Calcium need

[TheCobbler]

So i got Momo cuttle bone a few months back. He munched on it and ate about 1/4 of it within the first two weeks. But now he hasn't eaten any at all. It's been around 3 months without him consuming any cuttlebone. Is this because he just doesn't need it or should i start sprinkling calcium on his treats?

 

[dmarcus]

He may just not like it any more, do you feed him cactus and if you do he may not need any calcium, other wise it doesn't hurt if you wanna sprinkle a little on his food or treats...

 

[DeanS]

D'marcus is right on, here! If you're feeding cactus, you don't need any calcium supplements...unless your torts are indoors full-time! The they would need a calcium supplement w/ D3. Other than that, cactus will do the trick...you can also bust up the cuttlebone.

 

[Tom]

This is very debatable. Some keepers use no supplemental calcium and rely on diet alone. Others keepers sprinkle it on the food every day. Both groups raise healthy torts.

In my opinion, any of the giants should really get some regular calcium supplementation. I sprinkle the food for mine with calcium two or three times a week. I figure its better to give them more than they need and let them excrete any excess, rather than have them come up short.

I mean think about how much calcium must be assimilated to go from 32 grams to 150 pounds.

Mine never touch the cuttlebone either. It might be because their calcium needs are met by my sprinkling the food so often, and they just don't crave it.

 

[Livingstone]

Whats your diet? many plants are calcium rich, and negate the need for calcium supplements.

Also, combining a calcium source like a cuttle bone, and feeding something like spinach will cause you to have serious calcium stone problems.

You need to look at calcium as part of a balanced strategy. If you are going to supplement, make sure you understand what type of greens you are feeding. If you feed greens that have oxalic acid which prevent calcium absorbtion, the animal is going to be seeking out calcium in an attempt to increase its intake. The problem is the majority of that calcium will never be absorbed because the oxalic acid will bind it up and prevent absorbtion. So before we get into whether you should use a supplement we need to know what your diet is. Otherwise our advise may cause more harm than good.

If you are interested in understanding your diet please read this:
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm

Whether you sprinkle calcium on the food or provide a cuttlebone, the diet must be good for it be absorbed properly.

 

[TheCobbler]

Hi guys. Thanks for the info. I do not feed Momo cactus. His diet is mostly just free grazing in the backyard. I offer him Mazuri every day and he eats about 4-6 bites and stomps on the rest. I don't think he likes it too much. I also give him romaine lettuce once a week. I think I'm going to get some cactus for him to eat and sprinkle some calcium once a week.

 

[DeanS]

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