The Wide World of Turtle Diets

Providing great nutrition for our Aquatic Turtles is always a prime concern. At every level of development, from hatchling into adulthood, turtles require the proper nutrients to keep them healthy, growing, and strong.  There are many turtle foods available in today’s market, some great, some good, and some-well, maybe not so good. In the article below, the professionals at Turtle-Tech take an in-depth look at the main players in the turtle food game and evaluate their food products and how they relate to our turtles health and well-being. During this process we will look at several factors of what we feel makes a truly great turtle food. It is important to note that these are “our” observations and opinions. Ultimately, it is up to you to choose the product best suits your needs.

In each diet we will compare and analyze: 1) the base components of the diet-the 4 major ingrediencies, available fats and proteins, and the protien sources along with their approximate net protien utilization (NPU) ratings (the higher the NPU the more useable the protein sources). We will also note any added vitamin/mineral supplantation or if artificial dies or preservatives are used.  2) we will look at how the nutrition is delivered to the turtles in the assorted pellet sizes, 3) What dietary life stages are addressed, as in providing specific diets for hatchling through adulthood, and 4) the availability of the food through distribution.  Cost of the foods vary from seller to seller so check pricing at time of sale for a good cost comparison and whether the food is a good value based on quality.

Generally speaking, there are 4 leading players in the turtle food game- Tetra, Zoomed, TropicZone, and the Purina Mills Mazuri label. Though there are countless others, we will focus our time reviewing these 4 top profile turtle foods. After the individual reviews, we will provide a recap of the products and our rating of 1-4 for the specific product lines based on what we’ve found.  So let’s take a look…

 Basic Descriptions:

Tetra/Terrafauna:  Tetra has been a leader in the Tropical fish food and aquarium filter categories for decades and has built a reputation for high quality foods and products for aquarium fish. Although other fish food manufacturers, such as Hikari, Hagen, and Wardley also market turtle food products, Tetra has been the leader in successfully establishing a niche for their reptile foods.

Currently Tetra offers a base turtle food branded Reptomin (the name plays off their “Tetra-Min” fish food brand). Tetra recommends it is appropriate for Reptiles and Amphibians. This is a single product extruded “stick” food that is available in 3 separate sized extrusions. Although it is staged in a “Baby-Regular-Jumbo” size pellet, there is only slight difference in the actual formulations of the three. They mostly contain the same main ingrediencies (in various orders-listed below), all have basically the same protein/fat levels (42% -8% respectively), and all with vitamin and mineral supplementation. All products contain Artificial dies- blue #2 and yellow #6 and ethoxyquin as a preservative.

Major 4 Basic ingrediencies in various order and aprox. NPU protien ratings:

• Fish Meal (NPU of 85%)
• Wheat Starch (NPU of 41%)
• Dried Yeast (NPU of 56%)
• Corn Flower (NPU of 32%)

(For complete detailed ingrediencies on each diet, refer to the package labels.)

Reptomin has proven to be a reliable turtle food used by hobbyist for many years, the product preforms well and its “stick” form has been copied by other manufactures.  With Tetra’s vast distribution system, the Reptomin product line is available just about everywhere pet supplies are sold, and is available in numerous package sizes. Tetra hits most of the marks we look for (though not all) and it’s easy to see why Tetra is a leading brand.

Zoo Med:  Zoo Med is another long time and respected player in the reptile and aquarium/terrarium supply categories, and produces products for birds, small animals, reptiles, and aquarium fish. Zoo Med is one of the two turtle food products that we reviewed that actually offer nutritional “staging” of their foods. Zoo Med offers their base turtle food in a three staged dietary platform: hatchling, growth, and maintenance. Each of the three stage formulations have varying levels of proteins/fats, based on the dietary requirements of the turtles at different ages. No artificial colors or flavorings are use and propionic acid is added as a preservative. The pellet sizes for the individual products are offered in 3 sizes, the Hatchling food is well sized with a 1/16 micro pellet, the growth formula is sized in a much larger 3/16 pellet, and the maintenance formula in a hefty 5/16 sized pellet.

