Advice on transitioning a 3 month old sulcata to grass.

edricivan

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Hi TF,

I was wondering if I could get some advice on improving my 3 month old's diet. I opened another thread on supplementation and I'm following through on Yvonne's advice. I currently have Repti Calcium w/ D3 and I'm going to buy Miner-All for outdoor (figured I wouldn't need the D3).

As for food, the person I bought Nicco from had him purely on Jute leaves http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=787

I don't have time to look for a consistent source of grass until the weekend, are there any vegetables I can feed him that's a better alternative to jute?

Lamb's lettuce was the only one I found on the tortoise table under the fruits and vegetables section that was "safe to feed", are these ok for sulcatas?

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=686

Bermuda is the most readily available grass here. I'm thinking of setting up a section of the garden to replant these. We have a garden that's well maintained but the problem is I have a lot of aquariums and I do my water changes on one end of the garden. I'm scared the nitrates and whatever additives in the aquarium water has seeped to the rest of the area.

Cheers
 

Levi the Leopard

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Where do you live?

My local grocery stores sell some ok foods to feed tortoises.
Red and green leaf lettuce
Spring mix
Argula
Dandelion greens
To name a few...

Better yet have you heard of Mazuri? I would cut up grass clippings and mix it into soft Mazuri. My babies ate it up wonderfully!

I personally limit feeding store bought greens and offer mostly grasses and local yard weeds. All pesticide free I might add.
 

Yvonne G

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you can cut it up into tiny pieces with scissors and mix it in with other greens, but usually tortoises don't start eating grass until they get to be about 3 years old.
 

edricivan

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Oct 10, 2015
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Where do you live?

My local grocery stores sell some ok foods to feed tortoises.
Red and green leaf lettuce
Spring mix
Argula
Dandelion greens
To name a few...

Better yet have you heard of Mazuri? I would cut up grass clippings and mix it into soft Mazuri. My babies ate it up wonderfully!

I personally limit feeding store bought greens and offer mostly grasses and local yard weeds. All pesticide free I might add.

I actually have not seen Mazuri sold here but I'll look them up. I'll be stopping by the grocery tomorrow to at least add some variety until I can get better options. I want to make sure the "neighbourhood supply" is pesticide free. I think I've contaminated mine with my tank water.
 

edricivan

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you can cut it up into tiny pieces with scissors and mix it in with other greens, but usually tortoises don't start eating grass until they get to be about 3 years old.

What do you normally feed the younglings?
 

Tom

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Here is a list of good foods for baby sulcatas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

To get them eating new foods, like grass, simply chop small amounts on top of your pile of greens. Most vegetables are not suitable as a large part of a tortoises diet and fruit is really not suitable at all.

Your aquarium water is full of natural fertilizer. This is a FANTASTIC way to grow tortoise food. I've been using aquarium water to irrigate my tortoise greens for years.
 

edricivan

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Here is a list of good foods for baby sulcatas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

To get them eating new foods, like grass, simply chop small amounts on top of your pile of greens. Most vegetables are not suitable as a large part of a tortoises diet and fruit is really not suitable at all.

Your aquarium water is full of natural fertilizer. This is a FANTASTIC way to grow tortoise food. I've been using aquarium water to irrigate my tortoise greens for years.

Hi Tom!

Do you use water conditioner like Seachem prime every water change? I'm not sure how long they stay in the water. I usually WC once per week and dose after each WC. Would this still be safe?

On a side note do you mind taking a look at my other thread? http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/nicco-tentative-name-is-home.130149/ I built the tank according to your specs, what's the best case scenario for his carapace?

Thanks!
 

Tom

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Do you use water conditioner like Seachem prime every water change? I'm not sure how long they stay in the water. I usually WC once per week and dose after each WC. Would this still be safe?

I use a big 55 gallon heavy duty trash can for my new water. I fill it with a hose and then circulate and heat it for 24 hours or more. I put the dechlor chemicals in it once it warms up to room temp after a few hours. This harms nothing for growing plants or for feeding those plants to tortoises.
 

edricivan

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Would my sulcata be fine on a diet of

1. carabao grass
2. bermuda grass
3. frog grass (Axonopus compressus)
4. wheatgrass?

I searched for a lot of the plants in our garden and most of them are either "do not feed" or "feed moderately", so I rather not risk it. The carpet is frog grass and I can plant bermuda and carabao grass for a steady supply. I'll also be buying those pots of organic wheat grass.

Would I need to supplement with miner-All with this diet?
 

AZSid

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I just bought 2 lbs of Mazuri, 3200 seeds of Testudo seed mix, and 3200 seeds of Grassland seed mix off of E-bay for under $30. Up until now, I've been mixing in the weedy grama grass growing in the yard. I just go out with a pair of scissors and cut the grass into about a half centimeter length and mix it in with ZooMed Grassland and a little bit of Arugula, Romaine, Endive, and Mulberry leaves. She eats the grass on default because I wet it down and it sticks to the foods she's really after.
 

edricivan

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I just bought 2 lbs of Mazuri, 3200 seeds of Testudo seed mix, and 3200 seeds of Grassland seed mix off of E-bay for under $30. Up until now, I've been mixing in the weedy grama grass growing in the yard. I just go out with a pair of scissors and cut the grass into about a half centimeter length and mix it in with ZooMed Grassland and a little bit of Arugula, Romaine, Endive, and Mulberry leaves. She eats the grass on default because I wet it down and it sticks to the foods she's really after.

It's hard for me to get the seed mixes where I am, so I might end up having to get "recommended" grasses individually. Which Mazuri did you get? I think they have different ones now.
 

AZSid

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Everything I've read about the Mazuri LS says the torts don't like it so I got the regular kind and just mushed it up with the rest of her food. Can you not order the seeds online and have them shipped to you?
 

edricivan

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Everything I've read about the Mazuri LS says the torts don't like it so I got the regular kind and just mushed it up with the rest of her food. Can you not order the seeds online and have them shipped to you?

Not hearing good things about people shipping in stuff right now, I'm gonna give it a try though.
 
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