food supplement

Question
Hello Mark,

I bought a calcium supplement that I intend to give to my red-eared sliders. A reptile breeder recommended it, so I decided to try it, but before I give some to the turtles, I want to have your opinion.

It's called MicroCalcium, produced by the German label JBL. It says on the package: Microfine calcium powder for sprinkling over food insects.

What do you think about this product? Is it suitable for my turtles (RES)

Answer
I am sure it is nutritious and all, but how will you get it to stick to the insects when you put them in the water?

I prefer to offer calcium in the form of 'gut loading' (worms and crickets), high-calcium foods (small bony fish), and floating cuttlebones. I also use a pelleted food as a supplement that is high in calcium.

Good luck!

(By the way- it is really easy to get suckered into overspending on calcium. The most common forms of calcium are calcium carbonate (cheap, 'big grains', good concentrate) and calcium citrate (expensive, finer grain, lower concentration). Most other forms of calcium are not suitable.

Now, all other things being equal, calcium carbonate is calcium carbonate. Paying extra for 'super fine', 'coral', 'chelated', etc. is just wasting money. Superfine is a bit easier for the body to use, but take a cheap calcium carbonate powder (food grade purity) and run it in a blender or spice mill for a few pulses, and it is superfine.

Most health food stores carry the 'NOW' brand of pure, food-grade calcium carbonate with no additives for about $3-4 for a good sized jar. You can find it even cheaper on-line.

I have NO idea if the stuff you describe fits this category or not- just point out a common issue.)