Hello I read on another site I should be dusting Trucks food everyday instead of every couple of days which is what I read online too so I'm a bit confused now.
I'm using Advanced Nutrical for Truck , is this acceptable or should I be using Nutribol? Do I need a separate calcium supplement too?
Thanks
Which supplement
Re: Which supplement
Hiya Amanda
I hope you don’t mind me asking you to wait for Nina for a more detailed answer than this but I will leave you with our mineral and supplements article for now as that might help.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... pplements/
Lin
I hope you don’t mind me asking you to wait for Nina for a more detailed answer than this but I will leave you with our mineral and supplements article for now as that might help.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... pplements/
Lin
Re: Which supplement
Hi Anandita,
I wasn't familiar with Advanced Nutrical, but I've just looked it up and seen the ingredients, and I think it is probably fine. I see the amount to give is 1g per kilo of animal, so because Truck is only 10 months old and won't weigh anywhere near a kilo, that would be just a tiny pinch. The dosage for Nutrobal is 1 pinch per kilo of tortoise. It is possible to overdose on Nutrobal (and maybe on Advanced Nutrical as well), although you would have to give a lot. I couldn't see on the photo of the packaging how often it says to give the Advanced Nutrical -- could you tell me what that is?
I think I would give the the Advanced Nutrocal in the recommended dose two or three days a week, and on the days when you aren't using Nutrocal then I would liberally dust with pure calcium carbonate (so that is just calcium without the vitamins and minerals). You can buy it in the form of limestone flour at animal feed places, or pure food grade calcium carbonate on the internet, or you can even use your fingernail to scratch off a powder from a cuttlefish bone, and dust the food with that. This would mean that Truck had the D3 and vitamins a couple of times a week in the Advanced Nutrical, but had extra calcium on other days, and as a growing tortoise he needs a lot of calcium to support all of that growing bone and shell. Also ensure that your UVB light is a good one and is changed every 18 months or so, to ensure it is stil effective.
Does that sound reasonable?
Nina
I wasn't familiar with Advanced Nutrical, but I've just looked it up and seen the ingredients, and I think it is probably fine. I see the amount to give is 1g per kilo of animal, so because Truck is only 10 months old and won't weigh anywhere near a kilo, that would be just a tiny pinch. The dosage for Nutrobal is 1 pinch per kilo of tortoise. It is possible to overdose on Nutrobal (and maybe on Advanced Nutrical as well), although you would have to give a lot. I couldn't see on the photo of the packaging how often it says to give the Advanced Nutrical -- could you tell me what that is?
I think I would give the the Advanced Nutrocal in the recommended dose two or three days a week, and on the days when you aren't using Nutrocal then I would liberally dust with pure calcium carbonate (so that is just calcium without the vitamins and minerals). You can buy it in the form of limestone flour at animal feed places, or pure food grade calcium carbonate on the internet, or you can even use your fingernail to scratch off a powder from a cuttlefish bone, and dust the food with that. This would mean that Truck had the D3 and vitamins a couple of times a week in the Advanced Nutrical, but had extra calcium on other days, and as a growing tortoise he needs a lot of calcium to support all of that growing bone and shell. Also ensure that your UVB light is a good one and is changed every 18 months or so, to ensure it is stil effective.
Does that sound reasonable?
Nina
Re: Which supplement
Thank you lin and Nina I'll do that then. Truck loves cuttlefish, I break it into 3, he devours it in a couple of days lol 
Could I also just ask about buying edible plants from the garden centre, am I right i should repor them before feeding any? I've bought a couple of Hisbicus and a few others, Although there's no flowers on them yet
Thanks
Could I also just ask about buying edible plants from the garden centre, am I right i should repor them before feeding any? I've bought a couple of Hisbicus and a few others, Although there's no flowers on them yet
Thanks
Re: Which supplement
It's a good question. When buying plants from a garden centre the main concern is whether they have been sprayed with insecticides (tortoises are incredibly sensitive to pesticides and insecticides), and to a lesser extent to high levels of fertilizer in the soil.
So the general rule is that unless you can absolutely rule out the fact that they have been sprayed (and most garden centres buy their plants in and so don't actually know if they have been sprayed) then you shouldn't feed any of the existing leaves or flowers on the plant, but wait for a bit of growth and only feed new leaves and flowers. So if your hibiscus has no flowers now, then when flowers appear you will be able to feed them.
We also suggest repotting, although this isn't quite as important because even if there is a high level of fertilizer in the pot, the plant will use it up fairly quickly. Presumably you are going to plant the hibiscus in the ground (they can get big), so that is fine, but if you are going to continue to grow it in a pot, you could change the soil to something like John Innes no. 1 or garden soil, but the main thing is not to feed plant material that has been sprayed.
Nina
So the general rule is that unless you can absolutely rule out the fact that they have been sprayed (and most garden centres buy their plants in and so don't actually know if they have been sprayed) then you shouldn't feed any of the existing leaves or flowers on the plant, but wait for a bit of growth and only feed new leaves and flowers. So if your hibiscus has no flowers now, then when flowers appear you will be able to feed them.
We also suggest repotting, although this isn't quite as important because even if there is a high level of fertilizer in the pot, the plant will use it up fairly quickly. Presumably you are going to plant the hibiscus in the ground (they can get big), so that is fine, but if you are going to continue to grow it in a pot, you could change the soil to something like John Innes no. 1 or garden soil, but the main thing is not to feed plant material that has been sprayed.
Nina
Re: Which supplement
Excellent, thank you so much for all your help, I really appreciate it 
Re: Which supplement
Yes, that is the correct Nutrobal, but I should say that a lot of tortoises don't like the taste of Nutrobal, and my vet has started recommending a new supplement called RevitaliseD3. It is harder to overdose on it, compared to Notrobal, and mine prefer the taste, but if your tortoise will eat food with Nutrobal on it then that is fine (just remember that the dose is a pinch per kilo of tortoise).
Here's a link to one of the places that sells RevitaliseD3
https://internetreptile.com/products/ar ... yNEALw_wcB
Nina
Here's a link to one of the places that sells RevitaliseD3
https://internetreptile.com/products/ar ... yNEALw_wcB
Nina
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 66 guests