Major 4 basic ingrediencies in various order and aprox. NPU protien ratings:

• Fish Meal (NPU of 85%)- all diets
• Blood Meal (NPU of 83%)-only in hatchling formula
• Soybean Meal (NPU of 61%)-all diets
• Wheat Mill Run (NPU of 39%)-all diets

(For complete detailed ingrediencies on each diet, refer to the package labels.)

Zoo Med turtle foods have been used by turtle hobbyist for years and have always performed well. It too enjoys a vast distribution system, the Zoo Med product line is available just about everywhere pet supplies are sold, and is available in numerous package sizes. Like Tetra, Zoo Med hits “most” of the marks we look for and it’s easy to see why this brand continues to be favorite among reptile fans.

TropicZone:  Another tried and true player in the Turtle Diets category is TropicZone. TropicZone is the only manufacture reviewed here that focuses almost specifically on Turtle Diets, offering 18 different diets for Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Turtles. TropicZone also distributes a professional fish food under the name of Aquaculture-ONE. This is the second food we reviewed that offers nutritional “Staging”, however TropicZone’s turtle diets are offered in a more extensive 5 staged platform, offering 5 different formulated foods for hatchlings, baby, juvenile, sub-adult, and full adult sized turtles, all with varying degrees of protein /fats based on the nutritional requirement of each stage of life. The products are delivered in 5 different sized pellet extrusions: a 1/16 micro pelleting, 3/32, 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 sized pellets that are appropriate for all sized turtles.  No artificial colorings are use but preservatives are present.

Major basic ingrediencies in various order and aprox. NPU protien ratings:

• Fish Meal (NPU of 85%)-all diets
• Blood Meal (NPU of 83%)-all diets
• Poultry Meal (NPU of 67%)-all diets
• Porcine Meal (NPU of 67%)-all diets

(For complete detailed ingrediencies on each diet, refer to the package labels.)

TropicZone has enjoyed a favorable following from professionals and turtle enthusiasts for years, though being a specialty manufacture of mostly Turtle Diets, it does not get the constant exposure that Tetra and Zoo Med enjoy, though it certinally deserves it. The TropicZone product line is available on many of the pet food websites and easily through the TropicZone Website in numerous package sizes. Like the others so far, TropicZone hits most all of the marks we look for in a great turtle diet and it’s easy to see why TropicZone continues to grow its popularity, and its share of the turtle food marketplace.

 Mazuri Turtle Food (M587):  And finally, we look at the Mazuri Turtle food manufactured by Purina Mills. The Mazuri food line includes foods for small animals, reptiles, poultry, and other exotics. The Mazuri turtle food is a basic extruded pellet offered in a 5/32 size, and one formula. It is not a staged diet, offering just one basic formulation, yet is still suggested by Mazuri to be good for all life stages. Primary ingrediencies are a mix of fishmeal, soy, and corn products, as listed below. The diet does include vitamin/mineral supplementation. No artificial colorings are use, but preservatives are present in the form of citric acid.

Major base ingrediencies in various order and aprox. NPU protien ratings:

• Fish Meal (NPU of 85%)
• Ground Corn (NPU of 22%)
• Soybean Meal (NPU of 61%)
• Corn Gluten (NPU of 28%)

(For complete detailed ingrediencies on each diet, refer to the package labels.)

The Mazuri turtle food is mostly popular with larger collectors as it is easily available is larger package sizes directly from the Mazuri website. Other size packages are available through various online sources.

                              Observations-Conclusions-Ratings

To review our opening introduction to this article, our final ratings are based on the following attributes of the diets:  1) the primary base components of the diets, available fats, and the protien sources and their NPU (net protien utilization) ratings – the higher the NPU, the more useable the protein source. Along with any added vitamin/mineral supplementation, and if artificial dies, coloring additives, or preservatives are used. 2) how the nutrition is delivered to the turtles in the assorted pellet sizes, 3) What nutritional life stages are addressed, as in hatchling through adulthood, and finally 4) the availability of the food through distribution.

First of all, it’s important to point out that all four of the product lines we looked at are considered top quality products, and again, it’s easy to see why these four manufacturers lead the pack in the turtle food category. Some however did score higher on our ratings based on the criteria listed above.

So, the questions are: what are their prime ingredient sources of nutrition? What sized food pellets are used, and are they sized appropriate for the turtles being feed? Are the diets addressing the nutritional “stages” of turtles at different stages of growth, or are they a one size fits all? And finally, based on their distribution channels, can I get the food easily when I need it?  These are the conclusions as we see them, but see for yourselves.

