Wood mulch

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

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Not really. Some woods have oil residue that can be annoying or hurtful. Do you know what kind of tree/wood these chips are from? Also, if it is wood chips from say, an arborist, or landscape company, again, you really need to know whence they came from. Eucalyptus for instance, not good at all for tortoises. Let us know a little more and we can yay or nay it. : )
 

JHBlegend

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Well the kind I have now is a name brand like exo terra or zoo med I don't remember, but could I use a cheaper alternative for example just a kind form my local hardware store?
 

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

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From the hardware store or nursery get orchid bark BUT make sure it is just orchid bark. I forget what wood they use for that but it is safe. Make sure you do not get one with fertilizers added. And do not get one with little white pebble-y things. That would be perlite and perlite is a volcanic glass that is added to lighten the soil and to improve drainage but tortoise can eat it and it would create an impaction which you do not need your tortoise to get. Orchid bark is good and will allow you to create that warm and humid environment that we have grown to love. And yes, less expensive at the HomeD. or the farm supply or nursery and ya get more! : )
 

JHBlegend

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Thanks for the input it really helped!! I was wondering what an impaction was I have heard a lot of people say that but I don't know what it is?
 

mike taylor

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Yes you can use cypress mulch . The one with no addictives . Pete moss or organic dirt with no poop some use cow poop . You can use dirt from your yard just freeze it before you use it . It will kill harmful things like mites or what have you . I don't like the repti bark my self some do . I use coco chore . You can get three bricks of it for ten bucks or less . Soak in water and put in your enclosure. Then add the cypress mulch to the top . Great for humidity and it will not mold on you . Hope that helps . More keepers will be on soon to give you more opinions.
 

diamondbp

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I use moistened sphagnum peat moss topped with cypress much. It's work well for me without any complications.
 

Cowboy_Ken

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I use organic peat moss and organic manure free top soil. 50/50 by volume. I mix it in a tub with enough water to make a ball that will hold together when squeezed but will break apart if dropped from a foot or so. I don't like the chips for a couple reasons. One is they have lots of give to them, they don't pack well together. In my experience this doesn't allow enough resistance to the growing nails and the result is you are always checking and trimming nails. The second reason and the one that will answer your earlier question is that it is inevitable your tortoise will eat some while feeding on regular food. This can lead to an impaction. This is a clogging of the gut tract, usually caused from consuming a none edible item. Sometimes these impactions can result in surgery. Or continued manipulations of the rear end of the tortoise with mineral oil injections in the rear end to help move things along. If you do a search on the forum for impaction you will find many case stories. Hope all this helps.
 

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

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Mike meant coco coir, above. His auto correct did the word chore instead. That is what I use. Cowboy Ken has great suggestions. A lot of people who do not know better will use sand, thinking desert, desert tortoise, why sand of course. Nope. Fail. Sand will get in their tummies, or like Ken said above, other things that are not digestible and then you have a problem. Clogged gut. Not a problem you want to have so avoid at all costs.
 

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