Feeding and Nutrition :: Too many Veggies?

[Mr.Carson]

Can my 6 month old turtle eat too much red leaf lettuce at one time?

I have read that many owners leave a leaf in the tank during the day so that the turtle can graze whenever they want.

I usually leave a leaf in the tank when I leave for work and it is always gone when I come home.

I guess I am just a little worried about overfeeding the guy.

I also feed him a few reptomin pellets (4ish) every day or every other day.

Thanks for the advice!

-Paul

edit: I should note that he is only an inch or two big. And the leaves that I leave in there are about as big as him or bigger.

[steve]

Yes, they can eat too much. Messy waste (well, more than usual) and vomiting are the more obvious symptoms of eating too many veggies. Does he eat it right away or just nibbles on it?

[tjurhs]

I feed my 2year old RES (about 3 inches in size) lots of different veggies, mainly dandelions and red leaf lettuce, and carrot slivers, but I mix up his diet with other things too. Once in a while a redworm, or some baby snails, or a cricket, or a minnow, yes even green pellets or dried fresh water shrimp (shrimp don't offer much if any nutritional value, but he likes them). I find it fun thinking about what I'll feed him each day.

But I never feed him more than one thing. If he gets a red leaf lettuce, then that's all he gets. If he gets a cricket, then that's all he gets. If he gets pellets, then three is it, could he eat more pellets, probably, but does he need too? I don't think so.

Basically, I like to mix up my RES's diet, and control the amount that I feed him.

hint, one way to feed him veggies without making as much of a mess is to rubberband them to a stainless steel bolt. As he grazes, the pieces won't get away from him so easily and make a mess for your filter to clean up.

Have fun, Todd

[badturtlebadturtle]

I'd just like to start with saying that it's pretty awesome that you've started veggies this soon with your turtle, and that your turtle has taken to them.
My turtle can get slightly leafy stools from eating too many veggies at a time. It isn't diarrhoea as such, but it's disintegrated and not solid. I'd suggest keeping an eye on his stools during feeding time, and limiting the leafy vegetables and adding non-leafy veggies instead. Aside from this and other tummy problems, I don't think there is anything to worry about. It's not possible to get an overdose on vitamins from veggies as they contain a preliminary stage of vitamins and not the vitamin itself, hence the body processes what it needs and the excess is always thrown out. Vitamin overdose can happen from artificial sources like supplements, as these provide direct vitamins.
Also, my turtle has a weird habit of shredding the lettuce I've tossed in his tub until there are bits and pieces floating about, and then nibbling at them throughout the day. He doesn't do it when I use a veggie clip, and I think it's because he mistakes it for one of the fake plants in his tub and he'll chomp down happily without messing around. so you could try using veggie clips if you are worried about the filters.