Wheat Germ?

[Rachael403]

This probably sounds like a stupid question, but I understand that wheat germ is something I need to add to my RES and Painted turtles diet a couple of times a week. Do you use regular store bought wheat germ or something else?

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

Where did you get that info. About wheat germ ?

 

[Rachael403]

For some reason I do not have permission to post? Let's see if this works.

 

[Rachael403]

Okay... Not sure why it didn't work the last couple of times.

I try to give a varied diet to my aquatic kids since they were only getting mealworms at their last home and got picky on what they would eat.

When I was looking up reviews on a couple of products, people were talking about adding a small amount of wheat germ to help keep the shell in good condition.

I thought with the turtle that had all the shell issues that there would be benefits to adding some.

I was able to find on a different forum people talking about it when I was researching this am. They used fish pellets that were only wheat germ once a week.

If you guys think it will be helpful, I will buy it but it's rather expensive the brand they were talking about. If I'm going overboard, which I am kind of famous for, then just tell me. I won't be offended. Lol

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

What's wrong with calcium for their shells and bones ?

 

[Rachael403]

They do get calcium and vitamins. I was considering this in addition to their varied diet.

 

[MPRC]

I know @Anthony P and @Markw84 have a lot of water turtle experience, maybe they can shed some light. I've never heard of this, but I'm a tortoise person.

 

[Markw84]

Wheat germ does seem to help turtles that have retained scutes start to shed more naturally. It is believed the vitamin E facilitates scute shedding and wheat germ is high in E. Personally, I have never added wheat germ specifically nor fed the high wheat germ based koi food. I do use the Mazuri aquatic turtle pellets and regular Mazuri Koi pellets as their staple diet. So they are getting what they need through those sources.

Not sure what age your turtles are, but young turtles will frequently not shed their first year or two depending upon species. So unless you are having a problem with a long term retained scute problem, I would simply go for a good quality pellet.

 

[KevinGG]

What's wrong with calcium for their shells and bones ?

Where did that come from? The OP didn't say anything was wrong with calcium.

 

[KevinGG]

For my adult sliders, I use ZooMeds Maintenance formula as a staple. I believe it is still the lowest protein pellet sold. And then I'll feed Hikari wheat germ a couple times a week. These two are really great pellets for turtles that become more herbivorous as they grow. So these would work well with your slider and painted if they are adults. Feeding healthy treats is totally fine and even beneficial, especially if you are feeding the correct staples.

As Mark said, Mazuri has some great foods. These are just the ones I prefer to use with adults, specifically because of the low protein content.

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

Where did that come from? The OP didn't say anything was wrong with calcium.

If you read the last sentence of the first post ! They ask about wheat germ or something else for shell ? If you read you'll get your answers.

 

[KevinGG]

If you read the last sentence of the first post ! They ask about wheat germ or something else for shell ? If you read you'll get your answers.

You said "What's wrong with calcium for their shells and bones?" The OP said she had heard wheat germ was good for their shells. Nothing about calcium being bad...

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

You said "What's wrong with calcium for their shells and bones?" The OP said she had heard wheat germ was good for their shells. Nothing about calcium being bad...

For some reason you want to argue ! So have a good day !

 

[Rachael403]

Wheat germ does seem to help turtles that have retained scutes start to shed more naturally. It is believed the vitamin E facilitates scute shedding and wheat germ is high in E. Personally, I have never added wheat germ specifically nor fed the high wheat germ based koi food. I do use the Mazuri aquatic turtle pellets and regular Mazuri Koi pellets as their staple diet. So they are getting what they need through those sources.

Not sure what age your turtles are, but young turtles will frequently not shed their first year or two depending upon species. So unless you are having a problem with a long term retained scute problem, I would simply go for a good quality pellet.

Thank you for the response. I will explain in a little more detail since I am on a computer and can "write a short book" without it taking forever. I have two rescued Painted turtles that I got about 2 weeks ago. One came in with a shed that had been a problem for the two previous owners. This happened for many different reasons. First, they did not have a UVA/UVB light on them. They did not have an underground heater. They were being kept in an area too small for their size, etc. So even though I took the kid with the shell problems to the vet and discovered that despite the care that it has been given for the last few years, he got a clean bill of health.

Since he has been in a proper setup, his shell has returned to normal. I do not have mazuri pellets, but I have ordered the aquatic turtle pellets so they will be here soon. I figured that the wheat germ may give him a boost. I haven't heard any ill effects to it, but I wanted to get some advice prior. I am unsure how old he is, but he is about 5-6 inches long.

 

[Anthony P]

Wheat Germ simply helps with shedding, especially in turtles with retained scutes. This is a tool used by many Graptemys keepers, as they are known to have difficulty shedding in captive environments. All that said, if a RES is having trouble shedding, there probably needs to be tweaks made to the enclosure to remedy the issue.

Wheat germ pellets are used by koi keepers, particularly with bringing them into or helping them out of hibernation... Can't remember which. But, you can buy these pellets at a fish store that has a pond fish section, usually. Or, just buy them online.

Don't use the flaky stuff from the grocery store...

 

[Rachael403]

I should have my mazuri here today, so I am going to start with that. I may buy it in the future just to add to their diet. Thank you so much for the information!