Ok so the deal is that everywhere online people are saying that their tortoises love the original Mazuri tortoise diet better than the Mazuri ls diet, so I decided to buy them both and test them out with my tortoise, she has been eating the zoomed forest tortoise diet her whole life, so i'm comparing the three to see which one she enjoys the most. To my surprise her favorite out of the three was the zoomed forest tortoise diet, then the ls diet, and her least favorite is the original Mazuri. She will eat the Mazuri tortoise diet if its moistened but I can tell she enjoys the zoomed diet a-lot more, she eats it faster and never leaves any left overs. She likes the ls diet but my issue with this diet is that it never gets soft, and it often sticks to the roof of my tort's mouth, but the formula is superior to the original and my tortoise does finish her plate every time. In conclusion if you want quality, the zoomed diet is the best by far, then mazuri ls, then the original mazuri at dead last. Keep in mind this is just my opinion, some tortoises are pickier than others, but I see that the ls diet gets such a bad rep on forums and I felt this needed to be said.
Mazuri vs Mazuri ls vs zoomed
- Thread starter Juan20669
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It would be really great to know which species you are feeding, perhaps the size, age as well.
FWIW The ZooMed products are measurable better than the Mazuri products. So you already won that in favor of your tortoise. No need to change.
FWIW The ZooMed products are measurable better than the Mazuri products. So you already won that in favor of your tortoise. No need to change.
I only keep the red foot tortoise you see in my profile, she is 8 years old, dnk her exact size or weight, but shes big and very active.
All tortoises eat what they are used to eating. If your tortoise doesn't know the Mazuri foods, it should be no surprise that it preferred the food that it does already know. It can take weeks or months to introduce new foods to any tortoise.
If you randomly selected 100 RF tortoises (Or any other species.) that all have never seen any of these three foods, and did a feeding trial, my experience using all three of these foods tells me that you'd see the opposite result. There is a definite aversion the ZooMed and a definite preference for the original Mazuri, when first introduced. Over time, once they are familiar with both, my tortoises eat all of both, but I do see more zeal for the Mazuri food in general. I've had two sulcatas that would eat some of the Mazuri, and then walk away from it, but all of my others eagerly feast on it until it is all gone.
LS gets a bad rap because people who have been feeding the original, or no Mazuri at all, plunk it down in front of their tortoise with no introduction, and they are dissapointed that their tortoise doesn't wolf it down like it does with its favorite foods that it has been eating for its whole life.
In my experience, tortoises in general, of all the species I work with, like the Zoo Med food the least, when it is first introduced. In time, with proper long term introduction techniques, I've been able to introduce the ZooMed foods into all of my tortoise's diets with no issue. Species I've done this with are both types of leopards, Burmese stars, radiata, Russians, sulcatas, and DTs. No tortoise of any age or species has refused any of the three foods mentioned with a proper introductory period, but I've seen a definite preference for the original Mazuri. I don't find the LS to be "superior" to the original except on paper.
I base these statements on more than 10 years of experience feeding these foods, and many more, to hundreds of hatchlings, and dozens of adults of the above listed species.
All three are good supplemental foods.
If you randomly selected 100 RF tortoises (Or any other species.) that all have never seen any of these three foods, and did a feeding trial, my experience using all three of these foods tells me that you'd see the opposite result. There is a definite aversion the ZooMed and a definite preference for the original Mazuri, when first introduced. Over time, once they are familiar with both, my tortoises eat all of both, but I do see more zeal for the Mazuri food in general. I've had two sulcatas that would eat some of the Mazuri, and then walk away from it, but all of my others eagerly feast on it until it is all gone.
LS gets a bad rap because people who have been feeding the original, or no Mazuri at all, plunk it down in front of their tortoise with no introduction, and they are dissapointed that their tortoise doesn't wolf it down like it does with its favorite foods that it has been eating for its whole life.
In my experience, tortoises in general, of all the species I work with, like the Zoo Med food the least, when it is first introduced. In time, with proper long term introduction techniques, I've been able to introduce the ZooMed foods into all of my tortoise's diets with no issue. Species I've done this with are both types of leopards, Burmese stars, radiata, Russians, sulcatas, and DTs. No tortoise of any age or species has refused any of the three foods mentioned with a proper introductory period, but I've seen a definite preference for the original Mazuri. I don't find the LS to be "superior" to the original except on paper.
I base these statements on more than 10 years of experience feeding these foods, and many more, to hundreds of hatchlings, and dozens of adults of the above listed species.
All three are good supplemental foods.
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Molasses. The key ingredient to Mazuri diets. Sugar, more addictive than heroine.
https://kapidolofarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/19Espenshade-TTPGwithNOTES.pdf. It's much to go through, but I posted the side by side ingredients on this presentation power point.
