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Old 27-01-2014, 06:41 PM   #1
Neilgerard
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Default Advice for tortoise virgin

Hi, I'm a total tortoise virgin so I'm learning a lot from this site. After extensive research I bought a leopard tortoise CB12, now named Spartacus. He has settled in well and is eating a variety of garden weeds and flowers, I also offer him Florette dusted with nutrabal. He drinks well and uses his water dish to urinate in. His tortoise table is heated with a uv heat lamp giving a basking temp of 90 degrees and a cool area temp of 70 degrees. The substrate I'm using is the one recommended by the seller and is pelleted compressed straw, is this the best substrate for my leopard or should I go down the topsoil/playsand route? My tortoise table is made from laminated chipboard and I don't want the moisture from any substrate to affect this. Thanks in advance.
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Old 28-01-2014, 08:39 AM   #2
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By laminated chipboard do you mean conti board which has a shiny surface and chipboard inside like that used for some kitchen units and plinths etc? If so it might be okay but may eventually start to swell up with the dampness. Covering the bottom with floor vinyl might help, I have it on my plywood bases. As for the pellet type substrate, I've never used it but would have thought it would also swell up with the damp
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Old 28-01-2014, 08:44 AM   #3
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Thanks for the reply Alan. The substrate I'm using wont swell as its kept dry. It is specifically for tortoises that live in arid conditions.
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Old 28-01-2014, 11:01 AM   #4
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You can seal table with water based varnish or i just use selfadhesive floor tiles from the pound shop, or indeed a piece of vinyl or pondliner. The substrate is not good as it harbours damp spores and will probably add to potential pyramiding. I use just top soil or a mixture of top soil and coco coir.
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Old 28-01-2014, 01:27 PM   #5
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I would also recommend topsoil, coir or a mixture of the two for a substrate. The pellets will make it extremely hard to walk on for a small tortoise (think you walking on dry beach sand and thats what it's like for the tortoise).
Leopard tortoises aren't from arid (desert) areas. They are mostly found where there is a dry and wet season (with lots of vegetation growing in the wet season). So a slightly damp substrate and more humid area to sleep in would be the way to go with your new Leopard tortoise.
Your temperature in the enclosure are good.

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Old 28-01-2014, 05:00 PM   #6
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Default Kokosnot

Ive taken a trip to Ikea and purchased Kokosnot, not a very appealing name but the stuff is really good. It is their version of coco coir and comes in a dehydrated block. I mixed it with 2.5ltrs of water which was less than the recommended 3ltrs and this produced a very pleasant slightly moist substrate which my leopard seems to love. He's been mooching around all over the place since the change. One pack did for the whole of his 48 x 24 table so overly cost effective. I guess I'll change the whole lot monthly and just spot clean in between.
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Old 29-01-2014, 10:33 AM   #7
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You may already be doing this but if not it's a good idea to keep the water and food dishes on a slate or a large tile on top of the coir so it doesn't get trailed into the dishes by their feet. The only real down side of coir is those long hairs, apart from that it's great. I mix it in one of those garden rubber bucket things (trugg is it?) and my wife once added the water and put in far too much and it was like soup
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Old 29-01-2014, 07:16 PM   #8
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Ha ha glad he likees it. I hate Ikea! So asked my husband to pick me up 15 blocks this weekend. So in he trots and asks the girl, have you got any blocks of soil type brick things, yes she said its in that, direction. Oh thanks hubby said and whats it called, dont know she replied. He came home to say no wonder she didnt want to say, fancy calling it "cocksnot"!! Must tell him he got that wrong!
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Old 29-01-2014, 07:43 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neilgerard View Post
Ive taken a trip to Ikea and purchased Kokosnot, not a very appealing name but the stuff is really good. It is their version of coco coir and comes in a dehydrated block. I mixed it with 2.5ltrs of water which was less than the recommended 3ltrs and this produced a very pleasant slightly moist substrate which my leopard seems to love. He's been mooching around all over the place since the change. One pack did for the whole of his 48 x 24 table so overly cost effective. I guess I'll change the whole lot monthly and just spot clean in between.
Yes, that's what I use! I change it monthly. Though last time I think it was almost 2 months

I also did that Alan. I made kokosnot soup
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Old 29-01-2014, 09:28 PM   #10
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Cocksnot ha you could be arrested for less. You should have seen the store guides face when I asked him for it, he was a huge black guy, bless him I had to spell it out to him.
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