A lot of pet owners are struggling with finding the best food for tortoise. Unlike the other pets such as dogs, cats, and fishes, having a shelled reptile requires a more complex diet.
Their diet plays a key part in their growth, shell toughness, and overall health, which is why they should be fed the right diet.
The most important thing to bear in mind is that tortoises are carnivores and vegetarians.
Therefore, obviously, they prefer to be fed with what they can find in their natural habitats.
Nevertheless, the nutritional requirements among tortoises differ across species, so we shall discuss these topics in detail in this article.
We will take a look at how many, how often, and what things they can eat, and what they need to avoid.
Here are the top-rated food for tortoise we recommend:
- Zoo Med Natural Tortoise Food – Top Pick
- Fluker’s Fluker Labs SFK70014 Tortoise Diet Small Pellet Food – Amazon’s Choice
- Zoo Menu Tortoise and Omnivorous Lizard Food – New Taste
- Rep-Cal Srp00807 Tortoise Food – Recommended by Vet
- Nature Zone Snz54661 Melon Flavored Total Bites – Best Soft Food
- Zilla Land Turtle and Tortoise Extruded Food Pellets
- Zoo Med Gourmet Tortoise Food
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What Food Do Tortoises Eat?
Besides the fresh raw food you can prepare by yourself, nowadays, commercial tortoise food has been used wider because of its convenience for busy owners.
Therefore, today, this product is important for the growth of your shell pets.
They have protein, vitamins, and minerals that add to your pet’s health and immune system.
That is the reason why you have to pick the right product.
Almost all the pet tortoise prefers to be omnivores, and consume a varied diet including:
1. Commercial Food
Tortoises like eating pellets or frozen fishes.
You should give a little food at one time to prevent overfeeding or causing dirt to your water.
When your pet stops showing interest, just stop feeding.
2. Protein
As in the natural habitat, turtles enjoy good hunting excitement.
Thus, you can often feed them fresh or dried protein sources such as crickets, mealworms, or feeder fishes.
3. Vegetables
Your turtle should have three or four vegetable meals per week.
Each meal contains one or two dark, leafy greens like kale, collard, or mustard.
However, you have to take off the leftovers after 4 hours if there is any remained.
4. Supplements
For reptiles in general and tortoises, calcium and vitamins are essential.
There are 3 types of minerals that are important: calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D3.
These types of minerals strengthen their bones, shell, as well as muscular function.
Besides normal ones, some special kinds can boost your pet’s calcium level such as supplement powder or using mineral substratum.
In the case of fruit, turtles can still eat them. But you should keep an eye on how many of them you are giving.
Tropical species may eat a little, but for the food for Mediterranean tortoises, no fruit should be offered.
Moreover, there are other toxic plants but we do not talk about those in this article.
If you are not sure about a plant you have in your house, ask for advice before letting the reptile eat them.
Do Different Tortoise Species Eat Different Foods?
1. Sulcata
The best food for sulcata tortoise is a meal consisting up of grass and weeds.
This species is thought of as a lazy lawnmower that feeds from the grass.
They enjoy hay, too, because it is nice for them.
Try feeding them with different green grasses and weeds, such as dandelions, occasionally.
Do not forget some calcium powder once in a while to their surprised giving such as hibiscus leaf or even pear cactus.
2. Galapagos and Leopard
Their diet is also grass since they eat and derive nutrients from plants.
They should have 2/3 to 3/4 grass and hay in their diet as they eat it.
Certain flowers, weeds, and greens should be the majority.
You could let them walk around your garden and eat freely.
Nevertheless, make sure that there are no toxic plants near them.
3. Russian
You have to be able to pay more special care than the others mentioned above when you have a Russian tortoise.
They still consume hay, but just in small portions.
Best food for Russian tortoise primarily contains greens such as vegetables and lettuces.
How Much Should You Feed Your Tortoise?
Even when you have the best food for tortoise, it only brings the most efficient effect when feeding in the right amounts.
In the wild, many tortoise species live in dry areas where it is hard to find food and they have to go long distances to hunt.
However, in captivity, we frequently give vast amounts of food to our tortoises.
So it may cause overeating and contribute to shell growth deformities and other health concerns.
The best approach is to be mindful of the species’ growth pattern and to track his growth because you will get to determine how much to feed.
Sometimes, this depends on the personal needs of your pet himself.
7 Best Food for Tortoise Shortlist (Updated List)
Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change.
7 Best Food for Tortoise
1. Zoo Med Natural Tortoise Food – TOP PICK
Zoo Med Natural Grassland is at the top of our list of the best food for tortoise.
It is natural and satisfies the requirement of a tortoise diet for fiber content because it contains long fibers that are very good to shell reptiles.
In comparison to other widely available products that lack fiber, Zoo Med guarantees that your tortoise will get a balanced and healthy diet.
It has other herbs, such as dandelion greens and yucca.
So any time you feed this, it is like the tortoise gets a treat.
This best pellet tortoise food is made for a broad number of species, such as desert, Hermann’s, leopard, sulcata, Greek, and also Russian tortoise, a picky animal.
