If you are not 100% comfortable using standard calcium carbonate, you can opt for a reptile specific kind found in most pet stores. It will cost more but removes any concerns or guess work. If you have concerns that your tortoise’s diet is limited, you can give them a weekly general mineral supplement if you want to. In addition to cuttlefish, tortoises also require a diet that includes a variety of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, and occasional protein sources such as insects or boiled eggs. This diverse diet ensures they receive all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support their growth and overall health. Basically, you cannot just sprinkle huge amounts of Vionate on the food to try and match the vitamin and mineral content of Nutrobal; you must adjust the proportion of calcium to keep your captive chelonians healthy.

Yes, even in the middle of a desert you will find plenty of snails, so no matter where the tortoise is from – there is likely to be a very easy to find source of calcium. In fact, snails are such a good source of calcium that tortoises are regularly seen scoffing them down in the wild.

Diet & Supplements

Apparently, insufficient calcium can make the tortoise’s immunity system collapse. As a result, the pet will suffer from unexpected diseases. Therefore, you have to ensure that the tortoise meals contain cuttlebones or other sources of calcium. 5. Prevent Beak Overgrowth However, it’s worth noting that not all these supplements are created equal and some of them can be problematic too. The most common of them all is calcium carbonate. In your home, that’s limescale and it gives water hardness. It’s considered to be good for human health though and it’s supposed to help protect your heart. It’s true that bone meal is an excellent source of calcium, unfortunately, it is also an excellent source of phosphorus. While you would increase their dietary intake of calcium by feeding the tortoise bone meal supplements – they wouldn’t be able to absorb it effectively. While uncommon in the Americas (as they aren’t found there), cuttlefish is quite common in the English Channel and many other coastal waters around the world.

While egg shells are full of calcium, they also contain hormones (which may not be good for reptiles), they might have antibiotic traces left in them and worse, they might introduce salmonella to your tortoises and they are especially prone to carrying salmonella in the first place.They may also give themselves a little extra calcium by eating some of the soil (or possibly, sand) when they are feeding. If the tortoise’s body signals that there is a calcium shortage going on – the tortoise will seek out a major source of calcium (this might be something like a discarded snail shell or a bone that has been fully bleached in the sun). Unfortunately, many home tortoise keepers seem to be unaware that their tortoises need a calcium rich diet and they feed their tortoises on fruit and salad. While these things are fine, in small quantities, they aren’t supposed to make up the main part of a tortoise’s diet. The more exotic species of Tortoise such as Leopard, Red/Yellow Foot, Indian Star, Sulcata etc will not hibernate through the cooler months so must be kept indoors with the correct heat and UV lighting available. Indoors So, the dietary approach almost always ends up with the tortoise being stuffed with “anti-nutrients” such as phytic acid or oxalic acid, instead.