Turtles - Calcium requirements??

[Dan86]

So a few months ago, my wife and daughter got a couple macquarie turtles (Australian) and I've ended up being the one that cleans the tank etc....what a suprise.
Anyway, when she got them the guy at the LFS told her that she needed to have the health blocks in the tank, from what i can tell all they do is put calcium into the tank. The block disolves in the water over time.

My problem with this, is that the calcium is making a hell of a mess of the filters, clogging them up very quick.
Is there any other way of getting the required calcium levels in the tank?

Cheers
Dan

 

[snakeguy101]

they will do fine without them. there is enough calcium for them in the commercial pellets.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Yep, just feed your turtle a varied diet and quality turtle pellets and you won't have to worry about using one.

 

[ReptileRarities]

Those calcium blocks are kind of a gimmick in my opinion and a waste of money. No serious breeders use those blocks. It's kind of like the shell cream scam that was going around for awhile.

 

[Dan86]

Ok thanks all. Will get some decent pellets for them, also read on another site of people using cutlefish bones in tank - what are your thoughts on that?
Sent from my GT-S5830 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[RMorrow]

The varied diet with the commercial pellets should be fine for the calcium needs of your turtles. I only use cuttle bones for my turtles that like to chew up everything in the tank and if they get a little calcium out of it so much the better. I use them quite a bit with my Staurotypus triporcatusThose guys will chew up rocks!!!

 

[Creek_stomper]

Cuttlebone can't hurt. But usually the shortage is not on calcium but on the D3 needed to process it. This can be gained through a supplement or through UVB light, though for some turtles most of the lights aren't sufficient.

Josh H

 

[snakeguy101]

Cuttlebone can't hurt. But usually the shortage is not on calcium but on the D3 needed to process it. This can be gained through a supplement or through UVB light, though for some turtles most of the lights aren't sufficient.

Josh H

Stay away from D3 supplements- they do not work. I would highly recommend that you go with proper lighting over D3 powder.

 

[Creek_stomper]

Stay away from D3 supplements- they do not work. I would highly recommend that you go with proper lighting over D3 powder.

Sorry, what I meant to say was it can be supplemented through foods naturally containing D3, not through powdered supplements. Anything powdered for animals that feed predominantly in water should be suspect anyway.

Josh H