Feeding and Nutrition :: Cuttlebone

[happycamper]

My turtle doesn't like cuttlebone

He ignores it completely, which is strange for him. He usually investigates anything new in the tank...

Any suggestions?

[jwinters]

Have you tried cutting it into smaller pieces?

[happycamper]

Yeah... well kinda by accident. I broke one while I was trying to chip that backing stuff off of it, and thew a couple smaller pieces in. He didn't even give it a second glance

[freshprince2146]

Another way to get your turtles to intake that benificial calcium that they need is to calcium dust there pellets food etc. This is something i came up with myself

[happycamper]

Good idea!

[amylawton]

Does the calcium go into the water and get absorbed by them? Hope this isnt a silly question but im sure the petshop guy (who has been wrong before) told me this.

[happycamper]

Amy, I am not sure! I know on the package it says to remove it when it starts to disintegrate.

[marisa]

They probably do get some calcium when they drink the water, but not much.

Dusting pellets is often done for land turtles. With aquatics, it tends to wash off in the water.

A good way to get more calcium to stay on pellets is to moisten them and roll them in the powder (or put them in a bag with powder and shake it to coat them. Let them dry before feeding them to your turtle.

[happycamper]

Good advice Marisa

Could I just crush a cuttlebone into powder and use that?

[freshprince2146]

[quote="happycamper"

Could I just crush a cuttlebone into powder and use that?[/quote]

I never heard about crushing cuttlebone. I buy commercial reptile calcium.

http://www.pets-warehouse.com/Vpasp/sho ... ?id=298890

^^ pretty much like that.

[Listen97]

I also recall on this site about a jello treat that a member made. Using things like pellets, fruits, veggies, cuttlebone, etc. basically a full meal and everything they need in a floating cube.

duh I should have looked at the sticky http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17486

[marisa]

You could use cuttlebone powder. I keep some in a container in case I run out of calcium supplement. If you use commercial calcium supplement, buy the kind that doesn't contain phosphorus.

[happycamper]

Awesome, thanks guys

[V Lou]

Their "lips" are more like "beaks" and biting into the cuttlebone helps them keep their beaks filed down so they don't over grow. Like birds, I'd guess. So, making a powder out of cuttlebone would negate the filing action. Just something to consider.

[BiteyBits]

My turtles generally ignore their cuttlebone, but every now and then there's a bite missing from it. I just leave a piece in there all the time.