Please can someone explain extra supplements: powders, cuttlefish bones etc. to me cl

[chocopillows]

Hi there, Sam here.
Now joining this site, I have read on here and several other websites that tortoises need a calcium/D3/and many other vitamins supply. But I'm confused. Am I meant to be buying a calcium powder? Cuttlefish bone? Nutrobal? Some say I need extra D3 even though I've got a UV (I think it's called UV) light source which helps tortoises to synthesise (what would come from the sun) D3. So, please could someone clear my head and tell me: what should I be putting in my enclosure (I feed them weeds / plants / vegetables) e.g. cuttlefish bone? Should I get a powder to sprinkle over the food? What powder to get if so? How often to sprinkle a powder over food? This if for a 3 year old and a 2 year old tortoise who don't go outside as it's too cold here pretty much all year. Thank you.

[Alan1]

Cuttlefish bone is good for calcium, they chomp on it just sometime when they fancy it. If you run it under the tap for 10 seconds it sometimes encourages them to eat it. Nutrobal contains multi vitamins and calcium and D3, I suspect the name Nutro-bal comes from nutritional-balance. Sprinkle a small pinch on the food each day. There are various opinions on how much, when, how often etc but the instructions say place a pinch on the palm of your hand and blow it over the food, so how much do you think actually lands on the food? Aye, half of it is up the walls so obviously they don't need much.
You can get calcium powder as well and even calcium+D3. If you feed pellets they contain vitamins, D3 and calcium too. Folk get paranoid about giving too much or too little. Keep stuff in the dark as the light destroys the D3

[Suze65]

I don't give mine cuttlefish fish, but you can if you want. I sprinkle limestone flour ( calcium ) on their food every day, and nutrobal twice a week.

[sandy]

Having all sorces available will help maintain the level of calcium they need.
Just like us tortoises can be fussy, so they will use which they prefer.

[CherryBrandy]

I am probably a very poor and naughty tortoise keeper because in all the years I have kept tortoises I have never fed a supplement, other than I made limestone biscuits the other day and they have cuttlefish but it is take it or leave it for them - most leave it and it goes soggy by end of season. CB

[CherryBrandy]

I suppose they have enough in a variety of weeds maybe. Bit like humans and a varied diet but vitamins just give that added boost? Like Alan says I don't think there is a definitive too little too much or none at all means bone defects, unless they aren't getting the requirements - natural sunlight is probably a huge booster to beat them all, which helps if they live outside during the season. CB

[Alan1]

Apart from the calcium benefit, cuttlefish bone helps to keep their beak from overgrowing

[Ozric Jonathan]

If your uvb source is good and working properly you don't need a Vit D supplement.

Since I know my indoors and outdoors uvb is alright I don't add any Vit D to the diet.

I offer cuttlefish but I don't put calcium powder on the food because that leaves the tortoise without a choice - if the tortoise wants to eat then it has to take extra calcium regardless of needing it.