Underlays

What is the best type of bedding to use for my indoor russian tortoise?

I want to change my tortoise's bedding, because it is hard to clean. Right now I have cypress bedding, but I want to change. Just wondering if anyone had any easy-to-clean suggestions! Thanks!

Public Comments

1. I am almost thinking you could rip up newspaper, or what you buy is like a pellet form of newspaper. Ask your local pet store :)
2. eco earth its great. and cheap.
3. sand or wood chips or shavings
4. http://www.russiantortoise.org has a great recipe for a general purpose substrate- 50% clean sand and 50% damp coconut coir (Bed-A-Beast and Eco-Earth, for example), mixed by weight (or about 1.5 units of sand per unit of coir.) It is not perfect- if the coir gets too wet, it turns muddy, and if it dries out, it dehydrates the tortoise. The cost is not too bad, and you can stretch it if you need to by using shredded cypress bark, etc. Other things to consider if you want something different... PEBBLES- larger than pea-sized smooth pebbles are good, but also hard to clean. BARK, of any kind, is usually too coarse and hard. Some bagged or bulk barks are OK- if you would walk on it barefoot, it is probably OK. PEAT MOSS and most BAGGED SOILS are just too muddy for Russians. CARPET, TILE, etc. tends to let the droppings sit on the surface and get smeared all over. Tried it, did not like it. NEWSPAPER is OK for short term use, but offers little traction so the tortoise tends to develop splay-legs. Single-ply corrugated cardboard is better, but requires frequent replacement.