Feeding and Nutrition :: how to get my shelldon to eat pellets??

[turtleluvgrl]

hi yall...my lil shelldon wont eat his pellets...and ive bought two different kinds...lil fat ones and long skinny ones both by reptomin....all he eats are the freeze dried mealworms and the freeze dried shrimp...tried the veggies (carrots and the red leaf lettuce) he ate it once and that was it...and here lately ive noticed hes gettin a lil fat...so i was wondering how often to feed him...well we hope hes a him...lol...hes prob about 3 or 4 inches...i feed him in the morning..about 2 lil mealworms and a pinch of shrimp...then give him a "snack" of 2 mealworms at night...i keep puttin the pellets and veggies in but he still ignores them...he has a healthy appetite because he gobbles the worms n shrimps up....ive read the forum and res info and know he cant just keep eating the shrimp and mealworms...so any info on how to get him to eat the pellets would be greatly appreciated:) and one other lil question....whats the easiest way to see if hes a boy or girl?

[happycamper]

You might need to practice some tough love, stop offering anything besides the pellets and fresh veggies and I bet eventually he will come around. I have heard that dipping pellets in tuna water and letting them dry can help entice them a little too. Also check out the turtle jello shot recipe. The feeding and nutrition section talks about how much to feed.

"Turtle pellet colors, shapes and sizes vary between brands and product instructions are often too generous. A general guideline used by most keepers calls for the amount of pellets to be in proportion to the size of their heads (excluding their necks). Remember, pellets should only be offered every other day for yearlings and adults."

http://www.redearslider.com/pellets.html

Boy or girl? http://www.redearslider.com/determining_sex.html

I would start by just reading all the sections on the main site, lots of info

[turtleluvgrl]

ok thanks ill try the tuna water if the tough love doesnt work.....poor shelldon....hes not gonna be very happy with me lol

[turtleluvgrl]

what if hes not a yearling? still feed him every other day?

[happycamper]

You said your turtle is 3 or 4 inches? That's just the length of the shell right? Every other day should be good, offer veggies daily if possible.

[turtleluvgrl]

yep just his shell...thanks for the help:) im hoping he will start eatin his pellets instead of the shrimp and mealworms

[steve]

She will, just don't give in