# Cactus at the grocery store....



## Mert (Aug 13, 2012)

I went to albertsons today and they have cactus pads but no label. No one that worked there could tell me if its optunia cactus or not. I should of taken a picture, but it looks like it. Do you think it would be good for tortoises?


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## Yvonne G (Aug 13, 2012)

Opuntia cactus at the grocery store is usually called Nopales, or if cut up in smaller pieces, Nopalitos. Chances are pretty good it was opuntia.


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## DeanS (Aug 13, 2012)

...and it's usually preserved with lemon juice!


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## Mert (Aug 13, 2012)

Okay. So with the lemon juice, probably not good. I'll just order some  thanks guys!


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## chris_m90731 (Aug 13, 2012)

I've been feeding grocery store cactus (I live in SoCal) for a while now -- giving my home grown cacti a respite. But if they're generally spineless, flat green pads, you're probably fine. My beast is a good 25" and fit as a fiddle. And he LOVES cactus apples. Try some of those as an occasional treat, they're in season.


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## Mert (Aug 13, 2012)

chris_m90731 said:


> I've been feeding grocery store cactus (I live in SoCal) for a while now -- giving my home grown cacti a respite. But if they're generally spineless, flat green pads, you're probably fine. My beast is a good 25" and fit as a fiddle. And he LOVES cactus apples. Try some of those as an occasional treat, they're in season.



You get the cactus apples at the store too?


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## Tom (Aug 13, 2012)

If its sold for human consumption it should be fine for your tortoise. You can soak it for a few minutes or just rinse the lemon juice off of it, if there is any.


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## Jacqui (Aug 13, 2012)

DeanS said:


> ...and it's usually preserved with lemon juice!



I never knew that!


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Aug 14, 2012)

Yes, grocery store cacti (nopales, as mentioned above) are prickly pear cacti (_Opuntia_ spp.).


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## pdrobber (Aug 14, 2012)

Yup nopal in bravo supermarket in astoria queens! $0.99 a pound for whole cactus pads with most spines removed ! Love it.


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## ATXguy (Aug 15, 2012)

The ones in the jar are preserved and best not to feed.... But there is usually bags of chopped nopales which is just cactus that is chopped up and is fine to feed. If you can get the whole cactus pads in the store it's usually much cheaper anyway and not hard to clean the spines off. Just run a knife across the top under running water and u will clean them easily


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## cfwinged1 (Aug 17, 2012)

I feed my Greek the kind that either in a freshly chopped bag or just the actual pad itself. I bought some aloe Vera that way but Ion did not like it he does like the cactus or napolitos same thing


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## ChiKat (Aug 17, 2012)

Jacqui said:


> DeanS said:
> 
> 
> > ...and it's usually preserved with lemon juice!
> ...



Eek, neither did I!


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## DeanS (Aug 17, 2012)

Mert said:


> I went to albertsons today and they have cactus pads but no label. No one that worked there could tell me if its optunia cactus or not. I should of taken a picture, but it looks like it. Do you think it would be good for tortoises?



All cactus sold for human consumption is opuntia...label or not. No other cactus is cleared for use by USDA.



ChiKat said:


> Jacqui said:
> 
> 
> > DeanS said:
> ...



It's sort of a homemade boric acid...lemon juice and salt (or baking soda) added to water...so don't try to plant the store bought pads...they'll just shrivel up and die. If you rinse the hell out of them, they can be fed out that same day...but you'd do best to grow your own.


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