Feeding and Nutrition :: Cuttlebones

[steve]

Mine are pigs so I limit the amount of cuttlebone. I'm also suspecting there is some sodium in the cuttlebone which gets their interest. Cuttlebone also helps trim the beaks a little

[ScrollHappy]

I feed cuttle bones regularly. I never took off the hard backing. It doesn't seem to bother them, actually they seem to like it! I cut the cuttle bones in about 6 pieces. (Some pieces smaller when I had younger turtles.) I have 3 female RESs that I keep in a 300+ gal. pond with guppies and swordtails as feeder fish. I also have large comet goldfish and koi (4" up to 17") plus two 17" plecostomi. The guppies and swordtails have bred and bred and I now have a gazillion... really!

I do have a different feeding question... can I feed my sliders turnip greens?? I can't seem to find that anywhere. I had some given to me. People give me stuff all the time, and I basicly know what I can and cannot feed. However no one has ever given me turnip greens before! Thanks!

[steve]

I don't know what the hard backing is made of, but its not intended to be eaten. There's probably some sort of glue or adhesive residue on it was well. I'm not saying that they can't eat it... but they shouldn't.

Turnip greens are OK. Welcome to the forum.

[marisa]

The backing can be sharp and a there is a chance that it could get impacted or cut your turtle inside. It can also cut your turtle's mouth if he happens to bite on a sharp piece.

[chiuhui]

What is hard backing?
I don't know which part is hard backing.
a hard backing that needs to be picked off before put it in the tank.
I have pictures,could anyone point out it for me? Thank you!

[mkoby]

In the first picture is the side with the hard backing. If you break the cuttlebone you can see it better. It is a very thin layer.

[chiuhui]

Did I remove the hard backing already?

[kinetic]

Zoo Med offers this product for turtles...

Turtle Bone™

Turtle Bone™ is a natural floating source of calcium for all species of aquatic and terrestrial turtles and tortoises. Turtle Bone™ provides habitat enrichment and supplementary calcium on an “as needed” basis, and the rough edible surface helps prevent overgrown beaks as well as curb unwanted chewing behavior.



My turtles seem to really enjoy it, I just let it float in the water for them and they eat it at their own pace

[joyjoey85]

hi, sorry for my ignorance, but what does cattle-bone do for my little torties ? I think its quite rare to find them over here~and my torties are just 1.5inch, and from the picture the stuff looks hard, can they bite?

[missibsu]

It provides calcium for your turtle. Check in the bird section, it isn't really a turtle product.

[SpotsMama]

Cuttlebones are excellent sources of much-needed calcium (for the shells and bones) and also help keep a turtle's "beak" trim.

Those "turtle bones" are really just cuttlebones packaged to look like turtle products. They've got the same hard backing on them that needs to be removed.

Turtles do love them. Like kinetic said, you just leave it in the water and the turtle will snack on it when he/she feels like it.

[joyjoey85]

haha, i see shall try it someday, thanks for the reply

[ScrollHappy]

Ok, I've tried to pick off the hard backing...very time consuming! And I wind up with a lot of powder... HELP! I'm not doing something right! Is there an easier way to get this stuff off without a lot of waste?? What to do? What to do! I think my plecos eat the stuff too. They eat the shedded scuts...

[steve]

It's not easy. Some stores sell it without the backing, but those can hard to find. I use a butter knife... I still make a mess though

[N4784N R4613]

I mix the dust in with my pellets.