Help: tries to eat white stuff

[Madkathq]

Hello I have two hatchlings in separate enclosures. Only one is having this issue. During his supervised outside time he tries to eat white rocks/dead weeds and runs towards white stuff. Could this be a fiber issue? Lack of calcium?

I give calcium supplement once a week. Tank is kept 80-100 degrees with basking at 100, ambient ranging from 80-90. Humidity his about 70% during day with basking on, 80% at night with it off. Daily outside time with a diet of filaree, germanium, and dandelion. Daily soaks 1-3 times. Has a bright white cuttlebone in the tank.

Both are treated the same and only one has this problem.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My Redfoot eat rocks sometimes when they don't have access to CUTTLEBONE.
Its usually caused by a mineral deficiency.

 

[Madkathq]

My Redfoot eat rocks sometimes when they don't have access to CUTTLEBONE.
Its usually caused by a mineral deficiency.

Hmmm.... Little one does have cuttlebone right now. But I'm waiting to order the mineral supplement when I have the cash. Hopefully that's all I need.

 

[MichaelL]

Agreed. It is probably lack of calcium or mineral deficiency. Add a cuttlebone to the enclosure if you don't have one, or just use washed egg shells. My russians prefer the eggshells over a cuttlebone.

 

[Madkathq]

Agreed. It is probably lack of calcium or mineral deficiency. Add a cuttlebone to the enclosure if you don't have one, or just use washed egg shells. My russians prefer the eggshells over a cuttlebone.

Ooh, I will be saving my eggshells now. Does it matter if they are brown or white? I do have cuttlebone, maybe they would prefer shells.

 

[MichaelL]

Ooh, I will be saving my eggshells now. Does it matter if they are brown or white? I do have cuttlebone, maybe they would prefer shells.

It doesn't matter white or brown, my russians don't seem to have a preference. But yeah, they seem to like it more than a cuttlebone.

 

[Tom]

Hello I have two hatchlings in separate enclosures. Only one is having this issue. During his supervised outside time he tries to eat white rocks/dead weeds and runs towards white stuff. Could this be a fiber issue? Lack of calcium?

I give calcium supplement once a week. Tank is kept 80-100 degrees with basking at 100, ambient ranging from 80-90. Humidity his about 70% during day with basking on, 80% at night with it off. Daily outside time with a diet of filaree, germanium, and dandelion. Daily soaks 1-3 times. Has a bright white cuttlebone in the tank.

Both are treated the same and only one has this problem.

All of your parameters sound good.

How long have you had them, and what were they fed before you got them?

 

[Madkathq]

All of your parameters sound good.

How long have you had them, and what were they fed before you got them?

Personally had them about 3 weeks, before that my boyfriend had them for 2 weeks, and they were less than a month when he got them. They were not in proper conditions until I got them, and they were eating grocery store foods.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You can grate cuttlebone with a cheese grater and serve it as a powder mixed in with the food.

 

[Tom]

Personally had them about 3 weeks, before that my boyfriend had them for 2 weeks, and they were less than a month when he got them. They were not in proper conditions until I got them, and they were eating grocery store foods.

This is most likely dietary. They weren't on the best foods originally, and that could be holding over a bit. You mentioned 3 good foods, but. lot more variety than that is needed. Look for many others. You should have tons of mallow out that way right now, sow thistle and other dandelion types too. Diet also needs some grass. Read this one for more food ideas: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Adding some variety and grass, and also using the MinerAll should clear this up.

 

[Madkathq]

This is most likely dietary. They weren't on the best foods originally, and that could be holding over a bit. You mentioned 3 good foods, but. lot more variety than that is needed. Look for many others. You should have tons of mallow out that way right now, sow thistle and other dandelion types too. Diet also needs some grass. Read this one for more food ideas: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Adding some variety and grass, and also using the MinerAll should clear this up.

I got a Sulcata tortoise seed mix you suggested, does that have enough variety? I plan on planting it tomorrow. I've also been growing pet grass and will repot it soon for them. They don't seem to like it very much.

 

[Tom]

I got a Sulcata tortoise seed mix you suggested, does that have enough variety? I plan on planting it tomorrow. I've also been growing pet grass and will repot it soon for them. They don't seem to like it very much.

Tortoises are creatures of habit. They eat what they've eaten before. New foods, no matter how good they are, are not recognized or accepted as food. It takes time to introduce the new stuff. I use very small amounts of the new stuff chopped and mix in with the old favorites. Over time, up the ratio of new to old as the tortoise accepts the new stuff.

There are some great sed mixes out there, but I don't think any seed mix, or multiple seed mixes are enough. They need lots of different tings to eat. You will have mulberry trees and grape vines near you too. So many different types of weeds, clovers, and flowers. You can buy opuntia in the Mexican grocery stores, or grow it yourself in pots or in the ground. Finding, buying, or growing the food for your tortoise is one of the greatest challenges of tortoise keeping. Try to find lots and lots of different things.

 

[Madkathq]

Tortoises are creatures of habit. They eat what they've eaten before. New foods, no matter how good they are, are not recognized or accepted as food. It takes time to introduce the new stuff. I use very small amounts of the new stuff chopped and mix in with the old favorites. Over time, up the ratio of new to old as the tortoise accepts the new stuff.

There are some great sed mixes out there, but I don't think any seed mix, or multiple seed mixes are enough. They need lots of different tings to eat. You will have mulberry trees and grape vines near you too. So many different types of weeds, clovers, and flowers. You can buy opuntia in the Mexican grocery stores, or grow it yourself in pots or in the ground. Finding, buying, or growing the food for your tortoise is one of the greatest challenges of tortoise keeping. Try to find lots and lots of different things.

Is there a plant ID section in this forum so I don't poison them accidentally? I know they can't eat periwinkle but that's all I know.

 

[Tom]

Is there a plant ID section in this forum so I don't poison them accidentally? I know they can't eat periwinkle but that's all I know.

Yes there is. There are also a couple of good plant ID apps, and my favorite route is to take samples to my local garden center and make friends with the local plant nerd. There is always at least one at the local nursery that knows all the local plants and weeds and everything about them.

Good luck in your quest for knowledge!