what tortoise diet should I buy?

Eduardo.M

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So I got 2 newborn sulcata tortoises about a year ago, I’ve always given them Romaine lettuce/cactus with some vitamin powder, I’ve been thinking about buying tortoise pellets but there is a lot of different opinions on wether the normal Mazuri or the new LS diet is better. Some tortoises don’t like the LS because they are used to the normal diet but since I have not given my sulcatas any pellets in the first place, they might like the LS diet because they never tried the normal one, I’m not sure. Any advice?
 

Tim Carlisle

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When mine was very little, I chopped up a couple or few Mazuri LS pellets into a fine powder and sprinkled it on his greens. If fed whole, they should be well soaked. I've never used anything but the LS.
 

jsheffield

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Grass and weeds are probably best, and I try to feed my grassland tortoises that in the main (and my forest tortoises a mix of greens and fruit and veggies and animal protein), but I also feed pellets 1-2 times each week... they like it and I think it may fill in nutritional gaps in my feeding (living in NH, I cannot feed them optimally year round).

I like mazuri (the regular formulation of M521) as do my torts, all of them... I wet it for tinies, and use a mush of it for the introduction of new foods (as a dressing).

I like Zoo-Med grassland diet for my Russian... it has lower protein and a better looking list of ingredients than does mazuri.

I like Rep-cal tortoise diet for my forest tortoises... it has a bit more protein, along with some fruits and veggies.

Jamie
 

ZEROPILOT

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On paper, and maybe in real life, the LS should be "better".
But the 5M21 formula has been used and trusted for decades and is LOVED by nearly every tortoise that ever tasted it. It gets soft in water and can be used alone or mixed with other foods. It is known to perform very well.
The LS is hit and miss at best. Most tortoises won't eat it. It is hard. And hard to use mixed with anything.
The 5M21, however, is only now sold in 25 pound bags that are not convenient for anyone with just one or two tortoises. And mostly has to be ordered from Purina or bought at feed and tack stores.
The LS can be found online and at most pet shops in smaller, convenient bags. Most times when newer members see it they buy it thinking that it's that MAZURI people at the forum are RAVING ABOUT.
It is not.
A few keepers like myself always have some 5m21 on hand and will mail some to other members on request.
 

Tom

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So I got 2 newborn sulcata tortoises about a year ago, I’ve always given them Romaine lettuce/cactus with some vitamin powder, I’ve been thinking about buying tortoise pellets but there is a lot of different opinions on wether the normal Mazuri or the new LS diet is better. Some tortoises don’t like the LS because they are used to the normal diet but since I have not given my sulcatas any pellets in the first place, they might like the LS diet because they never tried the normal one, I’m not sure. Any advice?

Here is another idea for anyone anywhere anytime, but especially good for anyone who depends on grocery store greens for all or part of the year. We had the big reptile show in Anaheim this last weekend and I got to see first hand all the different dried foods that Will @Kapidolo Farms is now offering. HOLY COW!!! He's got everything and the prices for the quantity you get are amazingly low. He and @Markw84 had a booth and were show casing Mark's excellent enclosures, Will's excellent food offerings and a bunch more cool stuff.

Will's dried foods come in big bags. You simply wet the grocery store greens with water, blended up cucumber, banana, or opuntia, then sprinkle in the dried stuff and mix it all in. He has dried nettle, mulberry leaves, clover, plantain, hibiscus, and so many more.

This is an excellent way to add fiber and variety to grocery store greens, or any other greens, and give your tortoises the best diet possible at any time of year in any climate.
 

Maro2Bear

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ZEROPILOT

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I go right to the Mazuri home page and purchase it from there.

https://www.mazuri.com/reptile/tort...lView&cartID=&portalUser=&store=&cclcl=en_US#

$38.00 for 25 pounds. (Pretty good value really).

I just repackage my own in plastic closable containers & store it away. Seems to stay fresh - no complaints from the tort department!
That is a good price.
I pay $42 to $47.
But it's still a better deal then buying tiny bags. It's still a lot less than $2 a pound.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Here is another idea for anyone anywhere anytime, but especially good for anyone who depends on grocery store greens for all or part of the year. We had the big reptile show in Anaheim this last weekend and I got to see first hand all the different dried foods that Will @Kapidolo Farms is now offering. HOLY COW!!! He's got everything and the prices for the quantity you get are amazingly low. He and @Markw84 had a booth and were show casing Mark's excellent enclosures, Will's excellent food offerings and a bunch more cool stuff.

Will's dried foods come in big bags. You simply wet the grocery store greens with water, blended up cucumber, banana, or opuntia, then sprinkle in the dried stuff and mix it all in. He has dried nettle, mulberry leaves, clover, plantain, hibiscus, and so many more.

This is an excellent way to add fiber and variety to grocery store greens, or any other greens, and give your tortoises the best diet possible at any time of year in any climate.
There is a ton of want for stuff like that right here on this forum.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Yvonne G

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https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/kapidolo-farms-foods-diet-items-and-more.179043/

@Gijoux also worked the booth (Reptile Super Show) with super excellent started baby leopards, anyone who bought one should end up very happy to have such well started baby Leos. I also have a new best record for food sales for a single day based on the sales effort of Gijoux. Thanks so much.
So that was Jeanette in your video? And the kids sitting off to the side, were those her kids? What a good thing!
 

Gijoux

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https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/kapidolo-farms-foods-diet-items-and-more.179043/

@Gijoux also worked the booth (Reptile Super Show) with super excellent started baby leopards, anyone who bought one should end up very happy to have such well started baby Leos. I also have a new best record for food sales for a single day based on the sales effort of Gijoux. Thanks so much.
It was an amazing show!! It is quite easy to sell the Kapidolo Farms food items when you are as passionate as I am about excellent Organic nutrition for our Tortoises. I can't imagine not having these items available for my own creep. It was wonderful helping to educate the public about proper tortoise care. I had more than one person ask me how can my 3 1/2 month old baby Leopard Tortoise be larger than their 2 year old? Each time I would explain @Tom's method of care, I noticed small crowds of people gather to listen. I found it quite rewarding to educate the public like that and especially to see their faces light up when they spotted the Burmese Star baby Tortoises that @Markw84 brought to the show. As I have stated many times before @Tom's methods work! @Tom, it's time we write that book, people really want and need to know this information. I am so grateful for Will at Kapidolo Farms and @Markw84 for allowing me to share their space at the Reptile Super Show.
 

Gijoux

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So that was Jeanette in your video? And the kids sitting off to the side, were those her kids? What a good thing!
Those were three of my 12 Grandchildren. They had a blast at the Reptile Super Show. I'm just glad we didn't come home with a snake!
 

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