# fresh sardines as tegu food



## Dubya (Jan 21, 2013)

I have read that sardines are a very nutritious fish for humans, anyway. At the local supermarket, whole frozen sardines are $2 for a 28oz bag. Would this be ok for my tegu? I read that sardines are close in nutrition to salmon.


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## Little Wise Owl (Jan 21, 2013)

Yes. Sardines are a very good choice of food. Low in mercury, high in Omega 3s. Canned sardines in water (no salt) are also a good choice.


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## Dubya (Jan 21, 2013)

Little Wise Owl said:


> Yes. Sardines are a very good choice of food. Low in mercury, high in Omega 3s. Canned sardines in water (no salt) are also a good choice.



Thank you, $2 for 28oz for a good food sounds like a good buy. I bought them and put them in my tegu freezer already. The freezer is not for freezing tegus, just his food.


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## Deac77 (Jan 21, 2013)

Dubya said:


> Little Wise Owl said:
> 
> 
> > Yes. Sardines are a very good choice of food. Low in mercury, high in Omega 3s. Canned sardines in water (no salt) are also a good choice.
> ...



What if he gets hot??? You gotta have a tegu freezer on standby!!


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## Dubya (Jan 22, 2013)

Deac77 said:


> Dubya said:
> 
> 
> > Little Wise Owl said:
> ...


It is too small. Only 2.1cuft. He will have to live in my regular refrigerator during July and August.


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## elmo (Jan 22, 2013)

this is awesome info, im going to buy some sardines and a tegu freezer, what size do i need for a full grown tegu? lmao!!!! jk


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## Roadkill (Jan 22, 2013)

Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.


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## Dubya (Jan 22, 2013)

Roadkill said:


> Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.



The same store has them fresh, too. Also very cheap.



elmo said:


> this is awesome info, im going to buy some sardines and a tegu freezer, what size do i need for a full grown tegu? lmao!!!! jk


Inside, it has to be as long as the full length of the tegu. If you keep your tegu frozen all week and only defrost him on the weekends, he can live upwards of 100 years. However, he will grow much more slowly. It is safe to freeze him while you go on an extended vacation as long as he is wrapped to prevent freezer burn. On your return, place him in a bathtub with cool water and epsom salts and gradually add warm water till a temp of 105deg is reached.



Roadkill said:


> Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.



I said fresh because most people think of sardines as canned.


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## Little Wise Owl (Jan 22, 2013)

Roadkill said:


> Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.



Unless he's using them daily with little or no other food, I highly doubt you'll ever see a thiamine deficiency. Offered with a varied diet, he should have no issues.


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## Dubya (Jan 22, 2013)

Little Wise Owl said:


> Roadkill said:
> 
> 
> > Fresh does not mean frozen. If you had access to fresh sardines, I'd say go crazy. Frozen sardines are another story. Dead fish release thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine in the body. Freezing doesn't stop this process, and therefore the longer the fish is frozen, the less thiamine it will contain. Heavy reliance on cheap, frozen fish has often lead to thiamine deficiency in captive reptiles. Feel free to offer them as a treat, avoid using them as a staple without thiamine supplementation.
> ...



They are just one of many things. I try to mix it up as much as possible. His usual mix is 70% coctail franks, 20% Hillshire Farms Lil Smokies, and 10% sauerkraut.


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 22, 2013)

Don't forget the lunchmeat and ahso sauce... ;p

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## Dubya (Jan 22, 2013)

BatGirl1 said:


> Don't forget the lunchmeat and ahso sauce... ;p
> 
> Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2



Turkey Spam is better than regular. Also, he will not eat his potstickers without ahso sauce. I have to add caraway seeds to his sauerkraut to reduce bloating.


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## apocalypse910 (Jan 22, 2013)

Dubya said:


> Little Wise Owl said:
> 
> 
> > Roadkill said:
> ...



That doesn't sound very balanced. You should try adding pop-rocks back into his diet as well. Just be sure to introduce them gradually.


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 23, 2013)

Don't forget the soda...the pop rocks don't offer the same nutritional balance without it. ( nor the fun fizzy experience on that long tegu tongue! )

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## chitodadon (Jan 23, 2013)

Give him alka seltzer with the soda hehehehe

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## Dubya (Jan 23, 2013)

I know this guy who had a friend that gave his nile monitor Pop Rocks and Whip-its and the monitor went nuts and bit him and then floated out the window, so I heard.


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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

If your looking to faten up his tail, take him to the all you can eat pan cakes at I hop, but sometimes mine is picky and will only eat an rat omelet.


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## chitodadon (Jan 24, 2013)

Lol

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 24, 2013)

What is wrong with us...? By the way I only believe the floating out the window part...the rest is obviously hogwash. 

