Calcium

[Tinytortmama]

Which calcium is best for a sulcata hatchling? Anyone willing to share a link? How much and how often?

 

[Tom]

I prefer RepCal. A little tiny pinch a couple of times per week is good for most situations.

 

[zovick]

Which calcium is best for a sulcata hatchling? Anyone willing to share a link? How much and how often?

Here is what I used successfully for 30 years or more:

Rep Cal Ultrafine Calcium with D3 for sale

1

www.lllreptile.com

And another vendor with a somewhat cheaper price:

Rep Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 Ultrafine Powder

Pet Mountain is a leading online pet supply retailer offering low prices and free shipping obsessed with making sure your pets are happy and healthy. Shop online for pet products at amazing prices and have them delivered to your door.

www.petmountain.com

 

[Tom]

Here is what I used successfully for 30 years or more:

Rep Cal Ultrafine Calcium with D3 for sale

1

www.lllreptile.com

And another vendor with a somewhat cheaper price:

Rep Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 Ultrafine Powder

Pet Mountain is a leading online pet supply retailer offering low prices and free shipping obsessed with making sure your pets are happy and healthy. Shop online for pet products at amazing prices and have them delivered to your door.

www.petmountain.com

Do you remover the ad in Reptiles Magazine with the South American tribesman holding the little jar? I can't find a pic of that on the internet. It must have been deemed politically incorrect or something...

I think we started using it around the same time.

 

[zovick]

Do you remover the ad in Reptiles Magazine with the South American tribesman holding the little jar? I can't find a pic of that on the internet. It must have been deemed politically incorrect or something...

I think we started using it around the same time.

I do recall seeing that ad, but could not tell you what year or years it was being run.

 

[Sarah2020]

Adding a cuttle fish bone (similar to what is provided to parrots etc..) into the enclose is also good. For months it is ignored and then you will find beak marks all over it.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

@Tom
@zovick
Do y'all use Calcium with D3 every time?
Or do you also use Calcium without?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Adding a cuttle fish bone (similar to what is provided to parrots etc..) into the enclose is also good. For months it is ignored and then you will find beak marks all over it.

Or the entire thing reduced to crumbles and dust.

 

[Tom]

@Tom
@zovick
Do y'all use Calcium with D3 every time?
Or do you also use Calcium without?

I always use the one with the one label and D3.

 

[zovick]

@Tom
@zovick
Do y'all use Calcium with D3 every time?
Or do you also use Calcium without?

I have always used Rep-Cal WITH the D3. For what it's worth, I also use Herpitivite which is made by the same outfit (Rep-Cal Research Labs).

And contrary to what others on the TFO may do or recommend, I used both of the above powders DAILY on all tortoise food items when my tortoises were being fed inside which is roughly from early October through early May in north GA.

I never had any problems doing this and was fairly successful at breeding many tortoise species, so I think it is fine to use both powders daily.

 

[Yvonne G]

It would be a good idea for all the newbies reading this thread for you to say just how much of the power you use.

For example, I just use a tiny pinch between thumb and index finger over the food.

 

[zovick]

It would be a good idea for all the newbies reading this thread for you to say just how much of the power you use.

For example, I just use a tiny pinch between thumb and index finger over the food.

I keep both powders in separate flour/sugar shakers (bought from Pampered Chef) and shake both powders liberally on all of the food items.

Here is a link to the exact shakers which I use:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GE9FVOG/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[lisalove]

I prefer RepCal. A little tiny pinch a couple of times per week is good for most situations.

Same for adults?

 

[Tom]

Same for adults?

Yes. Growing babies generally need more. Egg laying females need more. Fully grown adult males need less in general. With a good weedy, leafy diet tat is naturally rich in calcium, they arguably don't need any additional calcium at all.

Twice a week, in most cases, will ensure that the tortoise is getting enough, but not too much. There is a wide margin of error here. Some people use none at all, and other people use it every day. Both can have success. There are many variables to consider, but twice a week is a good, effective, safe, recommendation for the vast majority of tortoises.

