Habitat - Indoor :: What sand to use for nesting box?

[Tom21]

I'm making a nesting box for my adult female RES and was wondering what sand am I suppose to use, reptile pro calcium sand or aquarium sand? And is top soil okay, cause I read they need a mix of sand and soil, how does that work? Does one go on top of the other?

[steve]

You can use a mix of cheap play sand and soil, but it will be better is you can take her outdoors (like in a garden).

[Tom21]

Can I get play sand at pet stores? and it be very hard to take her outdoors as I live in the cities, way too many things going outside for me to trust a little turtle by herself.

Also the nesting box was building is going to connect to my tank, I'm going to make a egg crate crossing platform for her to pass, so I'm guessing some of the play sand/ soil would go into her water tank when shes crossing over, would that be fine?

[steve]

You can get the sand at a hardware store. As for outdoors, do you know of anyone who lives outside the city? It's just that nesting boxes often don't work since the females are very picky. Some sand going into the tank is fine, but I'd be careful about the soil.

[Tom21]

afraid not, nesting box is really the only choice I got, but I figure if it's connected to the tank, it feel better than being completely cut off from the water so she would feel safer. Do I need the soil? Is it like a mandatory thing for a nesting box or is just sand enough?

[steve]

Soil or plain old dirt is better, I'm not sure if sand only will work. Each turtle is different so there is no way to be sure what she will prefer.

[theartbook35]

A few years ago, our big girl, Sadie, was gravid. We tried the outdoor method. She would dig then abandon the hole, over and over again. Next we tried a nesting box, which she absolutely hated (she doesn't like being confined in a small space). We had her induced by the herp vet we go to, and she laid ONE egg. We gave up trying to accomodate her, and she laid her eggs on her basking dock. She laid 12, total. Many people end up having to let their turtles do this, and it makes sense, since their tank is their safe zone.

[steve]

Yup, I would say that is the norm, and not the exception.