mazuri?? diets? pyramiding?

[Kvoigt]

Do all leopard torts like this mazuri stuff?? i cant get Sonne to hardly sniff at it... and his former owner said the same.. whats in it? how good for them is it? how often n how much shld they eat? i plan on getting a hatchling in a few years after i learn up on them and get to know Sonne and the best way to care for them in my state... and what would a good stable diet be to help prevent more pyramiding that Sonne already has? and any info on other ways aside from diet change to prevent it getting any worse. how long should he b soaked for? he gets nightly soaks but not sure how long im supost to leave him??? (ive only had him for about 10 days and his diet has already changed from what it used to be but im just trying things out with him?)

 

[Amanda1]

Here's the product sheet for Mazuri that has all the dietary info:
http://www.mazuri.com/PDF/5M21-5E06.pdf
I've never used it myself but a lot of people do. You should only use it as a supplement to greens though not as the only thing you feed your tort.

You could also try Zoomed Grassland Tortoise Food:
http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=228&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=1
I know a lot of torts won't eat it, and that's why so many people use Mazuri, but my RT likes it just fine, so you could try it. I think it's pretty comparable to Mazuri and also should only be used as a supplement.

I don't have any experience with Leopards so I don't know what else to say about diet and pyramiding, but maybe this thread will answer some questions:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding-II-The-Leopards#axzz1dwJDkP8v

Good luck!

 

[Kvoigt]

Here's the product sheet for Mazuri that has all the dietary info:
http://www.mazuri.com/PDF/5M21-5E06.pdf
I've never used it myself but a lot of people do. You should only use it as a supplement to greens though not as the only thing you feed your tort.

You could also try Zoomed Grassland Tortoise Food:
http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=228&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=1
I know a lot of torts won't eat it, and that's why so many people use Mazuri, but my RT likes it just fine, so you could try it. I think it's pretty comparable to Mazuri and also should only be used as a supplement.

I don't have any experience with Leopards so I don't know what else to say about diet and pyramiding, but maybe this thread will answer some questions:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding-II-The-Leopards#axzz1dwJDkP8v

Good luck!

Thanks, yes i use the Zoo med Grassland stuff i was told he didnt like it but he does eat it for me. right on the jar it says to moisten and mix with greens he eats it that way just fine and not as a whole meal... TONS of digging to find info on how to properly care for him b4 i received him... still a bit of consern though as a new tort mommy

 

[Greg T]

Mazuri is a good food for them, but not all seem to like the taste. Mine happen to love it, so I feed it a few times a week with their greens. I tired the grassland food and mine wouldn't hardly touch it, but if yours eats it then great. They really needs the greens as the primary food, so stick with spring mix and leaf lettuces, then supplement with mazuri and other stuff like pumpkin, cantelope and other foods occasionally.

Pyramiding may or may not be associated with their diet, and many believe it is more based on calcium, sunlight and moisture. I feed mine greens and mazuri and give them plenty of sunlight, all in this Houston normal humidity of 50% or more usually and I have no additional pyramiding problems here.

Good luck, it sounds like you'll be well educated by the time you get a new one now.

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Pyramiding is in direct relationship with humidity. Tom keeps his leopard's in high humidity 80% at least and they are as smooth as they come. Very beautiful tortoises
You accomplish this by covering your enclosure and squirting it down with warm water everyday as often as needed and using a good substrate. Cyrpess mulch is good, peat moss, and coco coir
And having a warm humid hide that he sleeps in at night.
I would soak him in warm water for at least 30 min a day but thats just me

---

These are some really good care sheets that will tell you how to raise your leopard or any new leopard's you get very well.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/showthread.php?tid=31227
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

 

[Kvoigt]

Pyramiding is in direct relationship with humidity. Tom keeps his leopard's in high humidity 80% at least and they are as smooth as they come. Very beautiful tortoises
You accomplish this by covering your enclosure and squirting it down with warm water everyday as often as needed and using a good substrate. Cyrpess mulch is good, peat moss, and coco coir
And having a warm humid hide that he sleeps in at night.
I would soak him in warm water for at least 30 min a day but thats just me

---

These are some really good care sheets that will tell you how to raise your leopard or any new leopard's you get very well.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/showthread.php?tid=31227
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

---

He is on the coco coir i believe.. i threw the package away but i had to soak a huge brick for 30 mins to get what i have lol and cypress mulch on half, under his basking area.. he came with a half log that he was quite fond of... but i took it out and put in a wooden box and humidity is about 75% in there on a reg basis now (the last cple days).. outside the box... well i try but am failing to keep it up lol not sure what to put on top... i like to look at him.. n dont wana block the sun n dont have $$ to just go out n buy plexi glass... im buying a spray bottle tomarrow had to wait for payday and he gets nightly soakes 15-30 mins depends if he poos right away... i dont like him to just sit n it like that and dont wana run the water again (its loud n may wake my kids.. i do this while they r sleeping for a reason LOL 2 and 3 year olds!!!)... anything elce you guys think i could be doin is much apriciated! im hoping i can smooth him out a lil bit.. i know what is done cant be reversed but i can make it not get worse..

