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Ok I used this kind of reptile bark that was triple cleaned in the past now I'm using this alfalfa rabbit pellet mixture is that a good or bad substrate. I'm thinking its a good one because he can eat it as food.
Substrate?
- Thread starter cueball
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i was told that the pellets absorb moisture from the tortoises.can someone confirm this.i use a 50 50 playsand topsoil mix. frank
I wouldn't use pellets, alfalfa is ideal for them to eat and you don't want them filling up on subtrate when they should be eating their healthy foods.
I'd either go with aspen shavings or eco-earth/playsand mixture (70% eco-earth or coconut coir and 30% playsand).
I'd either go with aspen shavings or eco-earth/playsand mixture (70% eco-earth or coconut coir and 30% playsand).
Rabbit chow substrate was a hot idea back in the 80's, but few experienced keepers use it much anymore. It tends to create a very dry habitat, but any moisture that gets in the pellets tends to cause mold and such.
Depending on the species, there are better options.
Depending on the species, there are better options.
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Yeah fortunately he doesn't eat the substrate at all. And I used this stuff called reptile bark and he seemed to like that for a while but it makes such a mess. And the dust is horrible for me. At least I can see where he peed and scoop it up and where he pooped and scoop that up. I like the idea that it absorbs moisture that is why I've even thought of it as a good substrate and I've never heard of eco earth I will have to try that next time I change his cage.
Oops and I meant, the alfalfa pellets are NOT ideal for them to eat, typo in my response sorry.
What kind of tort? I would not recommend reptile bark (some even marketed to reptiles are made of toxic woods, and they are hard to walk on for the tort with the large pieces) or pellets (hard to walk on, drying, and too high in protein for them to eat).
I would suggest a moist substrate such as coconut coir (eco earth is a brand), organic soil, Cyprus mulch, or orchid bark. All of these could have a bit of play sand mixed in for traction and digging potential, if desired (30-50% or less).
All of these should not be dusty. You would add water as required and mix it up, to keep it moist but not wet. Especially under heat sourced it dries out. A moist substrate created humidity at the substrate level which can help prevent pyramiding.
I pick up messes out of the substrate daily, and with all of those you may be able to wait even a few months between changing it out if you keep up with the daily cleaning. Sometimes you can't see pee pees though, so you can change it out if it starts to smell.
What type of enclosure do you have? With a tortoise table (wood) you would want to put a liner down such as pond liner, a s heavy duty shower curtain, or shower pan liner, before putting in substrate.
I would suggest a moist substrate such as coconut coir (eco earth is a brand), organic soil, Cyprus mulch, or orchid bark. All of these could have a bit of play sand mixed in for traction and digging potential, if desired (30-50% or less).
All of these should not be dusty. You would add water as required and mix it up, to keep it moist but not wet. Especially under heat sourced it dries out. A moist substrate created humidity at the substrate level which can help prevent pyramiding.
I pick up messes out of the substrate daily, and with all of those you may be able to wait even a few months between changing it out if you keep up with the daily cleaning. Sometimes you can't see pee pees though, so you can change it out if it starts to smell.
What type of enclosure do you have? With a tortoise table (wood) you would want to put a liner down such as pond liner, a s heavy duty shower curtain, or shower pan liner, before putting in substrate.
M
Maggie Cummings
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I raised several generations of desert tortoises on rabbit pellets and more then the protein is the leg problem. The pellets are hard for small tortoises to walk on and so their legs are either outright deformed or just not quite right. So we all learned that pellets just aren't good to keep small torts on. The good substrates lately are coir/sand or fine grade orchid bark. The best is cypress mulch. You may see it as cypress bed or forest floor. It is just the best stuff, it smells good holds moisture well and isn't dusty...
In the bigger chain pet stores eco earth is also called bed a beast. Under any name it comes in a brick that you put in water to fluff it up, then you mix it 50/50 with sand to keep the moisture in and the dust out...
Frank, I've kept tortoises for a while now and I have never heard that pellets could absorb moisture from tortoises. It would certainly absorbs urine, but torts skin doesn't have moisture enough for anything to get moisture from them/it...any way I word it, I hope you understood...
In the bigger chain pet stores eco earth is also called bed a beast. Under any name it comes in a brick that you put in water to fluff it up, then you mix it 50/50 with sand to keep the moisture in and the dust out...
Frank, I've kept tortoises for a while now and I have never heard that pellets could absorb moisture from tortoises. It would certainly absorbs urine, but torts skin doesn't have moisture enough for anything to get moisture from them/it...any way I word it, I hope you understood...
Maggie-Thanks for clearing the moisture and pellets thing up. I have always heard that, but I have not read any evidence for that claim.
pellets are bad they mold and if they do eat them they have a high protein content, so it would not be good for most torts. I personally use a sand and bed a beast mix myself, 50/50 mix. I di duse them years ago and it was not a enjoyable exp. I don't know if they actually suck moisture out, but it did seem very dry. I have seen the light.
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