Feeding and Nutrition :: Cuttlebone

[countrygal_cc]

I have gave my turtle pellets, live crickets, Lettuce.
I have put the pellets in tuna juice to see if this would
help my turtle eat. I haven't seen him eat but twice in
a month
so far. I cleaned out his tank and there is a lot of pellets
that has dissolved in the water. I haven't tried giving my
turtle cuttlebone yet. I read on here that you can get cuttlebone
in the bird's section. I have two cockatiles so I have some cuttlebone
can I use that it says on here to peel off the back then how do I give
my turtle the cuttlebone? Do I chip of some of the cuttlebone and
put in in his water? Let me know. I am really worried about him.
Misty

[missibsu]

I break mine into head size pieces after peeling the backing off. I don't do anything special with it, just let it float in the tank.

[countrygal_cc]

I don't understand though about peeling the back off. I don't see nothing to peel of the back of the cuttlebone. If I put the cuttlebone in the water will it dissolve in it?

[countrygal_cc]

I didn't find what to peel of the back so I broke up a few small pieces of cuttlebone and put in in his water it caught his eyes right off he was trying to swallow one but spit it out so I thought the pieces were to big I broke them into small pieces.

[marisa]

Dig your fingernail into one side, and it's like chalk. The other side is hard. That's the backing you want to pry off. (Or perhaps you found some that had the backing already removed?)

[SpotsMama]

The cuttlebones I buy are soft and chalky on one side and at first glance seem to be the same on the other side....but just under the chalky surface is the yellowish backing people refer to. The backing is pretty thin and hard to see but it is there. It's like plastic. I like to pry the soft chalky part off the backing with a knife or nail file. Someone suggested prying the back off several bones at once, then breaking them into pieces and storing them in a jar. You can give your turtle a small piece or two every day or so. Turtles consider this a great treat!

[countrygal_cc]

Today I was at the pet store and I put one of those turtles that has calicum and put it in his tank. I am not sure to leave in in there it hasn't dissolved all the way in the water. Do I leave it in there until it disolves all the wa? I am confused about it.

[missibsu]

Those turtle blocks are useless. They are a form of calcium that your turtle cannot use. Don't waste your money in the future.