General Care Discussion :: Turtles Eating Lettuce

[eaw66]

I have two turtles, one res is 4" and the other is 3.5". I am trying to get the pyramiding down a bit by feeding them romaine lettuce. I also am going to feed them carrots. I currently feed them reptomin daily and a freeze dried krill or cricket as a snack less about once a week. The pyramiding isn't severe but it is noticable with bumps both upwards and downwards on the shell. At first I thought that the reptomin contained vegtable matter but I later learned they need fresh veggies as well. Is that true and how long will it take for the pyramiding to go down to flat normal shell?

[sonyj]

The pyramiding may never completely go away, but the shell should smooth out some if you get them on a well-balanced diet (this may take a while to be noticeable though) .

Read the sticky under the feeding section on what to and not to feed. More variety in their veggies/plant matter would be good such as green/red leaf lettuce, dandelion greens, squash, zucchini etc. Mix it up and feed them veggies daily.

The pellets should be the amount that will fit inside their heads if the head was hollow once-a-day, every other day. And the krill should be no more than once a month as a treat. Other live prey such as feeders, crickets, or worms can be given occasionally if they have a healthy diet.

[marisa]

Welcome. Is it possible to post a picture of their shells when they're dry?

Red lettuce has a bit more nutritional value than romaine (and I think is more tender), although both are better than iceberg (a no-no). Try feeding dandelion greens, which are even better because they have a good calcium/phosphorus ratio and contain beta carotene (Vit. A) as well as other plant matter (there's a list on the forum).