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Will tortoises absorb powder calcium better than chewing up whole cuttlebones?
Calcium question
- Thread starter Sulcataman
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And how many cuttlebones a week?
Am I just wasting my time crushing cuttlebones in a pistle and mortar? Haha
Am I just wasting my time crushing cuttlebones in a pistle and mortar? Haha
The finer the calcium the easier it is absorbed. Cuttlebone crushes up nicely but I am unaware of any actual research as to whether one is better or worse than the other.
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Thanks. So how many whole cuttlebones should a 200lb sulcata living PA eat a week?
My sulcata is only about 12 pounds. I put a couple of pieces of cuttlebone in his pen and when I notice it is gone I put in some more. Sometimes it takes him a day to eat it and sometimes it sits for days untouched, then it disappears. He also eats a lot of cactus which is high in calcium so that may influence how much cuttlebone he eats. I have not seen a formula that equates body weight to calcium requirement. If I did I am not sure how I would apply it to find the right amount of a specific calcium source.
A 200lb tortoise should get roughly 1,000mg to 1,800mg (or 1 to 1.8grams) of calcium in the diet a day- total of the amounts in the diet and all supplements. This is based on a 2,000 Calorie diet. (The calcium load is determined by calories, but you can determine the caloric needs based on weight.)
https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/nutrition/guidelines-and-dosages
https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/nutrition/guidelines-and-dosages
See this article below..
One form of calcium supplement often sold in pet stores is known as “turtle blocksâ€. These are mostly made of Plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate hemi-hydrate) combined with calcium carbonate, often in a 50-50 combination. Plaster of Paris itself contains almost no useable calcium, and is merely used to adhere the block into shape. Weight-for-weight, therefore, “turtle blocks†contain 50% or less calcium carbonate, of which, in turn, only 40% may be bioavailable. There are also concerns over heavy metal contamination in gypsum, from which Plaster of Paris is derived. This is not a form of calcium supplementation that we therefore recommend.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/calcium.htm
One form of calcium supplement often sold in pet stores is known as “turtle blocksâ€. These are mostly made of Plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate hemi-hydrate) combined with calcium carbonate, often in a 50-50 combination. Plaster of Paris itself contains almost no useable calcium, and is merely used to adhere the block into shape. Weight-for-weight, therefore, “turtle blocks†contain 50% or less calcium carbonate, of which, in turn, only 40% may be bioavailable. There are also concerns over heavy metal contamination in gypsum, from which Plaster of Paris is derived. This is not a form of calcium supplementation that we therefore recommend.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/calcium.htm
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