General Care Discussion :: Turtle color blind? Also..why is he so hungry?

[daredevilgirl013]

I don't know if turtles can see in colors but I'm betting mine may be color blind or something.

I've noticed that he won't eat the grey colored guppies in the tank, but I had a red guppy and he ate it. (yes it was a red guppy..it wasn't a rosy red) He'll eat ghost shrimp but I've noticed he'll only eat the big ones, and my snails are yellow and black and he'll eat those. (plus he was nipping on one when I got home trying to eat it)

Is it possible that he can't see certain colors or certain things?

I'm tempted to get a rosy red to see if he'll eat that.

I've also noticed that he seems to be hungry all the time. Like today, I came home, he's trying to eat my huge apple snail. Then he went after one of the babies and luckily it hid. But he'll just go nuts wanting to eat everything he can. Why is he so hungry? I feed him once a day now but I feed him pleny at that one time feeding so that when I go to feed, even after the guppies steal some along with the ghost shrimp (I saw one ghost shrimp take three pellets in one swoop he's that big) there is always some left for him and I make sure of it by watching him eat. Any ideas or help on that?

[ellman605]

rosy reds arent particularly rosy, 4 of mine are a black color, and 3 are orange...also, i think he's just being picky, mine do the same, just ignore him.

[jenaero]

I think brighter colors are just more appealing for whatever reason. I don't know if there are only certain colors that res can see. Mine tend to take more interest in the male guppies or orange minnows before anything else.

As far as pigging out, dont start feeding more than usual. Throw in some extra veggies every day too. They're just opportunistic eaters is all. It's instinct to eat as much as they can at once because they don't know when they'll get more. Sounds like you've got a typical piggy/res

[birdlady]

Well my girls seem to go for the "red" rosies (actually orange) and leave the black ones for last if ever....still have a black one in the tank from a month ago which is growing fast..
They are also BIG BEGGERS!!! If they see you, they beg..any other time they are content on laying there sleeping. I just kindly tell them (don't know if they understand me or not) that I am not feeding them and go about my business.
Now they know that when the hand reaches INTO the tank, it's time to eat. They also love to take the food out of your fingers if your careful (big pieces of greens for this job). Sheldon would rather you feed her than go off in search of food herself. Bob is the opposite: She waits on the log till you are done feeding before she gets into the water to go at it.
Holly

[daredevilgirl013]

Michelangelo will swim off when I go to feed, but I have it so that when the basking light and the heat light come on, he knows it is feeding time. So he won't go too far back into the tank. But he doesn't really beg, least not that I've seen. But after I drop that food in about a minute later he's all over it. But I still have all the guppies except for the red one so I am still tempted to go find a colored guppy or rosie and see if he eats it. I just hope that this ma and pa pet store don't charge an arm and a leg for them because I don't have that much money for a fish that he might not eat that doesn't really help out the tank. I wish Petland here had them but alas they don't like to carry them.

[adammaxis]

Turtles are voarcious eaters. They'll try to eat everything in the tank! You included.

[daredevilgirl013]

He's already bit me once, but he hasn't been on a nipping spree for a while now like he was before, though he is just now nipping on a snail again.

[birdlady]

Well here's another test I ran today. I just put in 9 teeny tiny feeder guppies (and I mean tiny). After an hour chase around the tank, I still have 9 teeny tiny feeder guppies. BUT...the Black Rosy I had, is now gone (dumb fish came out when I put the new fish in....guess it wasn't his day..lol)
Well hopefully some of the guppies will survive and I can have babies.
Those leftover fish help out in the tank too...they eat whatever is left after the turts get done...plus the algae...so they are sorta helpful.

[marisa]

Turtles do see colors and can have their preferences.

[daredevilgirl013]

Hmm so if he sees colors it is possible that the guppies are blending in color wise with my room as it is a really really light blue, so therefore he might not be able to pick them apart from my room, which is why he went after the red one, he could see it.

I might have to test this....Here fishy fishy fishy!!

[Buslady]

I read turtles see in full color but certain colors stand out more like reds. Red is a appetizing color.

it's normal they always act hungry, it's their nature..they forage constantly because in the wild they dunno when they'll get their next meal. so they keep hunting. It's called Opportunistic hunting/feeding or the "see food diet" they see it they eat it.