Box Turtle and Tortoise Discussion :: commercial substrates

[Starchick]

I've been using topsoil mixed with spagnum moss as substrate for my eastern boxie Apollo, but I'm finding that it dries out really really quick. It's time to replace his bedding, and I'm thinking it's time for a change. I was wondering about something like Bed-a-Beast or Reptibark, does anyone know if those would be good? I have something called Jungle bed for the frog, which is mostly coconut fiber, and it says not to use it with box turtles. I guess i don't know why one bedding would be okay and another not, so if you guys have recommendations please pass them along!

[Terryo]

I used to use top soil, mixed with un milled peat moss and a lot of leaf litter. Then I put tropical moss on the top of this. It looked like grass. Then I added plants. This was in a virvarium. It worked well for my three toed, but it wasn't humid enough for my Cherry head RF. So now I just changed it and use "long-fibered' sphagnum moss from Mosser Lee. I don't have a picture of it yet. When I finish the virvarium I will post a picture.

[Starchick]

Is it okay to just go outside and grab a bunch of leaves? Are there any particular kinds I should steer away from? I think most of the trees in my yard are maples.

[N4784N R4613]

Are there any kind of pesticides sprayed in/near your yard?

[Terryo]

Here is Pio in her new virvarium. I changed from the peat moss mixed with leaves to the moss. It holds the humidity much better. But for my three toed I still like the mixture of un milled peat moss with leaf litter. I took all the leaves I could get from my yard, and when they dried out I crunched them up. They flew from all over the neighborhood, so I don't know what kind of leaves they were. I have been doing this for many years. Can you see the leaves in the virvarium?

This is Pio in The new moss



This is the three toed in the old set up


This is my ornate

[Starchick]

Ooh nice! I don't know if there are pesticides where I am, I live in an apartment so I'm not sure. I can go to my gramma's house and get some of her leaves though, she doesn't use anything on her plants.

[RunninWideOpen]

I use a mix of top-soil and reptibark, with peat moss on the top. I also have some live plants that I have to water. Keeps the soil nice and moist.

[Starchick]

What kind of live plants do you have?

[RunninWideOpen]

Ficus, ferns, 2 other things that I can't remember......they were all on the "safe for reptiles" list. I don't have that bookmark on this computer. I can give you the link when I go home if you like.

[Starchick]

I would love that, thank you!

[RunninWideOpen]

Here it is. In fact I've found other parts of this website very helpful.

http://www.anapsid.org/mainplants.html