Calcium is more important for turtles than for any other animal. And this is due to their shell, which covers most of their bodies. And there is no better calcium source for a turtle than a cuttlebone.
Cuttlebone is a great calcium supplement for turtles. Calcium is essential for turtles as it helps them maintain a healthy shell and an overall healthier bone structure.
So, cuttlebone has a lot of benefits for turtles, but those benefits can easily turn into negatives if you don’t give your turtle the cuttlebone the correct way, and the correct amount. So, before anything else let’s take a look at those two things first.
How to Properly Give Cuttlebone to Your Turtle
The first thing that you have to do when you get cuttlebone for your turtle is to remove the back.
Cuttlebone is actually bone that comes from a cuttlefish and like all bones, it can become really sharp if broken, so it can perforate the insides of your turtle.
To remove the back end you can use a sharp object as a knife. And don’t worry if you break it, as you won’t give the whole cuttlebone to your turtle anyway.
After you remove the hard part on the back you should try to cut or break the cuttlebone into pieces that are about the same size as the head of your turtle.
After that take one piece and place it in the tank. If your turtle doesn’t eat it soon, the cuttlebone piece might sink to the bottom of the tank, but that’s ok. Even if the piece sinks, it’s still good, the calcium is still there, and your turtle can still eat it.
How Much Cuttlebone to Give to Your Turtle
Most turtles will only eat cuttlebone when they feel that they need the calcium, if they think that they are fine they will mostly ignore it. But there are exceptions.
I have one turtle that eats the cuttlebone as soon as it sees it, no matter how much I give it. And this is not because it needs more calcium. He simply likes cuttlebone.
But this can be dangerous, too much calcium can lead to improper shell development, which is a very bad thing for a turtle. This is why I recommend to only give your turtle cuttlebone only once every two weeks.
As I said at the beginning of the article cuttlebone is a supplement, not an essential part of their diet. Most turtle pellets already have some calcium in them, so your turtle still gets calcium on a regular basis.
One other problem that can be caused by the calcium is that if left in the tank for too long it can make the water become too hard. And this can also lead to a lot of problems, like skin or eye irritations.
So, while it’s important to give your turtle cuttlebone for the extra calcium, it’s also important to remember that it’s a supplement, and it shouldn’t be used too often.
Now let’s take a look at which cuttlebone is the best for your turtle.
Buyers Guide – Which Is the Best Cuttlebone
As lackluster as it might sound, all cuttlebone is the same. Cuttlebone is something that comes from a fish, it’s not made by humans or treated in any special way. So all cuttlebone is the same. The only difference that you might find is in the shape.
Some might come in a turtle-like shape, without the hard back, like this one, while others come in the shape that we all know, like this one, all of them are the same thing.
The only type of cuttlebone that I would recommend you to avoid is colored cuttlebone. The color doesn’t add anything, it just makes it more expensive.
Alternative to Cuttlebone – Calcium Powder
There is a chance that your turtle might never eat the cuttlebone. I have turtles that don’t even swim around it, and turtles that eat it as soon as they see it.
But you still need to find a way to give some extra calcium to your turtle. This is where calcium powder comes in.
Calcium powder, just like cuttlebone, is a supplement. But the way you use it is a little bit different.
The best way that I’ve found to use calcium powder is to take a plastic bag, put some calcium powder in it, add some pellets, and then add a little bit of water, so the calcium sticks to the pellets, and then feed the pellets to the turtle one by one. The reason why you don’t want to give your turtle all the pellets at once is that the calcium will quickly get off the pellets, and most of it will end up in the tank.
If you look for calcium powder for reptiles you will notice that there are two types, one with vitamin D3 and one without D3.
Vitamin D3 allows your turtle to assimilate and make use of the calcium that you are giving it. Without D3 all that calcium won’t do anything. D3 usually comes from the sun, or from the basking area, in the case of pet turtles.
I for one use Calcium powder without D3, as all my turtles, spend enough time basking and their basking areas provide all the light, heat, and D3 that they need. So, there is no need for extra vitamins. But if your turtle doesn’t bask that much you could go for the calcium powder with the added D3.
Final Thoughts
And that’s all there is to know about turtles and cuttlebone. The main takeaways are:
- Remove the back part of the cuttlebone
- Break the cuttlebone into pieces that are the same size as the head of your turtle
- You should give your turtle cuttlebone once every two weeks
- Cuttlebone comes from fish, so all cuttlebone is the same
- If your turtle doesn’t like cuttlebone you can use calcium powder
- Make sure that your turtle has a good basking area, otherwise, the calcium won’t do anything
I hope I managed to answer all of your questions, but in case there is anything else that you would like to know, you can always use the comment section below and leave your question there, I will do my best to answer it as soon as possible.
Hello,
If you enjoy the content that we create, please consider saying a "Thank You!" by leaving a tip.
Every little bit can help us tremendously in continuing to create quality content that helps turtle and tortoise owners around the world.
We really appreciate the kindness and support that you show us!