Homemade Calcium Carbonate Blocks

[jkingler]

One potential source of food grade calcium carbonate powder.
I read that a member named shells(sp?) used food grade limestone flour (a.k.a. mainly calcium carbonate) to mold calcium chew blocks for tortoises and had great results. Several in that thread mentioned being excited at the idea and breaking out the jello molds...

Just wondering if anyone's done it! Sounds fun, and I am about to get into it, since it seems potentially cheaper, certainly more interesting, and obviously wayyy more amusing than using cuttlebone.

My understanding is that you mix the powder with water, mold it, and then leave it in sunlight or bake it to let it set and harden. I also seem to recall reading that you should set it on a well oiled surface unless you want it to stick to whatever it is resting on...Is that about right?

If you've been doing this or if you've tried it, share your results, your favorite techniques, and cautionary tales/failure-born bits of wisdom, too!

 

[GBtortoises]

Nature's calcium block-Cuttlebone it's a good source of calcium, fairly cheap (especially in bulk), easy to obtain and use, no mess, no fuss. Great for adult and sub adult tortoises. Calcium carbonate powder is a bit more expensive comparatively but is good to use with hatchling, yearling and small tortoises. A Calcium block made from powder would either need a binder ingredient or to be completely saturated, formed and dried to hold it together. Why would you want to add cooking oil (release agent) to your tortoise's diet? When you consider the mess and time I don't think it's very, if any, less expensive, probably not compared to an equal quantity of cuttlebone. The only amusement might be to the person making them, the tortoise could care less!

 

[JoesMum]

Give that a piece of cuttlebone costs pennies from the pet store... it really isn't worth the hastle of chemically creating something that mother nature does perfectly well IMO

 

[coreyc]

I agreee with above posts cuttlebone is cheap no mees just drop it in and done

 

[yagyujubei]

I have been making my own blocks for over a year. I even put the "lick" up on a ramp, and they all use it at will. Mine eat huge amounts of calcium. I discontinued cuttle bones because only a few even used it and sparingly.

 

[jkingler]

Team "I'd rather not bother" -
Thanks for the replies, and I realllly respect your opinions as veteran tort owners, but let me try to communicate more clearly. Apparently my diction and rhetoric may have obscured my intent re: a few of the points to which you've responded. Apologies!

Why would you want to add cooking oil (release agent) to your tortoise's diet?

Good question. I wouldn't want to, honestly. I had read somewhere that that that was a step employed by some to reduce the frequency at which their molds bind to non-tortoise-food surfaces. I was seeking clarification on this point and wanted to hear how others had done their molds. I had thought to perhaps use a baking sheet, a silicon mold, parchment paper, etc. to obviate the use of oil, provided that doing so worked. I've never done this, though, so not sure that it does work--hence the thread.

When you consider the mess and time I don't think it's very, if any, less expensive, probably not compared to an equal quantity of cuttlebone.

Maybe I am missing something, but the powder seems cheaper: $11 for a 5lb bag of CaCO3, vs. $60 for a 5lb bag of cuttlebone. Are there even better deals on cuttlebone that I am missing? It also seems to me that, considering how the weight of the water-as-molding-agent is not even factoring into that 5lb figure, I may get considerably more than 5lb worth of CaCO3 molding (and water?!) into my tort's belly for just $11.

I am a penny pincher, and I love projects, so the value of my labor is not something I am considering, unlike you fine folks who one-and-done with cheap (as in great value, not bad!) cuttlebones.

The only amusement might be to the person making them, the tortoise could care less!

I must sound like a loon. Allow me to clarify again. I like to cook, I like to keep things interesting and new for myself (and my OH), and I am keen on aesthetics, so I meant that this process would amuse me and Laura--not Deedle. I personally like the idea of this miniature 'labor of love,' even if the labor, love, and aesthetic value of a heart shaped calcium vitamin supplement cum beak file is completely lost on my tortoise.

(Though of course I hold the small anthropomorphizing hope that Deedle will look at my pretty calcium mold and think "That looks cool. I'd like to eat that!" Haha. Just as I pretend that he is warming up to and learning to enjoy human contact more than he is being conditioned to associate human contact and attention with good eatin'...)

This, for me, would be fun (for me!), and if I could enjoy myself while making something nutritious, I'd genuinely like to do so. Thus, extra value for me via personal enjoyment.

Sorry if I poorly worded my post - and sorry for being an aesthete and a windbag.

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Team "I have!" (a.k.a. yagyujubei (btw, anime fan, or just into Japanese history? PM me, either way, as this is way off topic...)) -

I have been making my own blocks for over a year. I even put the "lick" up on a ramp, and they all use it at will. Mine eat huge amounts of calcium. I discontinued cuttle bones because only a few even used it and sparingly.

Awesome. What sort of molding process(es) do you use (i.e. do you just use water, where do you leave it to set, do you mold it into shapes)? Any tips, tricks, or notable failures that your imparted wisdom could help me avoid replicating? Haha.

 

[yagyujubei]

I use a plastic container for the mold - holds about a cup. Mix calcium with water to a barely pourable slurry and pour into mold. It shrinks a little when dry. I leave in mold about a week, and dry a bit more. At first, I was alarmed by how much they would eat, but no problems. I don't use any oil, when it drys, it won't stick. I glue it to a tile with a little calcium and water. It comes out like soft plaster of paris. My biggest yearling eats mouthful after mouthful.
Yagyu Jubei was a Tokugawa era samurai/ninja. I like the japanese samurai movies, and he was a favorite character - japanese tv too.

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I just now mixed a batch and poured into mold - elapsed time - 2 minutes.

