Sulcata and Sand

crocididdle

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Can i use sand for my sulcata as substrate? he is over 5 inches and he is over 1 year old. is he old enough for me to use sand?
 

crocididdle

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what can i use? the eco earth stuff is wayy too expensive and topsoil is crappy. any ideas?
 

G-stars

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Read this care sheet. Scroll down to substrates. Plenty of good options. Then go to your local hardware store and get it cheap.


— Gus
 

tortdad

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It's only expensive if you get it from a pet store. Buy big bags of stuff from hardware stores of a few dollars each.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)
 

Yellow Turtle01

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Yep, at the local Home Depot I can get three GIANT blocks of expandable coir for 9 dollars. Best. Deal. Ever.
 

Princessjay

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I was reading another forum and for my med spur thigh I was told a mix of sand and top soil.... I was using a coconut substrate before but I have a hatchling and she was struggling to walk on it.

If avoided the pellets, and been told hay is to drying. I'm very very confused as to what to do. I only out the sand and top soil in today and it was a disaster!!!

She's covered in the stuff, her little claws, face, even had it in her eyes!!!

I immediately took it all out and went back to coco but substrate mixed with a little hay.

What should I use?

She is 3 months old.
 

J.P.

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it's only messy at first, it won't be like that after a week or two..the stuff doesn't bother your tortoise, no matter how dirty it looks.
to help ease you worry, you can lay some flat rocks or tiles(rough side up) for it to walk on so it doesn't sink in the substrate.
 

Yellow Turtle01

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I was reading another forum and for my med spur thigh I was told a mix of sand and top soil.... I was using a coconut substrate before but I have a hatchling and she was struggling to walk on it.

If avoided the pellets, and been told hay is to drying. I'm very very confused as to what to do. I only out the sand and top soil in today and it was a disaster!!!

She's covered in the stuff, her little claws, face, even had it in her eyes!!!

I immediately took it all out and went back to coco but substrate mixed with a little hay.

What should I use?

She is 3 months old.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
This is a great one! :D
 

Florida

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You can use sand mixed with almost any other light substrate. They love to burrow in it just as the do in their natural habitats. Most of their sand ingestion comes from it being attached to their food and water source. Keep your food and water clean and they can still enjoy digging in sand. Still remember to let them soak and drink.
 

Yvonne G

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It's impossible to keep the food and water clean unless you stand there and watch every moment. They walk through the food and water all the time. That's why we don't encourage people to use any sand at all, mixed or not.
 

Tom

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You can use sand mixed with almost any other light substrate. They love to burrow in it just as the do in their natural habitats. Most of their sand ingestion comes from it being attached to their food and water source. Keep your food and water clean and they can still enjoy digging in sand. Still remember to let them soak and drink.
This is bad advice and will lead tot he death of people's tortoises.
 

TammyJ

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NOT sand. It can and will do so much harm to the tortoise. Take the advice of the majority of experienced and intelligent tortoise keepers. Then you will not have to learn the hard way, and neither will your precious tortoise.
 

Tom

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Yep, I would have been better off keeping my newbie mouth shut. Thanks for having my back.
No worries man. I used to also recommend the old ways. Everyone has to learn some time.
 

Tom

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COS but no one yet has educated me as to how to post pictures
There is a little box at the lower left when you type in a response to a post that says "Attach files" with a little paper clip next to it. Just click that box and upload your pic. Then click the green "full image" box after uploading, followed by "Post reply" when you are all done.
 

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