Mazuri and Calcium Supplement?

[_The_Beast_]

An acquaintance of mine is trying to transition their six month old Hermann to a more varied diet as they've only ever been fed mazuri. Amidst the hunger strikes this has resulted in, they're now rubbing mazuri into small chopped up amounts of new greens and weeds and starting to see good progress. Their question is: while the tortoise is still getting some mazuri every day, should they also be getting calcium powder sprinkled on the food or would this be too much calcium? She's concerned about potentially causing stones (tort is, to my knowledge, getting daily soaks and other husbandry stuff follows the forum guides with respect to humidity, lighting, substrate, etc.).

 

[wellington]

They could cut back on it. It's not needed as much with a proper diet as it is with a poor diet. Grocery greens is not considered a proper diet, but adding the mazuri makes it a bit better. If they ordered any foods that can be found online, like what Kapidolo Farms sells, then that would make grocery greens diet much better and powdered additives like calcium wouldn't be needed or needed a whole lot less than weekly.

 

[Tom]

An acquaintance of mine is trying to transition their six month old Hermann to a more varied diet as they've only ever been fed mazuri. Amidst the hunger strikes this has resulted in, they're now rubbing mazuri into small chopped up amounts of new greens and weeds and starting to see good progress. Their question is: while the tortoise is still getting some mazuri every day, should they also be getting calcium powder sprinkled on the food or would this be too much calcium? She's concerned about potentially causing stones (tort is, to my knowledge, getting daily soaks and other husbandry stuff follows the forum guides with respect to humidity, lighting, substrate, etc.).

Mazuri has all the calcium, and in the correct balance, that the tortoise needs. No need to add more.

Also, calcium does not cause stones. Those are caused by urates and dehydration. Urates are a by-product of protein digestion and they pass normally in a well hydrated tortoise. Urates collect and from stones when a tortoise is dehydrated.

 

[_The_Beast_]

Mazuri has all the calcium, and in the correct balance, that the tortoise needs. No need to add more.

Also, calcium does not cause stones. Those are caused by urates and dehydration. Urates are a by-product of protein digestion and they pass normally in a well hydrated tortoise. Urates collect and from stones when a tortoise is dehydrated.

Thank you! This is a really helpful explanation. I've passed along the information and encouraged them to join the forum as well.