Feeding and Nutrition :: Once a day for young res?

[ljapa]

We have a young RES. Sized between a half dollar and a silver dollar.

We've had him a few days. I know he is eating, though I only saw him consume food today.

I also know he has been letting food sit on the bottom. My plan was to leave it for a bit to see if he would try it before cleaning it up.

We've been going with the guideline of feed approx the size of his head per day. I've seen him eat reptimin baby pellets. Ive tried one small live cricket. One cut up dead cricket. One small carrot peel. I don't believe he has touched any of those. My neighbor across the street has two tropical aquariums. He's offered to give me some of his frozen blood worms the next time he treats his fish.

My question is should we halve what we feed and do it twice a day or stick to a once a day feeding?

The turtle is active. He is basking. I have a UVB light on order which should show up less than four days since he went in to the aquarium, so I'm not worried, but would love any advice from those who have raised young RES.

We got the aquarium before I could research what I really need, so I have a 20gallon reptile kit with one of those waterfall filters. I've already ordered a larger filter, so I can raise the water level and do a top mounted basking area. I think I'll be fine at his size for a bit.

My plan is to move up to the 90 - 120 gallon next instead of having to work my way through various sizes.

I want to thank everyone for contributing to this forum. I've been doing lots of reading these past two days.

[steve]

If he's a slow eater, I would halve the amount you're feeding. Leave some fresh water aquatic plants for him to nibble on. Everything else sounds good

[ljapa]

Thanks Steve.

He is now excited when my son and I walk by, so he's begging already.

When we give him the baby pellets, he will eat hem right away. This morning we offered him some dark green leaf lettuce. He swam over to try one and then left it. Later I saw him grabbing a few chunks from another. Then this afternoon we offered pellets, which he grabbed.

Did not even try the carrots we offered a day or two ago.

From what I'm seeing I'm not worried.

I think our working plan is some type of vegetable in the morning, then pellets in the evening. Or will this perhaps make him too likely to fill up on non protein for a turtle so young?

I'm trying to encourage variety early, but I do understand that young turtles need a higher protein diet.

I think the water plants are a great idea. For now I have a 20 gallon tank 3/4 full. Any suggestions on plants for something that small? A larger tank will come, but as I said above, I'd prefer to go to the end size once I make that move. I'm hoping he'll be fine for another six months or so.

[steve]

Hatchlings are more carnivorous, so they might ignore veggies. You can use a veggie clip, so it stays in one place and they are more likely to try it.