What should turtles be fed

Living in the wild, red eared slider turtles feed on aquatic vegetation, little fish, and material that is decaying such as frogs and dead fish. The young turtles are mainly carnivorous and become more omnivorous as they grow into adults. As pets, red eared sliders and other aquatic turtles can be fed daily as hatchlings and juveniles, reducing the feedings to every other day as adult turtles. Red eared slider turtles eat a variety of items in the wild and while we can't exactly mimic these foods exactly for our pets, we can provide them with some options.

Aquatic turtle pellets are a staple for your pet turtle but they shouldn't make up the bulk of their diet. Some people choose to feed adult turtles once only every three days while others prefer to stick to smaller meals and continue feeding them daily.

No matter which feeding schedule you choose, the important thing is not to overfeed your turtle, especially with items high in protein and fat since red eared sliders and other aquatic turtles often have voracious appetites and will beg for food. Some owners describe their pet turtles doing a frantic swim as if trying to fly straight out of the water or staring at them like a dog begs for food. However often you feed your turtle, be sure to monitor their body condition. If folds of skin are developing around a turtle's legs, especially when they pull their legs into their shell, they are getting too fat and need to be fed smaller amounts, eat less often, or offer food with a lower fat content.

Remember that adult red eared sliders are quite herbivorous so if your turtle seems overly hungry, try feeding more leafy greens and plant material rather than aquatic turtle pellets or prey food items. Turtles will not only drink from the water bowl but will often bathe in it as well although it is perfectly acceptable to mist the turtle with water a few times a week too.

Make sure the water stays clean; many turtles love to eliminate in their water bowl as well as drink from it. Used with permission under license. January 17, Services Online Booking. BRVC Blog. M - F 7ampm Sat - Sun 8am-8pm P. Address Bishop Dr. Make a Payment. All rights reserved. Pet Resources. No matter what type of food you are feeding your turtle, it is important to have a high power filter that can eliminate their waste after they poop.

You can learn more on my article about the best filter for turtle tank. If you are afraid that your turtle might be eating too much, you should try to counter this by encouraging them to exercise more. An easy way to do this is to add ornaments to your turtle tank. I recommend checking out some of these cool ornaments that your turtle can climb on. How much and how often you should feed them depends on when they reach maturity. Now that you know how much to feed your turtle. In general, it is best to feed your turtle every day or every other day.

However, the exact answer depends on the age of your turtle. Here are some good rules of thumb for frequency of feedings:. Moreover, you need to give your turtle a healthy, balanced diet of more than just turtle pellets.

This ratio should apply to juvenile and young adult turtles. As the turtle ages, I would phase out one of the pellet feeding days and replace it with leafy greens and veggies. This then begs the question, how many leafy greens, vegetables and treats should I be feeding them? Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Tips Catching wild prey can be dangerous if they have pesticides on them and they can carry intestinal parasites.

The same goes for vegetation like dandelion greens that you pick outdoors. Some experts recommend fresh fruits such as bananas, berries, apples, and melon. However, this isn't a natural staple in the red-eared sliders diet, and it may cause diarrhea. If you offer any fruit at all, limit it to very small quantities as a special treat. Don't feed frozen fish, or at least not very often.

Freezing some types of fish increases levels of an enzyme in the fish that destroys vitamin B1. Cooked chicken and lean beef don't offer balanced nutrition and will foul the water very quickly. Use these only as very occasional treats in a feeding tank. The protein contents can also contribute to kidney disease in your turtle. Never feed raw chicken or meat due to the risk of bacterial contamination to both you and your captive turtle.