 Ratings:

#4 – Mazuri Turtle Food

The Mazuri ranks fourth in our survey. As far as ingrediencies, Mazuri comes in at a lower average NPU score then all the rest, this is mostly due to the corn, and corn products that make up much of the formula. Being only one size pellet, the food performed well when fed to the turtles that were well sized to eat the 5/32 size pelleting, however the smaller turtles tested were completely left out, and the larger turtles tested had to scramble to eat a pelleting rather small for them. This diet has no nutritional staging, yet promotes that this one food is good for “all life stages” of turtles. The diet does include vitamin/mineral supplementation. Mazuri uses no artificial colorants and preservatives are limited to citric acid. Distribution of the Mazuri is good though, available through multiple on-line sources and direct from Mazuri.

#3 – Tetra/Terrafauna

Where we are fans of the Reptomin product line, we have to admit that there are some holes. As far as ingrediencies, Repti-Min comes in at a respectable average NPU score of 53.5%, the fish meal bringing up the lower scoring corn and wheat products that make up much of the formula. The three different sized extruded sticks performed well when fed to the turtles of specific sizes, but being basically all the same 42% protein, 8% Fat formula, there is no nutritional staging of the diet at all. So with Reptomin we see a pellet “size” adjustment made for the size of the turtles, but no nutritional adjustments made for the turtle’s growth cycles. The diet does include vitamin/mineral supplementation, but we definitely have our concerns over the use of multiple artificial dies. The ethoxyquin as a preservative is controversial to some, but is legally safe to use in animal foods. Distribution of Reptomin is excellent, available through multiple on-line sources and pet retailers everywhere.

#2 – Zoo Med

Again, we are big fans of the Zoo Med turtle food product line, but we have to admit that there are a few holes here too. As far as ingrediencies, Zoo Med comes in at a very respectable average NPU score of 67%, The Animal protein parts of the Hatchling formula bring the overall average up, but the 3-staged diet as a whole, performs well. The three different sized extruded pellet sizes did well when fed to turtles of specific sizes, but the sizes of the pellets didn’t fit well for all turtles being tested. The hatchling turtles are started on a 1/16 inch micro pellet, but then are moved to a rather large 3/16 inch “growth” pellet which can only be ingested by a fairly good sized turtle. Baby/juvenile turtles between these sizes are left out, or expected to chase around micro-pellets way too small for them until they can swallow the much larger growth pellet. The extra-large maintenance pellet really only works well for very large full adult turtles. Life Staging is addressed with the three separate hatchling, growth, and adult maintenance formulas, all with adjusted nutritional parameters. The diet does include vitamin/mineral supplementation, and no dies, colorants, or preservatives are stated. ZooMed’s distribution is good, available through multiple on-line sources and pet retailers nationwide.

#1 – TropicZone

It’s probably not a big surprise that our number one spot goes to a manufacturer that Specializes in Aquatic Turtle diets. With 18 different diets for aquatic turtles, TropicZone has the detailed approach to feeding turtles that most other manufacturers just haven’t got the time for.

As far as ingrediencies, TropicZone comes in with the highest average NPU score of all the diets tested, an impressive 75.5%. This is mostly due to the predominate use of high-quality animal protein sources over lesser scoring corn and plant products. The food performed very well with all size turtles that were tested, TropicZone’s diet staging is divided up into 5 separately designed foods, with 5 different sized pellets, making it easily ingested by all sized turtles. No size turtle is left out and each diet addresses the nutritional need at each stage of turtle development. The diet also includes vitamin/mineral supplementation and contains no artificial dies or colorants. The only thing we could “nit-pic” on would be the use of ethoxyquin as a preservative, but as we mentioned in Tetra’s review, it is considered safe to use in animal foods and is actually quite commonplace.  Distribution of TropicZone is good, easily available through multiple on-line sources and direct from TropicZone’s Website.

Thanks for Taking the time with us to review the important issue of what to feed our turtles. As stated above, these are “our” observations and conclusions, we always suggest to our many readers to research for their own all the various products available to them, and pick the product that best suits their needs!

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