It also includes vitamins and minerals, free from noxious chemicals and preservatives, so that your pet grows healthy and safe.
Pros:
- Vitamin and minerals added, rich in fiber
- No artificial colors or preservatives
- Mixed from different grasses and greens
Cons:
- Kind of pricey
- Smell bad to some sensitive owners
- Not all species enjoy it
Feeding ZooMet Pellet Grassland in the right way:
2. Fluker’s Fluker Labs SFK70014 Tortoise Diet Small Pellet Food – AMAZON’S CHOICE
Fluker’s Land Turtle Formula Diet contains all the required vitamins for your shell pet.
These nutritious pellets are easy to eat and meet regular requirements, particularly when they are used for adult ones.
This product is made from mixed healthy ingredients such as ground oats, corn, calcium carbonate, etc.
Therefore, it is a great supply of protein, fat, vitamins that your tortoise can intake.
For the best results, you should use it once a day, three or four meals a week.
Moreover, you do not need to add water.
In addition, you can mix it with fresh fruits and greens if your pets get used to it.
This is one of the best pellet products you can find on the market today.
Pros:
- Vitamins C and B12 added
- Provides a well-balanced meal with proteins, fats, and minerals
- Calcium included
- Delicious taste
Cons:
- Pricey
- Not stay whole when being soaked
- The size of pellets may be too large for small or baby tortoises
3. Zoo Menu Tortoise and Omnivorous Lizard Food – NEW TASTE
ZooMed Menu Tortoise and Omnivorous Food have healthy fruits and vegetables, which all species of tortoise enjoy.
ZooMed notes that corn, apples, and carrots are parts of the ingredients.
Besides, this product also contains vitamins and minerals to maintain the health of your animals, such as vitamins A, K, and D3.
Although being claimed to contain preservatives, ZooMed has proved its level is even lower than the other turtle food, and fewer chemicals, too.
ZooMed Wet Food does not contain enough protein to be a complete meal for your pet, although it includes a significant amount of vitamins and nutrients.
Therefore, make sure that you can supply them with other protein sources.
This product is packed in a nice can, but you have to find your own lid to seal it once opened.
To prevent the leftovers from molding and store for the next feeding, put it in a refrigerator.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Tastes and smells good
Cons:
- If not stored right, it can be spoiled easily
- Not a complete meal
- Once the can is opened, it can not be sealed.
- Contains some preservatives
4. Rep-Cal Srp00807 Tortoise Food – RECOMMENDED BY VET
Rep-Cal SPR00807 is recommended by a lot of veterinarians as the best supplement for all tortoises.
It includes the plants, greens, fruits, and vegetables cooked in such a way that your pet can quickly digest.
Thus, its ensuring of keeping your pet stay healthy and well grow is guaranteed.
Additionally, it makes consuming essential nutrients easier.
All species of turtles find this product a lot to enjoy.
This is the favorite food of their animals, many reviewers reported.
However, the Rep-Cal product contains some preservatives as well as artificial colors.
It depends on you to decide if it is safe for your tortoise or not.
Pros:
- Formulated for a complete balanced diet
- Fortified with a superior level of vitamins and minerals, especially high in protein
- Smells good
- Small-sized pellets make it easy to digest
Cons:
- Pricey
- Contains artificial colors
5. Nature Zone Snz54661 Melon Flavored Total Bites – BEST SOFT FOOD
Nature Zone Food is a soft, moist, and ready-to-eat tortoise meal.
It tastes and smells of real orange and melon fruit.
Undoubtedly, the tortoises enjoy this balanced diet that is a good source of minerals they need.
This product’s formula contains isolated whey and soy protein that is easy to digest.
It also has amino acids, soluble plant fiber, carbohydrates, calcium, etc.
Those are important for your pet’s growth and intestinal health.
This product has the perfect feeding size with 1/4 inch cubes, ready to be fed.
Furthermore, these cubes include water and make it similar to the veggies in the wild.
In summary, everything you need to do is served immediately once you have this product.
No other preparation is required, and you can comfortably take care of your tortoise.
Pros:
- Natural flavor
- Appropriate size cubes encourage the eating of your tortoise
- All the necessary nutrients are balanced
- Ready to eat
Cons:
- Need to be stored in the refrigerator
- Has artificial colors
6. Zilla Land Turtle and Tortoise Extruded Food Pellets
Zilla Land Turtle and Tortoise Fortified Daily Food is formulated to provide a vivid colorful shell for your little friends.
This product is a combination of wildflower, fruit, plants, and more than 40 other ingredients together to match the healthiest diet of tortoises.
Moreover, Zilla gave a floral shape for extra appeal.
It is all in one and easy to use in a top jar.
Besides using it alone, it is still safe to mix for regular feeding all year round.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Nutritious ingredients mixed
- Great smell
Cons:
- Need to be moistened to increase palatability for some picky animals
- Has artificial colors
7. Zoo Med Gourmet Tortoise Food
Are you looking for a gourmet treat for your lovely shell pet?
We recommend the ZooMed Gourmet Tortoise Food product.
This protein-based food is a good treat to add to the daily pellets with a savory taste.
