Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is (in your opinion) is the best substrate for a russian tort? I used grass pellets...and hated them. Too gross, and i was afraid of mold. I tried newspaper...that was a disaster. Orchid bark (er...reptibark) was too chunky...i dont think she liked it to burow in. Now i have her on an expandable substrate (forest bed). I think this is pretty good so far (and pretty cheap, too!). What do you guys think?
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"i wasn't born with enough middle fingers"

1.0 ball python- Azazel
1.0 columbian boa- Brooklyn
1.0 JCP-Milton
1.0 red blood python-Hiss
1.0 peach phase thayeri-Sancho
0.1 creamsicle corn- Pandora
1.1 hognose- Pricilla and Odd
0.1 russian tortoise- Manja
0.1.1 leos- Boji and Kodama
0.1 beardie- Indie
1.0 BTS- Griffon
0.1 Iggy- Sunny
0.1 pacific parrolet- Mishka
1.1 cats- Cairo and Oberon
1.4 ratties Rizzo, Bree, Blitzkreig, Raisin, and the Runt (R.I.P. Willard. )

I also use the forest bed, but I mix 50% sand, 50% of the forest. You can also mix in a little bit of dried hay, like Timothy, so they have something to munch on when they're burrowing about. The mixture also burrows very well. Good luck.

Joe

I used to use a reptile product called repti-litter. Used it for years, I put alot in so my guy could bury. I recently found a much cheaper way to do this though. I just used ORGANIC top soil (with nothing added to it, a company called LI compost makes it, I am sure there are others) and I did a 50/50 mixture with that and play sand (total cost about $5). I made a pretty deep bed (may need to be a little deeper) and then I used nutribale which is a mixture of orchard and bermuda grass and made a layer of that. They just bury under the hay they seem to like it and they munch on it sometimes too. Pretty cheap way to do it and it looks nice too.

Good luck
Christina
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0.0.1 Hatchling Indian Star Tortoise (Sitara)
1.1 Russian Tortoise (Willy & Mikey)
0.1 Ornate Box Turtle (Lily)
1.0 Red Eared Slider (Chester)
0.0.2 White's Tree Frog (Kermit & Phil)
0.0.1 Red eyed Tree Frog (Justin)
0.0.1 Big Eyed Tree Frog
0.0.2 Bubbling Frog
0.0.2 Tiger Leg Tree Frogs (Akari & Shiro)
0.0.3 Amazonian Milky Tree Frogs
0.0.1 Dwarf Megophrys
0.0.2 Rainbow Burrowing Frog/Ornate Hopper
0.0.3 Asian Blue Webbed Gliding Tree Frogs
0.0.1 Albino Pacman Frog
0.1 Praire Dog (Timmy)
0.2 Chinchillas (Layla & Snickers)
0.3 mice
0.1 dog (Holly)
2.0 Cats (Champ & Bear)

Oh and a husband

I use indoor outdoor cartpet. I have two sheets so when one gets dirty I just put the other in until I can wash it. It is really great and easy to clean up messes. Then I just put a bunch of timothy hay in one corner so they can burrow. Mine seem pretty happy with it. My torts are very young so this works out great and I don't have to worry about them eating stuff they shouldn't. Good luck!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta
1 Mourning Dove
1 Feral cat (kittens on the way)

What do you mean by indoor outdoor carpet? Is this the green astro-turf?

It is kind of like felt carpet...not the rough fake grass type. It cuts really easy and you can throw it in the washer to clean it. Really easy to clean. And it is soft on the torts shell...not abrasive. I got mine at Friedman Brothers.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta
1 Mourning Dove
1 Feral cat (kittens on the way)

Do you have a brand or picture? Is the green astro-turf stuff bad?

Thanks

I'm not sure what brand it is. If you go to a Freidman Brothers or a Home Depot check over by the flooring area. It should be around the carpet. It comes in big giant rolls that they can cut for you which is great because you can have it cut the area of your flooring for your tort house. The astro turf (the grassy rough kind) I heard can scratch there shells plus the torts try to eat it because they think it is grass. This is just what I have heard from some site I was on for tort care.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta
1 Mourning Dove
1 Feral cat (kittens on the way)