FRT Substrate

[Cheetah]

For other Fly River Turtle owners: What type of substrate do you use?

I know the recommendation is for either bare bottom or a substrate that won't irritate them.

Mine likes to hide in the sand when scared or sleeping. I put in very fine white silica, which isn't irritating him. But i've noticed older FRT, like to eat the sand there in, mine hasn't done this yet but im concerned since ingesting silica wouldn't be good. Should I change the substrate to crushed coral?

Other notes:
My guy just ate a baby RTC this weekend .
There's a baby FRT for sale from a dealer in the mid-west; $750 shipped.

 

[M|L]

I use Estes Reef sand, and while the turtle does ingest some sand during feeding, it does not seem to affect the animal at all.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

I use pool filter sand mixed with crush coral with no ill effects...

 

[shells-n-scales]

<----play sand with no issues..

 

[elindra]

I use a mixture of fine coral and river sand

 

[Oddball]

I use playground sand mixed with aragonite granules and crushed coral. Keeps the pH nice and high. I also placed some large limestone fossils (ammonites) to form current breaks and provide additional pH balance.

 

[o snap its eric]

i've kept in regular pea sized gravel before. It gave my frt a hard time when looking for food. I've also kept them in estes sand. It worked out very well. Currently it's on a bare bottom tank. Just as good.

 

[Schmike]

mixture of coral and river sand.

 

[livingwaters]

mixture of coral and river sand.

Fine coral sand with with river sand is to go.

 

[VLDesign]

I use playground sand mixed with aragonite sand as well. It's more play sand than aragonite by about 2-3x.