If you were using the hemp without any problems... why change it? I hope you didn't change it on the say so of one person. Many people parrot advice without actually knowing if the information is good or not either from personal experience or the first hand experience of others. Try to look at many different sources of information to get a good idea of what is going to work for you and your tortoise.
I've used hemp for many years but it is hard to come by here in the states. I mainly use it on my smaller tortoises but I also use shredded aspen bedding which has the same texture as the hemp.
I think your original substrate and set up is just fine. Your tortoise has told you what the best substrate is for him by the way he acted when you changed it.
Btw... tortoises like change less than you or I.
Crushed oyster shell can be a good substrate to use but it needs to be misted to keep the dust down. I was also concerned with the tortoise ingesting the stuff. I wouldn't use it on a tortoise that is smaller than 5cm SCL. If the tortoise is consuming too much of the stuff... remove the tortoise or the substrate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TortoisePepé
I have currently been using a combination of both dried grass and hemp bedding for my little 1 year old hermanns, Pepé. After recently reading up on hemp bedding and the dangers, i decided to change my substrate.
I purchased the tortoise life (mix of soil, sand & limestone), and also purchased crushed oyster shell from the shelled warrior shop..
I received the tortoise life yesterday so gave it a go, an hour after putting the substrate into my torts table i went to check on him and he was not himself at all, his eye was covered in the substrate, i washed it from his eye, as i did this he was clearly in distress.. his eye became rather inflamed and puffy. After lots of tortoise cuddles he calmed himself down and today his eye is much better. I am now clearly too scared to use this again, but gave the oyster shell a go as im low on dried grass, He is now trying to eat the oyster shell, i know it is normal for torts to check out their new surroundings, however due to the rough edges, and after googling it, became aware that it was dangerous if the torts ate it and it also wore down the underneath of the shell causing infection. Again in a state of panick removed it, (im not very good with change). I am now wondering wether there is either a different reccomended substrate other than his dried grass and dried flowers, and wether i should use the oyster shell or is it best i dont?
Sorry for gigantic message..
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