 

[RandyTortoise]

I prefer RepCal. A little tiny pinch a couple of times per week is good for most situations.

Same for me. Reptical. Works good and I trust the quality.

 

[lisalove]

Yes. Growing babies generally need more. Egg laying females need more. Fully grown adult males need less in general. With a good weedy, leafy diet tat is naturally rich in calcium, they arguably don't need any additional calcium at all.

Twice a week, in most cases, will ensure that the tortoise is getting enough, but not too much. There is a wide margin of error here. Some people use none at all, and other people use it every day. Both can have success. There are many variables to consider, but twice a week is a good, effective, safe, recommendation for the vast majority of tortoises.

Thank you! She’s 16 years old and sometimes I still question if I’m doing it right. She mostly grazes, but also gets radicchio, lettuces and other leafy greens. Grape leaves in season. Mazuri 2 times a week along with a pinch of calcium.

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

I have used ground eggshells for twenty-five years They are free and I believe I know what's in them, think that's what tortoises eat in the wild

 

[Tom]

Thank you! She’s 16 years old and sometimes I still question if I’m doing it right. She mostly grazes, but also gets radicchio, lettuces and other leafy greens. Grape leaves in season. Mazuri 2 times a week along with a pinch of calcium.

Grazing and grape leaves are great. Also look for mulberry leaves at the same time the grape leaves are in season. Hibiscus and lavatera too, both leaves and flowers. Here in Southern CA in winter we also have tons and tons of good weeds during our rainy season. You shouldn't have to buy any tortoise foods this time of year. Look for mallow, sow thistle, prickly lettuce, bristly ox tongue, filaree, dandelions and many more.

If you don't have any, plant some spineless opuntia. Its great tortoise food, and the water content helps off set the dryness of hay for the species that eat hay.

Use the pinch of calcium with your grocery store greens. The Mazuri is "balanced" nutrition. When you add more calcium to the Mazuri, you are upsetting that balance. Its the grocery store greens that need the added calcium.

Are you sure she is female? Those are unusually large gulars for a female. If you are not sure, post pics of the tail and anal scutes and we can verify.

 

[lisalove]

Grazing and grape leaves are great. Also look for mulberry leaves at the same time the grape leaves are in season. Hibiscus and lavatera too, both leaves and flowers. Here in Southern CA in winter we also have tons and tons of good weeds during our rainy season. You shouldn't have to buy any tortoise foods this time of year. Look for mallow, sow thistle, prickly lettuce, bristly ox tongue, filaree, dandelions and many more.

If you don't have any, plant some spineless opuntia. Its great tortoise food, and the water content helps off set the dryness of hay for the species that eat hay.

Use the pinch of calcium with your grocery store greens. The Mazuri is "balanced" nutrition. When you add more calcium to the Mazuri, you are upsetting that balance. Its the grocery store greens that need the added calcium.

Are you sure she is female? Those are unusually large gulars for a female. If you are not sure, post pics of the tail and anal scutes and we can verify.

She does have many weeds including clover, dandelion and much more. I buy cactus pads online. Haven’t been able to grow one on the Oregon coast yet, but I won’t give up. I give her Timothy orchard hay and she’ll pick at it a little. I definitely miss my mulberry trees and I’ll look into getting one and planting more tort friendly weeds as well. Thank you.

Thank you for the calcium information. That’s great to know and I’ll change it up. I’ve noticed in the last year or so a little pyramiding which I don’t love.

I posted pictures years ago on here and was told by this forum that she was indeed a she. She was maybe about 4 then. So here are some new picks before and after her soak.
Her plastron has gotten much darker stained with dirt as our dirt is almost black naturally.
So…is she still a girl?

 

[Tom]

That is most definitely a female tail, but those also look like male gulars. I give more credence to the tail.