbs are okay for your tortoise to eat, like basil, oregano, and flat leaf parsley. I had gotten my tortoise a basil plant and I may get her an oregano one, I got them from my local ShopRite

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

I use the Eco earth coconut bedding also, i think it works really well and helps with humidity and if you want to put plants in your torts enclosure, I read that most herbs are okay for your tortoise to eat, like basil, oregano, and flat leaf parsley. I had gotten my tortoise a basil plant and I may get her an oregano one, I got them from my local ShopRite

Bird seed grows well in this stuff too! I planted some and it sprouted fast and was chomped on fast. Parsley will grow well also. Spider Plants are good for places to hide, they get chomped on too.

 

[Ryuu2713]

Well, I'll get rid of the bag of miraclegro i just bought! It was only a few bucks. I'll go to the petstore and get something safer. I use the repti bark, but how should I set it up? I've been doing a lair of soil, and then repti bark on top. Should I mix them up? At the moment, he never actually touches the soil below!

 

[Yvonne G]

In my opinion (for what it's worth), you can put your soil in first with a nice layer of substrate (coir, mulch, bark) over the top of it. I have a couple redfooted tortoises that I'm baby sitting and I just this morning set them up for the winter in a semi-indoor habitat. I put down a bag of potting soil first, then I added a layer of orchid bark over the top of it. That's what I do. Whether its correct or not, I haven't had any trouble with it for the past couple years, since I've been babysitting these two tortoises.

 

[Ryuu2713]

Okay! I completely cleaned the enclosure today, and am now using potted soil at the bottom, with a layer of cyprus bark, and then the repti bark brand stuff. I couldn't find coconut substrate, but I've been told to use cyprus before. I put in 3 live plants, two pots of parsley and one of basil. It took him all of three seconds to run out of his hide-away and start exploring.

I have attached a picture of the current setup, its a bit silly with the way I have the light strung ontop with another lid, but its been working.

Opinions?

 

[countrygirlcolorado]

I use Cyprus mulch and then I put hay in with her and she nests between the mulch and the hay. I read somewhere that pothos are ok to put in with them, unfortunatily any kind of plant I put in with murtle she knocks them over

 

[DaisyDuke]

I was told a while back that miracle gro was fine. If you do a forum search you might find a few threads on it. That's the kind I've been using along with cypress mulch.
This is one of them. If you scroll down there is an explanation of what's in it.


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-13158.html#axzz286gJgWEr

 

[Ryuu2713]

Well, I've already used regular potting soil instead! But oh well. He seemed rather excited to look around his new area, and he's sniffed the plants a bunch, but hasn't tried to nibble or anything yet. I keep moss in there for him to hide under, which he likes to do. And the plants are buried pretty deep, so I dunno if he can really knock em over or not.

 

[Wondering4toolong]

The amount of chemicals the Miracle Gro is exposed to never mind treated with is too much of a risk to take! You can find organic/safe products to use other than what is sold specifically for reptiles (much cheaper for really large enclosures) but DO YOUR RESEARCH on the product prior to buying it. (Both Lowes and Home Depot carry safe alternatives, read the bag and use your smart phone if there's not enough info to make an educated decision.)

 

[Moozillion]

Miracle Grow makes an organic potting soil that may be ok. I say this because last year I left a half- full bag of the ORGANIC Miracle Grow potting soil out on my back patio for several weeks. One day I reached in to pull out a handfull of dirt and pulled out a TOAD! Toads, frogs and other amphibians absorb chemicals and water directly through their skin, and are some of the first animals to die from pollution and acid rain. so obviously the toad was very happy to live there with no problem. I left the bag there and several BABY toads were in it a few weeks later! The toad family is still living in that bag of soil a year later. I figure it can't be all that bad. But it's GOT TO SAY ORGANIC. I could be totally wrong, but I'm just sharing my experience.

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

Miracle Grow makes an organic potting soil that may be ok. I say this because last year I left a half- full bag of the ORGANIC Miracle Grow potting soil out on my back patio for several weeks. One day I reached in to pull out a handfull of dirt and pulled out a TOAD! Toads, frogs and other amphibians absorb chemicals and water directly through their skin, and are some of the first animals to die from pollution and acid rain. so obviously the toad was very happy to live there with no problem. I left the bag there and several BABY toads were in it a few weeks later! The toad family is still living in that bag of soil a year later. I figure it can't be all that bad. But it's GOT TO SAY ORGANIC. I could be totally wrong, but I'm just sharing my experience.

Awwww that is cool! What a happy little toad family! Not to mention great bug catchers!

 

[Moozillion]

Yeah, you rite!! No West Nile Virus for us as long as our toads stick around!!!