Feeding and Nutrition :: Is my baby RES diet balanced?

[alisonk]

Hi,

I found a baby RES in the wild in Florida (he is 1 1/2 inches long) and we've kept him for about 2 months now. I have reptomin baby turtle pellets, but he doesn't seem to like them, and spits them out if he gets a bite. I have been breaking them into little pieces and mixing them with thawed bloodworms, but I have to really spoon feed him if he is to take any of the pellets at all. So I have been feeding a combination of frozen pet store fish foods. I need to know if these are an ok diet by themselves, or do I really need him to take the pellets?

Frozen bloodworms (he loves these)
Frozen brine shrimp (also loves these)
Frozen krill (loves these too)
Frozen daphnia (this thaws in tiny pieces and is a mess, so I don't feed it too often)
I found frozen adult turtle food , but it is mostly veggies, and he didn't eat it. I will keep these for when he is older.
I also keep red wigglers in a vermicompost bin, which are only fed carrot juice pulp and shredded newspaper. I pick out the tiny ones, and he loves them.

So if he eats all of the above in rotation, and the odd pellet crushed up in the bloodworms/brine shrimp....is this a balanced diet?

I feed 2 times a day.

Also, at what size do you start to offer greens and veggies?

Thanks,

Alison

[swiltz]

i normally start offering mine veggies when they are ard 3.5 inches!
Hatchlings are generally more carnivorous, which currently seems to be exactly wad ur lil one prefers. The foods you are offering are sufficient for now.. bt rmb to provide it a source of calcium..( cuttlebone broken into smaller pieces, calcium powder sprinkled ober moist food and left to dry)

[steve]

If he's been eating regularly, I would try a tough love approach for a few days. Offer him the pellets and remove what's left after 30 minutes are so. Please refer to this page for quantity/frequency: http://www.redearslider.com/pellets.html