Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What type of calcium and vitamins do you use for your adult tortoises? Also, how often?

I use TNT (total nutrition for tortoises) as a vitamin supplement 2-3 a week. It's all natural. You can find it at Carolina Pet Supply. I also put a cuttlebone in the pen. My adult munches on it often. Tank's shell is as hard as a rock.
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Julia
Sulcatas Echo and Tank

I use TNT, Nutrobal, and limestone flour for my horsfield.

Hi, why do you use nutrobal as well?
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Julia
Sulcatas Echo and Tank

Well, the limestone flour is just calcium, and Nutrobal has the extra vitamins in it. I just alternate the Nutrobal with the TNT (which is just dried flowers and leaves) for variety, and because I know that Nutrobal will give him the D3 that he needs, in the absence of natural sunlight at this time of year.

Nina

How many times a week do you give the nutrobal? Do you have a UVb bulb? If you have one won't it stimulate natural D3 production?
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Julia
Sulcatas Echo and Tank

Hi Julia,
I give a pinch of Nutrobal two or three times a week. I do have a UVB bulb (I use a Reptisun 10.0), but although it's the best of the tubes, it doesn't give off as much UVB as the mercury vapour bulbs. Also, he is outside for much of the summer, but our UVB levels in the UK are lower than in some other parts of the world (have a look at the readings for Wales in the link to charts below), so I like to still supplement with Nutrobal (but in the summer I do it less).
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm

Nina

Thanks for all the info Nina. I appreciate you getting back me to. Just out of curiosity what kind of torts do you have?
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Julia
Sulcatas Echo and Tank

Hi Julia,

Horsfield. I also had a little ibera, but he went missing from his outdoor enclosure last September, and I'm still holding out some hope that he dug down and will reappear when the soil temperature rises.

Nina

I just realized, OOOOHHHHH Crap... You have Sulcatas in the UK??????? Won't that get you banned from the brotherhood????

Ed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tortoise_Keepers/
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care.

>>Hi Julia,
>>I give a pinch of Nutrobal two or three times a week. I do have a UVB bulb (I use a Reptisun 10.0), but although it's the best of the tubes, it doesn't give off as much UVB as the mercury vapour bulbs. Also, he is outside for much of the summer, but our UVB levels in the UK are lower than in some other parts of the world (have a look at the readings for Wales in the link to charts below), so I like to still supplement with Nutrobal (but in the summer I do it less).
>>http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm
>>
>>Nina
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Now you wouldn't be trying to stir it up again, Ed, would you?

Nina

Me??????? No way.

Ed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tortoise_Keepers/
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Whew! That's what I thought (I would have been sooo out of character). <g>

Nina

By the way, have you seen this picture?
Nina
P.S. We don't keep these in England -- they need way too much UVB <g>
http://www.newt.com/wohler/events/galapagos-2004/santa-cruz/tortoise-lori-big.jpg