Soil?

SasquatchTortoise

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Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
Hello. We are working on a greenhouse where our sulcata Luna can stay in the winter and hot summer days. Anyways, what is a good substrate I can use for the ground (where she will live)? We also need a way to drain the greenhouse of extra water, but am afraid of our tort eating gravel and sand (something she has tried before).
One more question. I could not find much info on this, but do you guys know if spanish moss is harmful to a tort? I saw an old thread on this, but I want to make sure it is safe before I grow it in the greenhouse.
 

Blackdog1714

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Jul 30, 2018
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Location (City and/or State)
Richmond, VA
1. Fine fir bark- so etimes in bulk and garden centers out west. Reptibark or Orchid bark for the east coast
2. Cypress mulch
3. Soil from your yard not a bag even if it is organic

No peat moss or sand as both can cause impaction. With some good shady spots in the enclosure not sure if your sulcata would need to come in on hot days. BTW how old/big is your tort
 

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
1. Fine fir bark- so etimes in bulk and garden centers out west. Reptibark or Orchid bark for the east coast
2. Cypress mulch
3. Soil from your yard not a bag even if it is organic

No peat moss or sand as both can cause impaction. With some good shady spots in the enclosure not sure if your sulcata would need to come in on hot days. BTW how old/big is your tort
My sulcata is about 3 but only weighs around 3 lbs. I have talked about this before too. Do you happen to know why he/she is smaller than normal? Am I not feeding her enough? she seems to put away food
 

Yossarian

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Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
813
Location (City and/or State)
Wales
Lots of factors go into growth, can be temperature, food, UV light, presence of another tort, etc. . . If you tell us more about how your tort is housed now and what and how much you feed etc . . . we can maybe help. Pics help
 

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
So right now he/she has to stay in the laundry room. This is temporary, maybe in a week or so we can get the greenhouse ready. I used to have him/her in a 4'X2' wooden enclosure, but it was clear that it was unstable climate- wise and he/she could almost get out. I had a MVB. I never saw any problems with it, but I realize now that they can be harmful. I get her outside as much as possible and give her as much grass and weeds that I can find, of course, that is hard in "wintertime".
I know you are cringing right now, but I tried my best.
 
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