Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is my question; can you feed PTS seaweed or algae? Yes it sounds weird, but seaweed and algae have high nutritional value. I am not thinking of feeding actual seaweed or algae but dried and probably in powder form. Is this just a stupid idea? I know PTS would probably never eat either of these items but it's just it's great stuff. I just want some sort of feedback on this, good or bad, tell me I am nuts, anything. jrbl

I dont think you should worry about that because i dont think your baby will eat that!I have had my Leonardo for several months already and the only thing (besides Pothos, of course!) i could convince him to eat was melons, squash and bananas!

I did not really mean to put a bunch of seaweed in the food dish but sprinkled over the normal food in a powder form. I dont really think they would mind the powdered seaweed, but maybe I am wrong. Should I just stick to normal supplementation or maybe even feed them nutritionally sound food. Thanks, jrbl

I dont know but id rather not to do something different that can have bad results.Sometimes what is good and safe for us, mammals, cannot be safe for our reptile babies.Im VERY afraid of diarrhea for instance.If your baby eats the seaweed and gets a diarrhea for instance this can make it prone to get an infection.

clip *Should I just stick to normal supplementation
or maybe even feed them nutritionally sound food. Thanks, jrbl*

I think your last sentence answers your question nicely- yes: feed your PTS nutritionally sound food with normal supplementation. I doubt anyone here can answer your question adequately- (whether feeding powdered seaweed to a PTS would be benefical vs hurtful). You could contact a veterinary school and leave a message for a nutritionist to see whether they know of any studies pertaining to seaweed supplementation in any species of reptile. All I can say is I *think* seaweed as a supplement has high iodine and sodium chloride (salt)- not something I think PTS have a higher need for than the average reptile.

Reptical and reptivite are the powdered supplements I add to my PTS diet occasionally. I also really like Oxbow Critical Care as a supplement (you can get this from often from vets who see exotics such as rabbits/chinchillas or herbivorous reptiles). If you are feeding a good sound diet, supplements are less important- likely the animal can get what it needs directly from it's foodstuffs. If PTS is only eating bananas or some other inappropriate staple like evil iceberg lettuce- even the best supplements will probably not fill in the holes adequately. We try to aim for the best diet possible with supplements to fill in the little gaps 'just to make sure'.
Cheers, jess b