The Use of TNT

[go_fish]

I recently bought a lot of TNT. For those of you in the know, I gave my parents my agressive tortoise Forest a while back and been keeping an eye on my parents since

They don't give him a bad diet, but it's not super great either. They feed mostly lettuces, kale, and collard greens...not much else. I come by their place with different food stuff when I can, but I can't get there as often as I'd like. So I bought my folks the TNT so Forest could get a boost in his diet.

Question - the instructions say sprinkle onto food a few times a week. If my folks did it instead every day, would that be a problem? From what I understand, TNT is just powdered weeds and flowers, so there shouldn't be a problem with overdosing. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Second question - if my folks mainly do feed lettuces but use a lot of TNT, would the TNT make up for the mostly lettuce diet? I have a lot of bags of TNT, and so I'm prepared to give my folks a lot more of it.

Thanks!

[welovevader]

Question - the instructions say sprinkle onto food a few times a week. If my folks did it instead every day, would that be a problem? From what I understand, TNT is just powdered weeds and flowers, so there shouldn't be a problem with overdosing. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

I'm 99% sure I remember Joe saying not to worry about overdosing TNT a little while back.

Second question - if my folks mainly do feed lettuces but use a lot of TNT, would the TNT make up for the mostly lettuce diet? I have a lot of bags of TNT, and so I'm prepared to give my folks a lot more of it.

I don't think it'll make up for it entirely, but it will certainly help.

[cjicollectibles]

There's also a big difference between "Lettuces" (a just ok, barely passing grade of food) and "Collards and Kale" (which are Awesome great foods for torts).
You seem to make it sound like lettuce is similar/same as Collards and Kale, but far from it.

[go_fish]

CJC - yeah, I realize that lettuces are different...my post may have been confusing. Lately my folks have been using a lot more lettuces vs kale and collards just because lettuce is more readily available at the grocery store they go to.

So, you guys may think this is okay, as long as TNT is used everyday?

Thanks, Vader - yeah, I was thinking the same thing...but if a lot of TNT is used, maybe it's just as good?

[atomic punk]

Another suggestion I have, if your parents are willing to do this, is to buy the Russian tortoise seed mix and plant it in little trays that they can rotate in and out of his cage.  He can graze on it, and it would be a good supplement to his nutrition.  My torts absolutely love it!

[Filbertsmom]

Do they live near a walmart? Walmarts around where I live ALWAYS have these giant bags of collards, turnip, mustard, greens and giant bunches of Kale. Also, Wally world has a good selection of mixed salads, spring salad, baby spinach salad, herb salad (spring salad with different herbs also mixed in). I seriously LOVE the selection of my walmart over any other place, it's crazy.

[Didi]

I think iceberg is the only "bad" lettuce.  I love the fresh organic produce I get from my local farms and feel so lucky to live in an area where people can make a living farming.  Here's a link to find local farms near you.  http://www.localharvest.org/

[Joe H]

Daily TNT is fine in a case like yours. With a better dietry selecting they will need much less.

[Kazimir]

I would just tell your parents to get romaine or any type of leafy green lettuce maybe along with some shredded carrots (stuff easy enough to find) and not iceburg lettuce because iceburg has little nutritional value.  Where TNT is good, you don't want the tort to solely depend on it for all the additional nutrients it needs.  That would be equal to a person living off of white bread and a multi-vitamin every day.  Sure you might survive off of it, but it's not a very exciting diet and not the best for you.

My tort's diet consists of either a hunk of turnip or collard greens and a bag of small carrots that I shread in the processor.  I purchase these fresh once a week- $1.88 at the grocery store.  I add a little TNT to the salad maybe two or three times a week.  He has always been a hearty eater, thankfully no problems with that  

-Mark-
  

[Joe H]

 Where TNT is good, you don't want the tort to solely depend on it for all the additional nutrients it needs.  That would be equal to a person living off of white bread and a multi-vitamin every day.  Sure you might survive off of it, but it's not a very exciting diet and not the best for you.

Its a heck of a lot better than white bread and vitamins  . TNT is dried plants. All of their goodness is there just minus water.

I know what you are saying. The key to a healthy diet is variety.

BTW if you cant get fresh turnip greens, the frozen ones are very close nutritionally.

[lovemyturtle]

I bought some TNT and when I sprinkle it on his greens he never eats them.  Any idea to get him to eat sprinkled greens.  I do use a lot of different greens. 

[welovevader]

I bought some TNT and when I sprinkle it on his greens he never eats them.  Any idea to get him to eat sprinkled greens.  I do use a lot of different greens. 

Thor's a little fussy about it sometimes, too. I sprinkle it on his favorite, Radicchio, and he'll still eat that even with the TNT. It might also be the amount you're sprinkling, maybe try a little less, or spread the current amount over more of the greens.

[Krowbar]

Hello everyone! new to the whole tortoise thing.. Still need to name him and still learning alot.. this is a great web site. I took him in today for a check up.. and they vet says he looks great! took a stool sample for  testing just to make sure..Got some stuff when i bought him from the pet store, took back the small glass tank and got him in a bigger plastic tub.Also i hear about TnT.. seems like some good stuff.. Has anyone heard of Repti Calcium?? with D3... i bought some today, but thinking about ordering TnT and getting a cuttlebone. Is the cuttlebone the same as the one you get for birds??

[welovevader]

Hello everyone! new to the whole tortoise thing.. Still need to name him and still learning alot.. this is a great web site. I took him in today for a check up.. and they vet says he looks great! took a stool sample for  testing just to make sure..Got some stuff when i bought him from the pet store, took back the small glass tank and got him in a bigger plastic tub.Also i hear about TnT.. seems like some good stuff.. Has anyone heard of Repti Calcium?? with D3... i bought some today, but thinking about ordering TnT and getting a cuttlebone. Is the cuttlebone the same as the one you get for birds??

Hi there,

TNT is definitely better (boat load of nutrients) and safer (you can OD on the calicum in the other stuff). I also recommend getting it with the optional probiotics.   Yes, the cuttlebone is the same thing you'd get for birds.

[Krowbar]

Whats a good probiotics to use??