Mazuri vs Zoo Med pellets?

[Nicole M]

When I adopted my Russian tortoise, I was given a container of Zoo Med grassland tortoise food. I'd currently trying to mix in some Mazuri LS with my tortoises food, but she doesn't really touch it. I've heard here on the forum that torts tend to prefer regular Mazuri to the LS--is this true? Moreover, has anyone tried the Zoo Med pellets, and if so, how would you compare them to the Mazuri diet (in terms of health benefits, tortoises liking them, etc)?

 

[Jodie]

I have not used LS. Most of mine like Mazuri pretty well. I also use grassland. I soak it, so it is mushy, and mix small amount into greens for Russians. They don't eat it willingly, but get some with the greens.
Grassland is a good way to add fiber. Mazuri has a lot of nutrients. In my opinion they are both good supplements in a varied diet.

 

[Nicole M]

I have not used LS. Most of mine like Mazuri pretty well. I also use grassland. I soak it, so it is mushy, and mix small amount into greens for Russians. They don't eat it willingly, but get some with the greens.
Grassland is a good way to add fiber. Mazuri has a lot of nutrients. In my opinion they are both good supplements in a varied diet.

When you give pellets, do you also chop up the greens so it all sticks together and they can't pick around it? I find that's the only way I've been able to get my tort to consume any. Unless I chop the greens up finely, the soaked Mazuri just doesn't stick, and my tort is able to avoid it.

I've also seen that Zoo Med has some "gourmet" pellets available for tortoises... Do you (or anyone else) have any experience serving that? I thought it might be good to mix that into the other pellet mash or serve it every once in a while just to keep everything varied. Compared to the Grassland and Mazuri LS mixes, it seems to have similar percentages of fiber, protein, etc., while still mixing up the ingredients...?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's very common for tortoises to not like the type "L.S." and the regular, old formula is getting harder to find, except in the big bags.
I purchase it 25 lbs at a time and feed my Redfoot with it at least once a week as the primary meal that day.
I have no experience with the Zoomed. Sorry. Just decades of good results with the Original Mazuri and bad results from the type L.S.

 

[Tom]

These are just two different products. I think both are good.

The ZooMed stuff is a good way to add some variety and fiber to grocery store greens. I just soak a pellet or two and then mix it all up with wet greens.

Mazuri is good stuff, but you are correct, most tortoises don't like the LS even though it looks good on paper. When I reed LS it would not get mushy or break apart and the pieces were much too large for smaller tortoise to eat whole. I ended up feeding it all out to my adult sulcatas, but they would only eat it if it was mixed in with the regular Mazuri.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

I've tried to get Zoo Med to sell the grassland pellets as a powder cause it's great for the people with 1-2 torts to gride the pellets in a coffee grinder and put the powder on their greens to suck up the extra moisture off the greens . And the greens will last longer . And the Zoo Med adds fiber like Tom says !

 

[Jodie]

When you give pellets, do you also chop up the greens so it all sticks together and they can't pick around it?

I chop stuff up, and mix it all together yes.

I've also seen that Zoo Med has some "gourmet" pellets available for tortoises... Do you (or anyone else) have any experience serving that?

I don't.

 

[Speedy-1]

I use Mazuri just because he was used to , and liked eating it. I soak the pellets and put a big pile of chopped and soaked hay on top. Speedy eats it like it is his last meal ! No leftovers on pellet day !

 

[BrianWI]

I use ZooMed, haven't tried Mazuri as I don't want 25lbs for my hatchling. When I first gave her a soaked pellet, she didn't eat it. I mixed greens into it, she ate it, and now will eat plain ZooMed pellets. She seems to learn new foods easily.