>>I've been keeping my RTs on a sand/bed-a-beast substrate. Recently one of my leopard geckos had an issue with impaction. Is it safe for tortoises to be on sand? My torts are both about 4.5". Is there an alternative substrate that is better for them? Thanks.

My outdoor pen for my russians has a lot of sand. I added several 50lb bags to help improve drainage. My yard has a heavy clay soil, and the sand doesn't help that much, but it makes it easier for the females to dig nests.

When I keep hatchlings indoors they live on a sand/soil mixture. Bed-a-beast is probably just as good as soil for mixing with sand. I've also used plain sand, but it doesn't hold moisture as well.

Never had a problem with impaction in the 5 years I've been keeping them on sand/soil. For the hatchlings I put the food on a piece of slate or tile, to keep it off of the sand. I also have sections of tile/slate for basking areas. The hatchlings dig into the sand/soil at night.

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