Cuttle bone?

[Mow'scaretaker]

Hi guys. I got another quick question! I saw a cuttle fish bone the other day at the pet store so I got it. Do I need to also give calcium supplement? He doesn't seem to be eating it (nibble here and there), but the box says it could take weeks for them to eat it, or just a couple of days.

Also, I saw another interesting thing at Petco. Calcium sand??? Would I be able to mix that up with some mulch, since they originate from calcium rich soil or would that also issues because its sand?

Thanks!
Trina

 

[Stazz]

From what I've heard, calcium sand is a no no - if the tort eats it, it causes impaction! Ouch.
But if you have a cuttle bone, and Mow is nibbling on it, you won't necessarily need to give him calcium supplement. Torts will nibble on it when they know the need calcium.

I have a cuttle bone for Tallula, been a few weeks now and haven't really seen her chomp on it, so I'm going to find a calcium supp just incase

 

[Mow'scaretaker]

Thats what I was wondering too! Some days I'll see him and his face is all dusty white, but I haven't seen that lately though. I can't find Calcium supp without D3 in it. Could I just make a powdery supp with the cuttle bone and put that on his food?

 

[tortoisenerd]

If it's a hatchling I'd also supplement calcium daily. The cuttlebone is just extra for them to eat when they feel they need it. For an older tort finished growing, it may be up to you to decide what you are comfortable with. They seem to like the cuttlebone especially when its been sitting around awhile so it loses the fishy smell. Sometimes you may see a nibble here and there, but don't be surprised someday if it disappears fast. Put the soft side up if there is still a hard backing on it.

I agree to not use calci sand. Play sand (for kids from a home improvement store) is the only one recommended, and only in small quantities mixed in with moist substrate, as it has large particles. The calci sand is also tasty to the tort, which encourages them to eat it!

---

You can either scrape the cuttlebone, find a reptile calcium supplement without D3 online, or the easiest option is to buy a human supplement called "Calcium Carbonate" at a health food or supplement store. Very cheap for a large bottle. I put mine in a salt shaker.

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Well is your tort eating it? If you aren't sure then you should still be feeding them a supplement.

 

[Mow'scaretaker]

He'll eat a bit here and there, but it just doesn't seem like he's having enough you know?

 

[Stazz]

Yeah so then either find a human calcium supplement (calcium only) or you can even scrape from the cuttle bone I do that too. It's not as concentrated as pure calcium carbonate, but its good.

 

[Mow'scaretaker]

Awesome! Thank you so much guys and gals!

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Remember calcium does not equal D3... so make sure you are taking that into account too. I combo my tort... I take her out when weather and time permits, I powder her food with some calcium-D3 vitamin powder every third meal, and i put cuttle bone in her enclosure. She doesn't eat cuttle bone very fast, so the powder is still a must for me.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

The theory is that when their instinct tells them they are low on calcium they will eat the cuttlebone. I keep cuttlebone in every enclosure, and I supplement with calcium w/D3 and TNT. I use the calcium daily and the TNT about 3 times a week. I also feed a wide variety of stuff hoping that a good diet has the vitamins that aren't in TNT

 

[Mow'scaretaker]

I thought that we were supposed to have cal without D3 because they get it from the protien in their diet?

 

[tortoisenerd]

I agree no D3.

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Well using a D3 supplement all depends on what you feed them and what type of tort they are

 

[Maggie Cummings]

And it also depends on whether they gets sun/UVB rays. I don't use UVB bulbs on some of my animals, so I supplement with calcium/D3. The ones that get regular sun/UVB rays don't get much D3. UVB rays manufacture D3 in the skin of our animals. If they don't get D3 from UVB then they get synthetic D3. The body uses it the same whether it's synthetic or from the bulbs. At least that's what I believe and I raise healthy animals. However, I don't recommend that to a new keeper because it is not just something I started doing. I worked up to it...I know my animals, I know the amount of D3 to use, yet I can't tell someone else how much D3 to use. It's instinct I think.

 

[Stazz]

I haven't put up Tallula's light yet, she only gets sun on the wknds, which she loves.....so I should in turn get her a calcium supp with d3 then? Until I put up her light! (The stores where I can find the light fixture are faaaaaaaaar away!)

 

[Mow'scaretaker]

He gets sun regularly. I went to the store yesterday and bought pure calcium. So we're good now.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I agree no S3 with regular UVB. Only on the weekend might be borderline. I'm actually not sure about that one! If you are getting the light soon I wouldn't bother though as it's more of a long-term thing and she is not completely "deprived".

 

[Stazz]

Ok thanks a bunch Kate. Now thats its Summer and way too hot, she isn't outside for the whole day anymore on wknds though, only for an hour or 3, depending on how hot!
I have got to get her light sorted! I'm shocking. But just never any time ! Maybe this wknd ! Lets hold thumbs!

 

[Madkins007]

My nickels worth...

Cuttlebone- No down side, other than the cost and not all of the torts go for it. Some torts ignore it for a long time, then chow own on it.

Calcium sand- There are a lot of conflicting reports on this. It seems to cause compaction in some reptiles, although a lot of reports I trust think the problem is not the sand but low hydration. After all, wild Red-foot feces often contain lots of sand and other clumping materials in it.

One author, Paull ("The Great Red-foot Tortoise"), even suggests using calcium sand as a sort of feeding spot- it is easy to clean up, and the sand that clings to the food adds to the calcium levels. Paull seems to have a lot of success, but he is also in Florida- high humidity, good hydration.

I prefer plain calcium supplement. The stuff TurtleTary recommends, NOW brand Calcium Carbonate Powder, is available at most health food stores, costs about 1/2 the pet shop stuff, and is clean enough for human use.

 

[Mow'scaretaker]

Thanks Madkins. Your always so helpful! Thank you everyone else too!