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Pyramiding is in direct relationship with humidity. Tom keeps his leopard's in high humidity 80% at least and they are as smooth as they come. Very beautiful tortoises
You accomplish this by covering your enclosure and squirting it down with warm water everyday as often as needed and using a good substrate. Cyrpess mulch is good, peat moss, and coco coir
And having a warm humid hide that he sleeps in at night.
I would soak him in warm water for at least 30 min a day but thats just me

---

These are some really good care sheets that will tell you how to raise your leopard or any new leopard's you get very well.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/showthread.php?tid=31227
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

---

He is on the coco coir i believe.. i threw the package away but i had to soak a huge brick for 30 mins to get what i have lol and cypress mulch on half, under his basking area.. he came with a half log that he was quite fond of... but i took it out and put in a wooden box and humidity is about 75% in there on a reg basis now (the last cple days).. outside the box... well i try but am failing to keep it up lol not sure what to put on top... i like to look at him.. n dont wana block the sun n dont have $$ to just go out n buy plexi glass... im buying a spray bottle tomarrow had to wait for payday and he gets nightly soakes 15-30 mins depends if he poos right away... i dont like him to just sit n it like that and dont wana run the water again (its loud n may wake my kids.. i do this while they r sleeping for a reason LOL 2 and 3 year olds!!!)... anything elce you guys think i could be doin is much apriciated! im hoping i can smooth him out a lil bit.. i know what is done cant be reversed but i can make it not get worse..

---

Everything sounds good keep trying to get that humidity really high cause thats the key, its really hard to do if you don't have a covered enclosure but I understand completely that you wanna be able to see the pretty guy. The hide box should be very humid at like 85% or 90% thats just my personal opinion, the hide box only works if he always sleeps in there so. If you ever see him sleeping somewhere other than his hide box just pick him up and place him in there, he will get the picture hopefully lol

 

[Neal]

Do all leopard torts like this mazuri stuff?? i cant get Sonne to hardly sniff at it... and his former owner said the same.. whats in it? how good for them is it? how often n how much shld they eat? i plan on getting a hatchling in a few years after i learn up on them and get to know Sonne and the best way to care for them in my state... and what would a good stable diet be to help prevent more pyramiding that Sonne already has? and any info on other ways aside from diet change to prevent it getting any worse. how long should he b soaked for? he gets nightly soaks but not sure how long im supost to leave him??? (ive only had him for about 10 days and his diet has already changed from what it used to be but im just trying things out with him?)

Not all of them like it. I usually give every tortoise a few pellets and let them eat their fill, then discard the rest. I don't use it by itself, I feed it about every other day.

I would soak him until he starts running around in the water. Mine will usually drink for a few minutes, then sit there for a few more, then try to get out. That's when I know they're done.

At his size, I think the best thing you can do to prevent further pyramiding is to soak him. Increasing the humidity isn't going to hurt him, but with that you are going to have to pay attention to your temperature a lot more.

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Do all leopard torts like this mazuri stuff?? i cant get Sonne to hardly sniff at it... and his former owner said the same.. whats in it? how good for them is it? how often n how much shld they eat? i plan on getting a hatchling in a few years after i learn up on them and get to know Sonne and the best way to care for them in my state... and what would a good stable diet be to help prevent more pyramiding that Sonne already has? and any info on other ways aside from diet change to prevent it getting any worse. how long should he b soaked for? he gets nightly soaks but not sure how long im supost to leave him??? (ive only had him for about 10 days and his diet has already changed from what it used to be but im just trying things out with him?)

You can try feeding zoo med grassland food , in a lot of ways its better than mazuri. You can read this forum I started to see why
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Gupta-and-Mazuri-and-Protein

 

[Kvoigt]

Do all leopard torts like this mazuri stuff?? i cant get Sonne to hardly sniff at it... and his former owner said the same.. whats in it? how good for them is it? how often n how much shld they eat? i plan on getting a hatchling in a few years after i learn up on them and get to know Sonne and the best way to care for them in my state... and what would a good stable diet be to help prevent more pyramiding that Sonne already has? and any info on other ways aside from diet change to prevent it getting any worse. how long should he b soaked for? he gets nightly soaks but not sure how long im supost to leave him??? (ive only had him for about 10 days and his diet has already changed from what it used to be but im just trying things out with him?)

he eats the zoo med grass land stuff mixed onto his greens.. and ans new growth in the 12 days that ive had him
You can try feeding zoo med grassland food , in a lot of ways its better than mazuri. You can read this forum I started to see why
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Gupta-and-Mazuri-and-Protein

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

If he is already eating and like the Grassland Zoo Med food then there is no need for Mazuri

 

[Kvoigt]

If he is already eating and like the Grassland Zoo Med food then there is no need for Mazuri

yep hes already eating that. im not sure how much hes suppost to have vs the lettus mix but he already has new growth and his poop lol (sorry its just a funny word) is not runny or black any more so i must be getting on the right track at least... and i have been spritzing him with fresh water every time i go in the room (5 or 6 times)and his hide stays between 70-85% humidity ... he spends most of the day in there but i have been noticing that hes starting to play games with me when hes eating and becoming more energetic last night he RAN to his plate comped down on a few pieces then went and ran in a circle back to the food took another bite n did it over again it was so cute to so him going fast LOL here is a pic from last night you can just see it in his face he was having a good time lol

the red tint is from his heat bulb we just got 8 inches of snow so had get that going

you can even see the new growth in the pic if you zoom in a bit thin lil white lines im sooo happy..