Substrate...Help

samc · 16-10-2013, 01:00 PM

Hi all. Im a new owner of an 8 yr old male spur thigh called Turbo. He is gorgeous and already is the boss of our home but i need advice please.. I have him indoors at the moment in an indoor rabbit cage and im using a 50/50 mix of soil and play sand. Unfortunatly the amount of black dust this is creating is awful and im worried that apart from everything being covered, how much of this is he ingesting. I spray it every evening with a water spray and have laid quite a few pieces of slate on his floor but its still a problem. I have just bought some coir substrate but not sure if this is any good. It says it needs to be soaked in water to increase volume but is this suitable for a med tortoise?? Any advice please?!?! Thanks.

emma_mcraf · 16-10-2013, 01:32 PM

I don't use playsand, just sterilied topsoil. It does make a little bit of dust but it seems you are having quite a problem with it!
A lot of people are using coir for their tortoises and having great results with it, either on its own or mixed with topsoil. It is indeed suitable for a med tortoise and it soon swells and becomes a lovely substrate when water is added. My sons use it for their tree frogs and I've been very impressed with it. I'm sure Turbo would love it.

lonelylayla · 16-10-2013, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samc

Hi all. Im a new owner of an 8 yr old male spur thigh called Turbo. He is gorgeous and already is the boss of our home but i need advice please.. I have him indoors at the moment in an indoor rabbit cage and im using a 50/50 mix of soil and play sand. Unfortunatly the amount of black dust this is creating is awful and im worried that apart from everything being covered, how much of this is he ingesting. I spray it every evening with a water spray and have laid quite a few pieces of slate on his floor but its still a problem. I have just bought some coir substrate but not sure if this is any good. It says it needs to be soaked in water to increase volume but is this suitable for a med tortoise?? Any advice please?!?! Thanks.

Hi and welcome! I have several spur thighed - mostly Iberia. It seems to be a trait of the males that they do tend to go round and round the perimeters of their run and I can imagine the dust Turbo is creating

I use a mix of topsoil and coir, which is good for retaining moisture, this works well for the smaller ones. Have just moved by big boys inside for the winter and at the moment they too are doing circuits and creating dust tracks. Am wondering hos big Turbo is and how big his pen? It may prove easier to manage if he has a bigger table perhaps, also will he be hibernating so it is a short term situation?

Catwoman63 · 16-10-2013, 01:45 PM

I dont use coir in my substrate, i do use top soil, and it does get dusty, i solve this problem by using a watering can with warm water and pour it all over the soil and give it a good mix in with a rake twice weekly, i find that this keeps the soil moist under the top layer then all i need to do is spray the top layer every day, hope this helps x

samc · 16-10-2013, 01:54 PM

Hi, thanks for the replies. He is a big lad, at a guess about 6-7 inches in shell length and very active! Because im new to this we have decided to over winter him this year until we become more confident. Im just really concerned because by lunch time every day he looks like hes been mining for coal! haha. My daughter baths him every day and he does seem to enjoy it. I think i will try using the coco coir over the top of the sand/soil mix so that he can still dig down if he needs to. I wont put it in too wet tho because im concerned about shell rot. ( i am a born worrier). Does that sound ok?

samc · 16-10-2013, 07:40 PM

Thanks for your replies. He is quite a big boy, 870gms and 16cm under shell. His home is the biggest rabbit cage i could get. I have to be careful with a table as we have curious cats (although they are scared of him after he gave one a nip on the leg when she wouldnt move) and a soppy labrador who can take him or leave him tbh, and the cage keeps him safe.We have tried the coco coir this evening and he seems to like it. He has a large outside pen at the min but we are working on a better outdoor set up ready for the spring. We are going to over winter him this year as im a born worrier and not confident to hibernate him yet! Fingers crossed the coir will help with the dust problem. Its been a case of trial and error but this site is fab and im taking lots of ideas and advice from here. Sam.x

16-10-2013, 01:00 PM	#1
samc Junior Member Egg Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 9	Substrate...Help Hi all. Im a new owner of an 8 yr old male spur thigh called Turbo. He is gorgeous and already is the boss of our home but i need advice please.. I have him indoors at the moment in an indoor rabbit cage and im using a 50/50 mix of soil and play sand. Unfortunatly the amount of black dust this is creating is awful and im worried that apart from everything being covered, how much of this is he ingesting. I spray it every evening with a water spray and have laid quite a few pieces of slate on his floor but its still a problem. I have just bought some coir substrate but not sure if this is any good. It says it needs to be soaked in water to increase volume but is this suitable for a med tortoise?? Any advice please?!?! Thanks.

16-10-2013, 01:32 PM	#2
emma_mcraf Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Devon Posts: 11,365	I don't use playsand, just sterilied topsoil. It does make a little bit of dust but it seems you are having quite a problem with it! A lot of people are using coir for their tortoises and having great results with it, either on its own or mixed with topsoil. It is indeed suitable for a med tortoise and it soon swells and becomes a lovely substrate when water is added. My sons use it for their tree frogs and I've been very impressed with it. I'm sure Turbo would love it. __________________ Emma Testudo Hermanni 5.12.2:Theo, Tamara, Tabitha, Harriet, Isabelle, Clara, Oscar, Hugo, Oliver, Florence, Arabella, Esmé, Aurelia, Felicia, Claudia, Atticus, Celestia, Amaris, Tristan and Clementine Budgies: Jasper, Ivo, Otis, Henry, Louie and Luca Doggies: 1.1.0 Chester and Lottie

16-10-2013, 01:45 PM	#4
Catwoman63 Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: South East England Posts: 6,739	I dont use coir in my substrate, i do use top soil, and it does get dusty, i solve this problem by using a watering can with warm water and pour it all over the soil and give it a good mix in with a rake twice weekly, i find that this keeps the soil moist under the top layer then all i need to do is spray the top layer every day, hope this helps x __________________ BEV XXX 0.3.0 - T Horsfieldii (Xena, Zelda & Lilly) 2.2.0 - TG Terrestris (Zeus, Astreus / Zagreus & Alexia) 1.2.0 - Zebra Finches (Gunner / Bonnie & May) 0.1.0 - SBT (Hazel) 1.0.0 - FBD (Ted)

16-10-2013, 01:54 PM	#5
samc Junior Member Egg Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 9	Hi, thanks for the replies. He is a big lad, at a guess about 6-7 inches in shell length and very active! Because im new to this we have decided to over winter him this year until we become more confident. Im just really concerned because by lunch time every day he looks like hes been mining for coal! haha. My daughter baths him every day and he does seem to enjoy it. I think i will try using the coco coir over the top of the sand/soil mix so that he can still dig down if he needs to. I wont put it in too wet tho because im concerned about shell rot. ( i am a born worrier). Does that sound ok?

16-10-2013, 07:40 PM	#6
samc Junior Member Egg Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 9	Thanks for your replies. He is quite a big boy, 870gms and 16cm under shell. His home is the biggest rabbit cage i could get. I have to be careful with a table as we have curious cats (although they are scared of him after he gave one a nip on the leg when she wouldnt move) and a soppy labrador who can take him or leave him tbh, and the cage keeps him safe.We have tried the coco coir this evening and he seems to like it. He has a large outside pen at the min but we are working on a better outdoor set up ready for the spring. We are going to over winter him this year as im a born worrier and not confident to hibernate him yet! Fingers crossed the coir will help with the dust problem. Its been a case of trial and error but this site is fab and im taking lots of ideas and advice from here. Sam.x

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