Feeding and Nutrition :: Lettuce question

[lovesturtles89]

I'm not sure if I'm under feeding my turtles when it comes to lettuce. I know for pellets you're supposed to give them the amount of their head, but I'm not sure how much to give them when I feed them lettuce.

I give them 4-5 small pieces each (they're 5 inches long). One seems fine with that amount, but the other becomes a food bum by the evening. I'm paranoid of over feeding them, so I don't give into the bumming.

I've looked around the forum and haven't found much in regards to the amount. 1 person on this forum had said to give them as much as they want, but I think that would be too much. :/

[steve]

I give close to a full leaf... a little less than the size of the shell if laid out flat. It's really hard to estimate an amount, and your RES might not get used to it right away. If there is a lot of loose stool, then I cut down the amount.

[lovesturtles89]

Ok. Thanks!

[Into_the_Mystic]

Mine has completely stopped eating any type of lettuce I put in there.. He eats the pellets every other day of course, but it doesn't matter what type of lettuce this past week or so, he just wont touch it.

He will eat shaved pieces of carrots or blueberries, etc, but I guess he is sick of lettuce.

I am beginning to worry, but he appears just fine.

[devilduck]

Try making turtle jello shots by pureeing veggies into an watery apple sauce texture then adding unflavored gelatin. viewtopic.php?t=17486

[Tinky'sMom]

Great question, I was wondering the same thing, how much lettuce is enough/too much. I feel my turtle the top of one red or green leaf lettuce per day. He gobbles it up right away. He's almost 4 inchs. He also gets 6 pellets of food a day. I like to think of the lettuce as a low calorie filler. He's almost a year old, so I'm going to cut back on the pellets to every other day, starting next month, but continue giving him lettuce daily.

[steve]

Mine has completely stopped eating any type of lettuce I put in there.. He eats the pellets every other day of course, but it doesn't matter what type of lettuce this past week or so, he just wont touch it.

He will eat shaved pieces of carrots or blueberries, etc, but I guess he is sick of lettuce.

I am beginning to worry, but he appears just fine.

My male RES didn't touch any lettuce over the winter and now loves it again. Just put less in there regardless of his interest.

[Into_the_Mystic]

O.k. I just worry he will be getting too much protein if he is just eating the pellets every-other-day.

He is eating some of the carrots and always eats the pieces of cuttle bone, so I guess I will just hope he gains his taste for lettuce back soon.

Thanks Steve

[steve]

Yea, I never increased his amounts to substitute something else but he did still get occasional treats. He doesn't beg as insanely as my other RES does, so it wasn't so bad.

[Into_the_Mystic]

I steamed green beans last night and gave him one. He LOVED it! = : >