Feeding and Nutrition :: Freeze Dried foods, cuttlebones, and rasberries (Oh my!)

[BullDog]

I know frozen fish are a no-no, but what about the freeze dried foods (such as blood worms, brine shirp, krill etc.)? I used to feed them to my turt as a treat once and a while, but I want to make sure they can't cause problems like the frozen fish can.

Also, I've never used cuttlebone before, and was going to get some this weekend. Do I just "remove the hard backing" and put the whole thing in there, does it need to be anchored down, and does it need any special treatment before I put it in (such as rinsing or soaking it)? If it needs to be cut, how big? (Ralph is about 7 inches)

Finally, I didn't see anything about berries on the board... I gave Ralph some strawberry once, and he seemed to enjoy it. I was wondering about rasberries? Or might they be too acidic like tomatoes and the like?

Thanks for your help ^__^

[sonyj]

Occasional freeze dried treats are okay, but only as treats, not a staple. Too much protien can lead to health issues.

After removing the hard backing just break off a few bite size to head size peices of the cuttlebone and throw in the tank. The rest you can just keep in a baggy until you need to put more in.

I would think berries are along with the fruit. There shouldn't be a problem as long as it's not given too often.

[jenaero]

My res love strawberries and raspberries but they only get them once a month or so.

[BullDog]

Thanks for the tips I'll try some rasberries next time (I've got tons of them this year)

I got some cuttlebone for him today. He took a good long look at the pieces of floating white stuff and a couple "test-bites" before he actually put any in his mouth But I think he just likes the crunching noice they make when he breaks them, rather than actually eating them The 3 good size pieces I gave him turned rather quickly into 50 tiny pieces xD

[marisa]

When you say frozen fish are a no-no, what kind are you talking about?

[steve]

I think BullDog meant fish taken out of a freezer or previously frozen, which may contain thiaminase.

[marisa]

But some species of fish are known to contain thiaminase, others do not, which is why I was wondering what kind of fish Bulldog was talking about. I've read that freezing can increase thiaminase levels, but I would think that the thiaminase would have to be present to begin with...

I don't think occasionally frozen fish as part of the diet is necessarily a bad thing. If one were to do this, however, one needs to keep the diet balanced by feeding a food that contains thiamine in it. A good turtle pellet would do this.

[BullDog]

I've never actually fed him any fish, I had just read in a few places that any frozen fish can be harmful... I think I'll get him his first feeder fish this weekend though That should be exciting

[steve]

I looked a bit further into thiamine. They can be present in the viscera of frozen fish (as well as live fish and shellfish). There is a greater chance they are present when they are raw or uncooked. I'm not sure if freezing can increase thiaminase but cooking will definitely break down these enzymes. Overall, it's another good reason not to offer too much fish in a turtle diet. It's been at least a year since my turtles had any live fish

[marisa]

Thiamine is Vit. B1 (you want some of this in your turtle's diet). Thiaminase is an enzyme that is present in some fish (goldfish and minnows among them), but not in others. Thiaminase blocks/prevents the absorption of thiamine, therefore a diet high in foods containing the enzyme thiaminese will eventually cause health problems unless the diet is brought into balance.

Given a balanced diet, I don't think an occasional bit of fish that's been frozen will hurt a healthy turtle, especially if the diet has a source of thiamine in it as noted above. Some fish are healthier than others, though. Freezing for an appropriate length of time can also be effective in killing parasites.

I don't feed live fish mainly because turtles don't eat them that often in the wild. Also, I don't enjoy seeing an animal being torn up by another. I read that research has shown that fish are able to exhibit fear when caught and before being killed. I would prefer not to be a contributor to this kind of situation, but that's just my feeling.

[BullDog]

Can you feed too much cuttlebone? Because I'll put a head sized piece in Ralph's tank in the morning, and it'll be almost all gone by the afternoon... He seems to be particularly hungry recently, eating anything I'll put in there. I try not to give in to his begging, but sometimes he gets an extra couple pellets

[BullDog]

Also, I've read a couple things saying they need the basking area warmth to digest their food... I've always fed him in the evening, then turned the light out about 1/2 hour later. Should I try to feed him earlier, before his bedtime?

[sonyj]

Feeding him earlier in the day would be better for him. He'll have time to properly digest his food as well as get some exercise afterwards, which is also important. Early day or morning is the ideal time, but as long as you feed him early enough that he can still bask for a while and exercise then it should be fine.

[BullDog]

Ok, I will gradually move his feeding time up (I don't want to do it all at once, because he might freak out after having been fed late for 10 years ) And what about cuttle bone? Can you feed too much cuttlebone?

Thanks very much

[marisa]

I just leave a few head-size pieces floating in the tank and replace as necessary. My RES eats them when he feels like it, which isn't all the time. I don't think you really have to worry about him getting too much.