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Do you have, or have you seen any analysis that shows sugar content in a way comparable to to how food for human consumption is labeled. I've long thought there was a disconnect in the advice given on this forum re:sugar; no second thought is required when feeding Mazuri, "the results speak for themselves", but large swaths of vegetables are "do not feed" because of sugar content.
How would I introduce my tortoise to such foods I have some of each the ZooMed and Mazuri, but Franklin never liked either many different tries, Hes been here since 2012 and I’ve tried a few times, mixed into food, on the side in its own and nothing. He was a petco tortoise so I guess it makes sense, he’s never really had to eat Mazuri in the wild where he likely was from before he found his way to me. We have food shortages happening here and I don’t know if I will be able to get more greens when I run out, and in MA it’s not warm enough to raid my parents yard for greens (and I doubt I’ll successfully grow lettuce from seed inside)
If I knew this before I wouldn't have bought two 25 pound bags of mazuri, smh should I resell it?
Sometimes you get lucky and a tortoise just takes to a new food after seeing it a few times. Other times it takes weeks or months to get them on it. It took me nearly two months to get my herd of Russians eating greens with soaked ZooMed grassland pellets mixed in, but after that two months they would seek out the ZooMed parts first.
To introduce any new food, start with a tiny tiny amount mixed in with an old favorite. I'm talking less than a quarter of one pellet soaked and mixed in with the day's greens. Keep doing it day after day. When it seems like the tortoise is accepting this weird new smell, taste and texture and eating its full ration again, up the amount to half of one pellet.
They usually take to original Mazuri within a few days, but there are always exceptions that really don't care for it. ZooMed of the Mazuri LS will probably take longer, but only your tortoise will decide that.
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I would still use it. I have and do use it, when friends share some with me. It is not bad, but not as good as the ZooMed.
It also depends to some extent how much of it you use. I use moistened grass pellets of some sort at least five days a week, three to four include the ZM forest tortoise food, two to three use some other kind of grass pellet (which includes alfalfa - technically not a grass, but the only organic pellet I have found so far). I would use Mazuri the two or three times a week, and Grass pellets along with and alternating with it. ZooMed is close to a two-in-one pellet, more complete nutrition and gross fiber. The one thing that gripes me about the Mazuri is the added sugar.
For the life of me I can not find a reference I read while I worked at the Philly zoo. Some population of Leopard tortoises, had an individual that was diabetic. It was speculated this one took advantage of fallen fruit in an apricot orchard, from among the population. High sugar would seem to be a not-so-good thing for tortoises long term.
The fiber profile for the ZooMed pellets is much closer to plain grass pellets than the Mazuri, which by visual inspection, has not gross large particle fiber. This too is in the 2019 TTPG power point presentation.
Thanks for the wisdom. I’ll start with mazuri instead of the ZooMed option. Franklin is quite the stubborn Russian it’ll probably take quite some time. It was quite a hassle to convince him when I first got him to eat something other than tomato’s. (Which are still his favorite treat 8 years later) so I’m sure I can eventually convince him.
I got freeze dried cactus treats you soak to feed to give him for Christmas last year, and he took right to those, come to think of it I haven’t given him one of those for a long time now.
Thank you for sharing, that ppt has a-lot of useful info. I wont be buying mazuri products ever again, I will stick with the good ol zoomed pellets.
You can use his affinity for tomatoes to get him eating the other stuff. Snake keepers call the technique "scenting". Smoosh up a bit of tomato, and smear it all over whatever food you are trying to introduce.
I can see the difference in her stool as well, its a night and day difference. The zoomed pellets are far superior.
I prefer Zoo Med over Mazuri. I’ve found torts seem to like both. Both have vitamins and minerals with both having legions of supporters. Why my preference...the ingredients. The main ingredient in Zoo med is sun cured Timothy hay. Just soak the Zoo med and see what it looks like when it expands...it looks like little bits of hay. While I don’t claim to be an expert...but ground up hay, dandelion and other natural plant matter...gives me more confidence than a main ingredient of ground up soy bean hulls. Again...this is simply my personal view
I use a coffee grinder and grind up the ZooMed Grassland pellets into a powder. I then sprinkle it over their food around three times a week.
jeneliza
Well-Known Member
My spoiled , tort, she is a PetSmart, tortoises, isn't a fan of pellets, however I found if I wet it, and add crushed fruit to it she now will eat it, but she still prefers her greens to the pellets, I give it to her about 1-2 times a week,. Mixed in at first she refused the pellets and would only eat the food with out it on it, but she will try it now, still eats it at a slower rate but it's a start, I only added it to her diet to make sure she was getting all her needs meant, but she refused it for years, I found that her favorite fruits are just to good to pass up even with the pellets mixed in,
haydog_99
Active Member
Tom, how much Mazuri should I be feeding a 110 gram Leopard? I have been giving him one piece soaked in water per day. Does that sound about right? Thanks
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