Calcium Powder

[demo183]

Would it be okay if I took the Reptile calcium powder and mixed it with water in a spray bottle then sprayed my Russian's food instead of sprinkling the powder on? The powder tends to cling to my tort and makes a bit of a mess. If so how much water to powder ratio should i mix?

 

[jaizei]

Wouldn't this be easier?

 

[dmmj]

The question I have is will the powder go thru the spray bottle with the water?

 

[demo183]

To jaizei I will eventually get that, for now i got some free calcium powder with some of the equipment i bought (new tortoise owner), and dmmj I have no idea thats why I'm curious if anyones ever tried

 

[dmarcus]

I would be worried that the water would degrade the calcium powder as it sits in the water over time.

 

[tyler0912]

Im not sure but i scrape cuttlefish shavings in my torts
Waterbowl i read on this forum that it is good for them!

 

[Madkins007]

A few points-

Calcium is a mineral- it does not dissolve well in water, nor would it degrade. To be effectively used in a mister, you would need to use a very find grind and find something that will help it stay suspended in the water.

If the powder is making a mess, you are probably using too much. The dosages can be found at http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/nutguide.html. Most of the time you only need the equivalent of a big pinch a week- assuming a decent diet. Calcium is also pretty bitter- too much will disflavor the food.

They do make liquid calcium supplements, but the cost per serving and shelf life are a lot worse, and most seem to have other ingredients we may not want.

 

[terryo]

Sometimes I give Solo a bowl to play with.

 

[dmmj]

wow looks like someone has got a serious problem
it reminds me of the final scene in scarface

 

[terryo]

Isn't that funny? She loves it.

 

[Madkins007]

That is really funny!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Hey there, Mark. Looks like the link you posted to the nutrition guide at the Tortoise Library is broken.

 

[Madkins007]

I typed it long-hand. Here is the cut and pasted version: http://tortoiselibrary.com/nutguide.html

Hmmm, maybe I need to leave out the www. part- but it is a long ingrained habit!

 

[jaizei]

A few points-

Calcium is a mineral- it does not dissolve well in water, nor would it degrade. To be effectively used in a mister, you would need to use a very find grind and find something that will help it stay suspended in the water.

If the powder is making a mess, you are probably using too much. The dosages can be found at http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/nutguide.html. Most of the time you only need the equivalent of a big pinch a week- assuming a decent diet. Calcium is also pretty bitter- too much will disflavor the food.

They do make liquid calcium supplements, but the cost per serving and shelf life are a lot worse, and most seem to have other ingredients we may not want.

There's a period in the link at the end after html. http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/nutguide.html works fine