Calcium question

Ok I have been reading but most of what I see is "add a pinch 2-3 times per week"....

What is a "pinch"? Exactly? I chose 600 mg calcium with D3 tablets that I am crushing and adding to meals.. So my question is do I use one whole tablet? Half tablet? Is 600 mg too much all together? I just want a healthy happy tortoise so any answer is appreciated!!

Your tort don't need any D3 if he gets outside for about 30-60 min a day. His body takes in UV light from the sun and makes its oun D-3 from the sun . Now a pinch is about a 10th of a teaspoon


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My thing is my tortoise is 4 yrs old but I just got him last week... Previous owner just used UVB light no outside time... And in the time I have had Timothy we have only had one dry day so not much outside time right now... So I guess a better question is do I even need calcium supplement? Also need to know about the 600 mg? Too much? Or ok?

I go along with 10th of a teaspoon. I always use the calcium w/D3 in the winter or when the animal is kept inside. If he gets sun then he doesn't need the D3. I personally would feed food high in calcium, cactus pads are really good for them and the darker greens like kale...

You can use uv lights from the pet store or on line and your tort can produce its own D3 I really don't like to use chemicals ( man made ) on my torts , and even on rainy or cloudy days the sun still has UV rays . But as far as calcium that's a big shell your tort is making it needs calcium to do that .


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I have been wondering if its possible for them to get TOO much calcium? I now give mine some about twice a week, but I also keep a cuttle bone in his indoor enclosure that I have never personally seen him nibble on. And from my understanding tortoises will eat some when they feel they are short on their calcium needs.
But I have seen in pet stores that they have "tortoise blocks" that have calcium AND cactus mixed in together. I know that cactus pads are high in calcium so it makes since to me that they'd be together, but I wonder if the cactus pads would make the calcium block taste better and therefore make a tortoise eat it as a snack and possibly get too much calcium?
I know that with people hypercalcemia can cause nausea/vomiting, constipation, muscle weakness/aches, confusion, and lethargy. I know I'm probably just thinking too much into it, but every time I go to the petstore and see it (which is often) I wonder if they can eat too much and what would happen if so.

It is possible to get too much supplemental D3, but excess calcium is just pee'd out.

Yvonne G said:

It is possible to get too much supplemental D3, but excess calcium is just pee'd out.

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I guess that makes sense, thanks