 

[Yvonne G]

My method of calcium-into-tortoise is to have a very small dish of powder in the habitat. The babies walk through it and also eat it at will.

 

[yagyujubei]

I just remembered, after it's in the mold, excess water will rise to the top, and can be carefully poured off.

 

[Madkins007]

I'm kind of 'eh' about the blocks, but I do see a lot of possibilities. Wild torts do occasionally eat 'hardened' forms of calcium- snail shells, eggs, and even bones and doing so may well satisfy other needs besides just seeking calcium, like wearing their beaks and so on.

I have not tried any of this, but I got to thinking and wondered if you could...
- Add a bit of flavored gelatin or powdered drink mix to get some flavor and overcome the bitter taste for the tortoises that are reluctant to try it otherwise.
- Mix in some vitamins, most likely crushed human tablets.
- Mix in some 'flavor chunks', like dried fruits/veggie bits
- Bake it in a silicone mold, like a mini-muffin mold, so you combine the baking and release elements in one.
- Put a hole in it so you can hang it or secure it off the ground to keep it cleaner and to provide some enrichment to the tortoises.

 

[jkingler]

I, too, was wondering about mixing in vitamins. Mainly, I'd thought to mix some TNT into the CaCO3 to make slurry and then let it harden.

Also thought of 1) juicing carrot or dandelion greens or hibiscus flowers or prickly pear and then 2) pouring the juice and/or patting the moist pulp over the hardened final product to add color and make it more enticing.

But I think I will stick to plain and simple CaCO3 for my first attempt(s) and then modify my approach based on Deedle's (dis)interest. Thoughts?

I like the idea of binding the mold to a rock via water and Ca powder to make it into a salt lick. Also kind of interested to see how making a round, rolling ball or drilling a hole and hanging it up would play out.

(I'm way too excited over this whole thing...haha!)

 

[Sammy]

Sounds fun, please let us know the results and if your tortoise likes it : )

 

[GBtortoises]

If you're paying $60 for 5 lbs. of cuttlebone you are, pardon the pun, "getting boned".

I'm not sure the number of tortoises that you're talking about providing for, but I have about 70 adult tortoises as well as often anywhere from a dozen to 30+ babies. They all require constant feeding, watering, cleaning and other maintenance when I'm not at my full time job or working my part time business. So time is money in my world and in that world cuttlebone is cheaper, at almost any price. I also use powdered calcium for baby and young tortoises, so I do buy it also and I go through a lot it.

For someone who has one or a few tortoises I can see them having the time to make calcium blocks, but again, I still don't think it's worth the time, effort or mess to do so.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Give that a piece of cuttlebone costs pennies from the pet store... it really isn't worth the hastle of chemically creating something that mother nature does perfectly well IMO

I use store-bought cuttlebone, too, but it's not actually natural because people no longer sell real cuttle "bone" from real cuttlefish, which is not bone (calcium phosphate), but rather just the pen (calcium carbonate) from inside cuttlefish - animals related to octopus and squid, and not true bony fishes. The stuff we buy at the pet store is artificial and shaped like cuttlebone, but it's not real. Good thing, too, because that would be a lot of animals giving up their lives to produce a chew toy for parrots and turtles.

BTW - Speaking of real bone, I used to let my box turtles and redfoot tortoise gnaw on real leftover chicken bones every now and then. They're not going to crack it like a dog would, so it's safe. They just used to gnaw on it, wear their beaks down, and get a little more protein in their diet from the meat scraps. I wouldn't do this for more completely herbivorous tortoises species, though. For example, I do not do this for my Russians.

 

[shelledfriends]

Mark, some interesting thoughts there. Given that Zoomed's tortoise block contains cactus pieces etc I don't see why not but when you go that route you might need a good binding agent. Or maybe not. Let us know if you try.

jkingler, Joe ar carolinapetsupply used to make gel cubes using agar agar and TNT. If you tortoises like TNT they might be interested in something like that although the agar agar might not be good for them in a long run.

You could use deli cups as molds and if at all the calcium block sticks to the sides then just cut the deli cup and get to it. Just a thought and would have to try it out.

Well, looks like I might have a project for tomorrow

Michael

 

[jkingler]

If you're paying $60 for 5 lbs. of cuttlebone you are, pardon the pun, "getting boned".

Chilly chelonians, Batman, I'm sure glad I didn't pull a boner...

But seriously, if that is not a good price, what would 5lbs of cuttlebone usually sell for?

Also, 70 is way more than I would ever want. 2 is our current max number, but that may change in time. Not to 70, though. I would proooobably do cuttlebone in your situation, too.

Michael: Let me know how it turns out. About to buy that CaCO3 tomorrow...or the next day...so you may get to it before I do.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Chilly chelonians, Batman, I'm sure glad I didn't pull a boner...

Ha ha! That word must've appeared 20 times in that comic.

 

[Madkins007]

bulk cuttlebone-
- Amazon- 5lbs/$35=6- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OE1KO6/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
- NewEgg (really, the electronics store???)- 5lbs/$23
- ebay- 5lbs/$12- auction expired, though.

 

[jkingler]

Just bought one cuttlebone from Walmart. Also, just ordered the 5lb bag of CaCO3 (and the larger bag of TNT), so I will have several options in there and perhaps figure out which one(s) Deedle prefers. Looking forward to molding these things...

*latest idea is to mold Ca to resemble leaves on branches and use TNT to make it look and smell very green *

 

[yagyujubei]

I just finished a new block. Here's what I saw about 20 minutes later::

It was like a feeding frenzy. They have already knocked it over!