Your tortoise will also love the premium ingredients including hibiscus flowers or cranberries that they enjoy in the wild.
Furthermore, this product has not added any preservatives or artificial colors.
To sum up, this is one of the best food for tortoise that can provide important nutrients for the proper growth and health of your pets.
Pros:
- No preservatives or artificial colors added
- Contains a lot of vitamins and minerals as a healthy treat
- Includes timothy hay, wheat, hibiscus flowers, etc. and high in protein level
Cons:
- High price
- The serving size is too big for some baby tortoises
Feeding tortoises with mixed products:
How to Choose the Best Food for Tortoise?
1. Diet Concern
You should think about the diet requirements of your tortoises before you purchase any commercial product.
A good product must contain greens, vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Besides, the choices should be weighted well so the tortoises get their best nutritional diet plan.
2. Age of Your Tortoise
Baby or young tortoises require extra protein in their diet.
It is because they need to grow their body and shell.
Therefore, ideally, at least 70% of protein would be in the diet.
On the other side, for adult ones, you should choose products with more than 50% plants.
They do not need a lot of protein when they reach maturity.
Thus, you then can reduce the amount of protein you offer them.
3. Choose the Most Suitable and Not the Most Expensive
The choosing of the wrong food can lead to bad growth and the pyramiding of your pets.
It may also lead to other complications or illnesses.
So when picking his food, you have to remember the age of your tortoise.
That is the reason why more and more people choose to feed pets with formulated food because they are specially made for different types of turtles.
Additionally, the nutrients turtles need to grow and develop are also contained here.
Nonetheless, it is also recommended to feed your shell animal with a combination of food, including pellets.
4. Pay Attention to the Size and Shape
Turtle food can be produced in different shapes as far as shape is a concern.
But you also have to consider buying pellets that are sufficiently small to feed easily.
Things such as long grains, circular grains, and dehydrated flakes can also be used.
Some artificial food will need to be softly moisturized before feeding many picky species.
5. No Artificial Food Colors
Generally, these products usually have the same color as well as the primary ingredients.
Some foods, however, are used with artificial colors.
Hence, ensure the safety and toxicity before you use them.
For the best, you can think of products that have no coloring.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Food for Tortoise
1. How Many Times Per Day Should I Feed My Tortoise?
For hatchlings and young turtles, you can feed them in two meals daily, in the morning and afternoon.
Adult tortoises can be fed daily or just leave the food in an automatic feeder and refill once a week.
2. What Kind of Fruit Can My Tortoise Eat?
Melon, raspberries, blackberries, and grapes are safe for fruit-eating tortoises.
Also, sweet desert apple in a limited quantity may be delivered.
They still can digest mango, but it may get sticky and entice wasps.
Furthermore, there are some fruits that should be fed in strict moderation only, such as bananas and cherries.
However, they must be cut in an appropriate size and remove the stone beforehand.
Alternatively, diarrhea can easily be caused by some excess.
Last but not least, citrus fruits such as lemon or orange must be avoided.
3. Can I Use Eggshells as a Source of Calcium?
In fact, eggshell is not a decent source of calcium.
Additionally, using them also infect salmonella in your animals.
Calcium carbonate is a much healthier and cleaner form of calcium.
This can be bought from pet shops very cheaply in bulk.
Especially, any food-grade calcium supplement or reptile supplement without phosphorus may also be used.
Please do not use the chicken eggshells because your reptiles can not digest it.
4. Can Tortoises Get Obesity?
Yes, they can. Generally, the tortoise is an animal with very limited annual periods of activities due to hibernation, estivation, or either.
Thus, they are extremely vulnerable to obesity problems due to the abundance or glutting of diet in captivity.
Certainly, any tortoise that has too many nutritious diets will become overweight definitely.
This leads to fatty liver infiltration, too.
Any high saturated fat meal is almost assured in herbivorous tortoises as a result.
Particularly, if you give too much food to Russian, Testudo Horsfield, African Sulcata tortoises, they can become obese.
5. How to Feed Baby Tortoises?
The best food for baby leopard tortoise particularly and desert tortoises in general is a mixing dish of grasses, leafy greens, and cactus flowers with a little bit of fruit.
For land tortoises, it is better to be fed with diverse grasses and leafy green vegetables.
Other hard-to-digest vegetables or meat should not be served.
Conclusion
Feeding the right way will make a huge difference to the well-being of your tortoises. Consequently, they will live longer and healthier and even love you more.
Until now, you already have an idea about the right product to pick.
As stated, our top pick is Zoo Med Natural Tortoise Food. It is no doubt that the product has been the bestseller on Amazon, thanks to its stable quality.
It is easy to use and provides a fully healthy diet that every tortoise needs. Or let’s try Rep-Cal Srp00807 Tortoise Food, recommended by trusted vets.
Choosing the best food for tortoise may not be a difficult task anymore when you finish reading our article. We hope that we have helped you in making the feeding tasks easier.
However, again, if you compare your options, you must take the brand into account since the more reliable the brand is, the less worry you have.
Also, do not forget to check the items for the advantages and disadvantages to figure out which one is the most suitable.
