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Old 29-10-2016, 10:04 PM   #1
wightcorp
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Hi all,
What are peoples views on substrates. I have been using tortoise terrain 10L bags form pets at home. At £8 a bag. I was wondering is anyone used anything from a DIY shop such as top soil or sand etc...

Horsefield tortoise in a vivarium.

Thank you for you time
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Old 30-10-2016, 05:43 PM   #2
Jan W
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Hello and welcome to the forum.

I buy my own top soil and play sand and do a mix. About 3/4 top soil to 1/4 sand. I put in the oven to dry out and kill off any micro-organisms, but I don't think many people do this. I carried on with the mix as I understand their usual environment for a horsfield is sandy and I had bought lots of it! It is so much cheaper too.

However, many people seem to use just top soil. You will find there are many fans of coir too. I am still learning and you will have some highly experienced people provide ideas. I have no idea what the tortoise terrain contains.

You will also find that many of us will advise a different home to a vivarium, but perhaps you need to give some more details ie age.

We loves seeing pictures too.

It
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Old 30-10-2016, 07:26 PM   #3
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The tortoise life/terrain is awful stuff. I would ditch it quick. The least of the problems its caused is sore eyes but its also been involved in a lot of impactation cases leading to prolapse and fatalities

Just steralised top soil is ok (some mix coir with it) I used to use Wickses top soil but after 3 or 4 batches of it being smelly and black I just use homebase now, which seems fine.

You can use soil from your garden if it hasnt been treated with chemicals
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Old 30-10-2016, 07:59 PM   #4
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welcome to the forum ...yes nice deep substrate for a horsfield , they love to dig, but not wet. Horsfields wont do too well in a vivarium either along with a lot of other speces - too much humidity not enough natural air to avoid micro organism. maybe take at least one pane of glass out to allow free air flow, good luck welcome some pickies, CB
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Old 06-11-2016, 09:55 PM   #5
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Hi wightcorp, I use Prorep Tortoise Life Substrate and have done for the past year with no problems. Kenan harking of "kamp Kenan" fame also has used it for years for his hermans with no problems. I know many on here are not fans, but each to their own. I've had wickes soil with glass and rubbish in it before so would never use that, but people do.
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Old 07-11-2016, 08:48 PM   #6
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I think as long as its a natural as can be and won't harm the tortoise it should be fine. I am finding coco coir is terribly dusty and didn't realise until I did a full on clean. Couldn't believe how wheezy it made me and to think that is right at nostril level for the tortoise. Multi compost has lots of rubbish mashed into it - that's why its called 'multi' so I wouldn't be surprised if there was glass and rubbish in it - almost recycled everything - even mushrooms grow in it bagged up. Top soil is very good and sand mix as Jan has said too, just make sure for a species that burrows deep it has good coverage and doesn't hold the wet otherwise the tortoise will breath it (bacteria/spores/fungus/ into his lungs and get respiratory disease, good luck ! CB
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Old 08-11-2016, 06:07 PM   #7
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I have used topsoil from Wicks but found over time that seemed to get very dusty......it compacted and was very heavy as it has to be kept damp.
I moved to Coco coir a few years ago and that is much better, keeping it damp is easy and the torts love it.
This year I have mixed some top soil in it, just to give it a try so have no comment to make yet as the babes have only been indoor a few weeks x X xx hugs x X X x
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Old 09-11-2016, 09:32 PM   #8
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I also choose coir although Keith (one of our contributors) did post a while ago of some potential disadvantages of coir.

What I like about coir is

cheap
lightweight (add the water once the coir is where you want it)
clean
absorbs water well
can be delivered cheaply (due to light dry weight)
is waste byproduct of the coconut industry and can be exported by very poor countries
my tortoises do not attempt to eat it (I observe carefully!)


I did use a mix of topsoil and coir but really that was just creating work for myself with dragging heavy sacks of topsoil around and mixing everything up.
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Old 15-11-2016, 09:25 PM   #9
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I do notice some of the bags have lots of coir strands like matted fur balls which I pick out and use on the garden. I do worry also as the Tortoises definitely eat it or by mistake and it does end up hanging around for a while back end wise....but it is lovely and natural and thinned out it doesn't dust up at all. CB
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Old 31-12-2017, 05:38 PM   #10
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hi new to forum looks great plenty info just been reading this post about substrate I have been using tortoise terrain 10L bags form pets at home and just wondering if this would be ok to use
https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/...ack-35l-295037
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