Substrate

[Zoella181920]

Hi there! ,

I know this is a widely discussed subject but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what type of substrate I could use for a baby horsefield tortoise !

Hes about 6-7 months (roughly as when I got him he was roughly said to be 4-5 months )I'm looking to change up his substrate and are looking for safe alternatives to prevent the dangers of impaction .

Right now hes in a 3 foot Vivarium(when he gets a little bigger will be put into a 4 foot one ) with tortoise life and coco coir as substrate .

Any suggestions would be appreciated !

 

[wellington]

Coconut coir and orchid bark is recommended for littles and not littles.

 

[Zoella181920]

Coconut coir and orchid bark is recommended for littles and not littles.

Thank you ! , will this reduce the chances of impaction for my little guy tho?

 

[Karen(pebbles)]

Hi and welcome
i have a 15mth old hermanns also kept in a vivarium, i was advised to use coco fibre and orchid bark by the lovely people here on the forum, i've never seen my tort try to eat it, it's great for humidity and i won't use anything else now, hope this helps.

 

[wellington]

Thank you ! , will this reduce the chances of impaction for my little guy tho?

Yes. Coconut coir doesn't cause impaction. Orchid bark is the other option because it isn't as messy as the coir which a lot of people don't like and still does the job of holding humidity. Tortoises don't usually eat it and if they do bite at it, they usually stop and don't get anything small enough to swallow.

 

[Tom]

Hi there! ,

I know this is a widely discussed subject but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what type of substrate I could use for a baby horsefield tortoise !

Hes about 6-7 months (roughly as when I got him he was roughly said to be 4-5 months )I'm looking to change up his substrate and are looking for safe alternatives to prevent the dangers of impaction .

Right now hes in a 3 foot Vivarium(when he gets a little bigger will be put into a 4 foot one ) with tortoise life and coco coir as substrate .

Any suggestions would be appreciated !

Most of the care info from pet shops and even breeders is wrong. Here is the correct info, including substrate choices:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Zoella181920]

Thank you everyone !

 

[Zoella181920]

Hello again!, would the orchid bark be the thickly cut stuff? i know there is fine orchid bark too !, ive heard that unfertilised soil works too! could i use this for my little guy?

 

[Humbug & Maz]

Hello again!, would the orchid bark be the thickly cut stuff? i know there is fine orchid bark too !, ive heard that unfertilised soil works too! could i use this for my little guy?

I am also in the UK and buy this from Amazon which has been perfect for my Hermann tort
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TOBNT4U/?tag=