Feeding and Nutrition :: How much lettuce per day?

Turtle diets and eating habits discussed here.

Post Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:59 pm   How much lettuce per day?

I feed my turtles green leaf, romaine, radicchio, and red leaf lettuce twice each day except Monday when they get carrots. I feed them once in the morning and once before the lights go out. Each turtle gets approximate one leaf in total at each feeding. They are fairly large now. Both are about 6 1/2 - 7 inches. Lately they are getting very aggressive splashing the water and knocking over the in tank filter etc... after I feed them because they want more. They always begged, but the aggressive behavior is kind of new. So I am wondering if I am underfeeding them. They get a total of two leafs each every day over and above pellets 2 times a week and an occasional earthworm snack. When people say they are feeding lettuce how much lettuce are they talking about?
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:51 pm   Re: How much lettuce per day?

They say feed them as much as would fit in their head as if it were hollow. so about a head size of lettuce and pellets.
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:55 pm   Re: How much lettuce per day?

You could offer a little more lettuce but keep an eye on the stool. If it's very loose, then cut back.
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Post Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:07 am   Re: How much lettuce per day?

An amount that fits into their head of lettuce? My turtles would break through the glass and raid the refrigerator at night. lol They want a "head of lettuce" each. lol

I've been giving each of them a full leaf of lettuce twice a day for the last couple of years and they are raising a ruckus these days because they are bigger and want more.

I am very conservative with the protein. I only give a handful of pellets a few times a week.
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Post Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:27 pm   Re: How much lettuce per day?

I give my turtle (he's 4.5 inches) Three reptomin pellets in the morning and a leaf of lettuce in the evening. Changing kinds of lettuce. Sometimes dandelion leafs. He gets carrot shavings as a treat and little pieces of cuttle bone occasionally. He doesn't like to work on big pieces of cuttle bone. Every once in a blue moon he'll get a little piece of banana, apple, blueberry or grape. The fruit is an occasional treat due to it's sugar content.
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Post Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:12 am   Re: How much lettuce per day?

wcrimi wrote:An amount that fits into their head of lettuce? My turtles would break through the glass and raid the refrigerator at night. lol They want a "head of lettuce" each. lol

I've been giving each of them a full leaf of lettuce twice a day for the last couple of years and they are raising a ruckus these days because they are bigger and want more.

I am very conservative with the protein. I only give a handful of pellets a few times a week.


Paaaaahahahahahahahaha :lol: thats so funny. My res would do the same. But im thinking Im over feeding. She gets 1 1/2 tsp of pellets every morning, and when I approach the tank she's damn near jumpin out at me. The pellets have shrimp, worms, and cranberries in it. So called 'gourmet'. I want to try more greens but it just goes bad in my fridge. Can she have cabbage?
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Post Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:40 pm   Re: How much lettuce per day?

My turtle is about 3.5 inches big and I feed him 1/2 - 3/4 a leaf of lettuce a day and every other day, 2 turtle pellets. But he always seems to want more, and more!
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:06 am   Re: How much lettuce per day?

SeriSlider wrote:Paaaaahahahahahahahaha :lol: thats so funny. My res would do the same. But im thinking Im over feeding. She gets 1 1/2 tsp of pellets every morning, and when I approach the tank she's damn near jumpin out at me. The pellets have shrimp, worms, and cranberries in it. So called 'gourmet'. I want to try more greens but it just goes bad in my fridge. Can she have cabbage?



Cabbage, no also, wow you are definitly over feeding, adults should only get pellets 1-2x a week at max and even then if they are fully grown, protein is almost never needed.

Green = Green and Red Leaf lettuce, dandilion greens.
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Post Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:01 pm   Re: How much lettuce per day?

bananaspit wrote:My turtle is about 3.5 inches big and I feed him 1/2 - 3/4 a leaf of lettuce a day and every other day, 2 turtle pellets. But he always seems to want more, and more!


If it is nutritional greens like red leaf lettuce, as much as they want. I usually put about 4 leafs in a clip and just leave it there, it usually takes him about a day to eat all of it, sometimes two. He only gets pellets every couple of days though.
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