The Best Turtle Food for Your Pet

If you’re a turtle owner, you know that environment and proper nutrition can make or break your pet’s health. Most of us don’t have time to forage on land and water to provide our turtles with fresh food. Therefore, it’s a real privilege and convenience to purchase turtle food formulated specifically for our pets.

How to Select the Right Turtle Food

Here are a few things to consider:

• Type: This issue is straightforward. Aquatic turtles need aquatic turtle food; land turtles need land turtle food; tortoises need tortoise food.
• Research: Ask your veterinarian and do some research using reliable sources for information from experts. You may have a box turtle that needs more fruit and vegetables than most or an aquatic turtle that would benefit from food with a probiotic.
• Age: Just as our diets vary as we age, so do dietary requirements change for turtles. If you don’t know how old your turtle is, check in with a veterinarian. Look for products that target the age bracket your turtle falls under.

Best for Aquatic Turtles: Tetra ReptoMin Floating Food Sticks

Tetra has quite the reputation for its excellent aquariums and fish and reptile care products, so it’s a sure bet that their ReptoMin Floating Food Sticks are of high caliber. Importantly, the food sticks are specifically designed for the nutritional needs of aquatic turtles in all stages of life. Fortified with calcium, vitamin C, essential amino acids, and proteins, the food sticks are also easy for aquatic turtles to digest. Just remember not to overfeed!

Best for Tortoises: Fluker’s Tortoise Diet Small Pellet Food

Unsurprisingly, nutritional requirements differ between land and aquatic turtles. Further, tortoises require a specific diet. While land turtles are partially aquatic, tortoises are strictly terrestrial reptiles. Therefore, they have their own dietary needs like plant-based foods. Fluker’s tortoise food includes ingredients like oats, corn, and yucca, plus extra vitamin C and B12.

For Intestinal Health: Hikari Saki Turtle Food

Hikari has been around for nearly 140 years with the mission to provide the very best products for fish and reptiles, and that says something. Their aquatic turtle food is a testament to their diligence and investment. Rich in nutrition essential for aquatic turtle health with extra calcium and vitamin D3, the food also contains the probiotic Hikari Germ. The probiotic creates enzymes that improve your turtle’s ability to utilize nutrition; increased nutrient absorption reduces waste, and less waste means a cleaner tank.

Best for Box Turtles: Healthy Herp Box Turtle Food Instant Meal

Fans of box turtles know that they require a specific diet that’s about 50% fruits and vegetables. But it’s impossible to mimic the diet a box turtle would have access to in the wild. And that’s where Healthy Herb comes in. This preservative-free, instant box turtle food contains freeze-dried strawberries, bananas, dandelion greens, and other fruits and veggies, as well as protein-rich freeze-dried mealworms and grasshoppers, and more. Simply add water and serve!

Best Gourmet: Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food

Your turtle deserves the best, right? Well, Zoo Med makes an all-natural, gourmet food just for aquatic turtles and for various stages of life. They produce hatchling, growth, and maintenance formulas, each with a different ratio of protein, fats, and fiber. The pellets float, which is ideal for aquatic turtles who eat at the water surface.