Feeding and Nutrition :: Calcium

[joem1481]

What do you think of Jurasi Cal? SHould i use ot for my baby RES? He is about 2"

[jenaero]

Not familiar with that brand. I use Reptivite, Herptivite and RepCal

[joem1481]

do you think i should be using it for my baby RES. I feed him retomin baby which i think has calcium in it. I was just curious if at this age i should be giving him some mroe supplemental calium or not.

[marisa]

I answered your other post on this. It would be good for you to read it.

[joem1481]

yeah i saw that thanks it was very informative. I left a reply question if you can check it.

[vieniebebe]

Have you tried cuttlebone yet?It's really inexpansive.About $2,and has a rich supplement of calcium in it.

[joem1481]

yeah i put a peice in about the size of a dime. I dont think the turtle has taken a bit our yet it just sunk to the bottom. I guess i will keep it there fvor a while then put another peice in.

[Kayte257]

I have a baby RES that I just got a week ago. Do I need to be giving him calcium suppliments or do you think he gets enough from his food? How can you tell?

[cam722]

All turtles need calcium in addition to what is in their food in order to have healthy bones and shell. In order to absorb the calcium they must have a UVB light. Kayte: Do you have one of these? You can give them calcium by just letting pieces of cuttlebone (without the hard backing) float in the tank.

[RESCHIU]

All turtles need calcium in addition to what is in their food in order to have healthy bones and shell. In order to absorb the calcium they must have a UVB light. Kayte: Do you have one of these? You can give them calcium by just letting pieces of cuttlebone (without the hard backing) float in the tank.

I'm a bit confuse about how calcium in turtle works, if I give my turtle cuttlebone and that he eats it, does that mean the body absorbed calcium? or does he still need UVB light in order for him to obsorb the calcium from cuttlebone?

[cam722]

Yes, he needs the UVB light in order to metabolize the calicum.

Here is a section regarding UVB and Calcium I copied from the main website...

Sunlight and special UVB bulbs provide crucial UVB rays that are necessary for the production of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is required for the metabolization of dietary calcium and together will prevent illnesses such as Metabolic Bone Disease. RES of all ages need to bask, ingest calcium and receive their UVB.

Hopefully that helps.

[da sAUCE!]

Yea, eating cuttlebone will cause him to absorb the calcium, but what will his body do with it if he has no Vitamin D3?? Just like us humans, turtles need Vitamin D3 to utilize the calcium we take in. Hence, Vitamin D milk! How do turtle get Vitamin D3? UVB rays my good fellow.

[fric]

A sure way to get your turts some cuttlebone in their diet is to shave some of it off with a knife into a powder. Then use a cooked shrimp for example, and crush it into a small bowl. Cover the shrimp pur'ee, so to speak, with the powder and work it in to the point that what little water there is becomes milky looking. Another words saturating the shrimp with liquid cuttlebone. My guys love their shrimp and between the two them will scarf it down in minutes! ... fric

[marisa]

Merely eating cuttlebone does not mean it is absorbed into the system--without a good balance of Vit D3 (from the UVB rays and diet), and other nutritents it will go through the system unused. This is true of humans as well. Calcium is relatively difficult to absorb, and certain forms are better utilized than others by the body.

[RESCHIU]

Thanks I really learn a lot, now I know how important Vit. D is(UVB ray). I can't wait for the new UVB bulb to come in mail soon.

You are positive that exposing the turtle under UVB ray(10%) about 12 hours aday really is safe for them right?(does the time they spend underwater count too?)