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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

BatGirl1 said:


> What is wrong with us...? By the way I only believe the floating out the window part...the rest is obviously hogwash.
> 
> Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2



Haha idk it's just fun


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 24, 2013)

I was just talking to my sister in law , who is also an exotics enthusiast , about how messed up we ( meaning her and I and the majority of exotic pet owners I encounter) are... I told her we must all have the same dna somehow or some kind of code in our makeup that makes us this way...haha. she agreed. It's like how most people would try to kill a spider, for example, and i'd be like "noooooo! Let's feed it instead." Or how when i was rehabbing bats, big burly guys would be all freaked out wearing a hockey mask and cowering in a corner and i'd get the damn thing in a dish towel and start baby-talking to it about how cute and sweet it is...haha. never mind our sense of humor. Omg.haha 

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## chitodadon (Jan 24, 2013)

*Re: RE: fresh sardines as tegu food*



BatGirl1 said:


> I was just talking to my sister in law , who is also an exotics enthusiast , about how messed up we ( meaning her and I and the majority of exotic pet owners I encounter) are... I told her we must all have the same dna somehow or some kind of code in our makeup that makes us this way...haha. she agreed. It's like how most people would try to kill a spider, for example, and i'd be like "noooooo! Let's feed it instead." Or how when i was rehabbing bats, big burly guys would be all freaked out wearing a hockey mask and cowering in a corner and i'd get the damn thing in a dish towel and start baby-talking to it about how cute and sweet it is...haha. never mind our sense of humor. Omg.haha
> 
> Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2



Lol I hate spiders

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

Spiders are fun to feed though


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 24, 2013)

<3

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## chitodadon (Jan 24, 2013)

*Re: RE: fresh sardines as tegu food*



TeguBlake said:


> Spiders are fun to feed though



Yea I love to feed them then move far away eniugh to still see

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 24, 2013)

My baby brachypelma smithi ( hope i spelled it right) hasn't eaten for me yet, but it's soooo cute...  

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## Dubya (Jan 24, 2013)

TeguBlake said:


> If your looking to faten up his tail, take him to the all you can eat pan cakes at I hop, but sometimes mine is picky and will only eat an rat omelet.



I took mine to Dennys and they didn't want to serve him. I told the waiter that he is black AND white, and then they reluctantly brought his sausages. Gwangi was insulted and embarrassed and refuses to eat there anymore.


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## chitodadon (Jan 24, 2013)

*Re: RE: fresh sardines as tegu food*



Dubya said:


> TeguBlake said:
> 
> 
> > If your looking to faten up his tail, take him to the all you can eat pan cakes at I hop, but sometimes mine is picky and will only eat an rat omelet.
> ...



Lmao oh damn

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

Aw poor Gwangi! You can never trust Denny's with your sausage.


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## Dubya (Jan 24, 2013)

I will try to be more careful with my sausage.


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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

Just have your Gwangi hold on to it(;


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## Dubya (Jan 24, 2013)

We are gonna get kicked off this forum if Laura sees us. Again, just act casual. We will just say that Batgirl1 is a bad influence on us.


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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

Oh dang... Um um moo moo ... I mean.... Ehhhh batgirl did it! ~~~>


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## chitodadon (Jan 24, 2013)

Lol aww damn I meed a drink for this

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## laurarfl (Jan 24, 2013)

Drinking is bad for you. 

And Dubya, being careful with your sausage is sage advice for life, my dear friend.


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## chitodadon (Jan 24, 2013)

There goes the fum everyone run

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

I tripped ... I TRIPPED!!! Nooooo,


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## Dubya (Jan 24, 2013)

I got the beer! Run!!!


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## chitodadon (Jan 24, 2013)

Damn blake someone always falling lol I got u buddy jump in the wheel barrel

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## Dubya (Jan 24, 2013)

Whew, that was close. Hey, where's Batgirl1?


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## TeguBlake (Jan 24, 2013)

I told her to take our stash of drinks and flout down the river, we need to meet her there, hurry grab Gwangis sausage and run!


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## laurarfl (Jan 24, 2013)

I hear your footsteps! You can run but you can't hide!


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 25, 2013)

... hey. Where'd everybody go? And why does it smell like sausage and beer? Sheesh. Nice forum. ;p

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## TeguBlake (Jan 25, 2013)

"calling Batgirl1" RING.....RiNG.... RING......


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 25, 2013)

Damnit haven't I told you a zillion times to use the bat signal??? Haha

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## TeguBlake (Jan 25, 2013)

BatGirl1 said:


> Damnit haven't I told you a zillion times to use the bat signal??? Haha
> 
> Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2



"Calling batgirl" batgirl! Where are you!


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 25, 2013)

Haha...nice. 

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## chitodadon (Jan 25, 2013)

Lmao lol crazy u meed a bottle of liqour

from Samsung Galaxy S3


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 25, 2013)

Join us... we all float down here......... 

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## chitodadon (Jan 25, 2013)

Im down

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## BatGirl1 (Jan 25, 2013)

Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2[attachment=6229]


Sorry...random pic of me with my brother....also reptile enthusiast can't figure this pic stuff out :/

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## TeguBlake (Jan 26, 2013)

You got it to work! that's a great picture of you to! Your lucky to have some one to share your love with! I can't really find anyone down here in Texas... Lol or maybe it's just Dallas.


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 26, 2013)

Unfortunately my brother lives in north carolina...i live up here in nh. He and his wife used to breed reptiles. If/when I eventually move down there maybe we can have a breeding project together. They have tortoises, bearded dragons and snakes now. They used to have chameleons, hognose snakes( which i want one), ball pythons, red tailed boa, etc. Sorry about the double pic i am on my phone and can't figure out how to delete the other. Also sorry for going so off topic... 

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## laurarfl (Jan 26, 2013)

Awesome photo!


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## BatGirl1 (Jan 26, 2013)

thanks. i love my brother. He's always been like a dad to me after my dad passed away when i was turning 4. 

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