Feeding and Nutrition :: Competition for food

[Crash]

Hi. This is my first post actually. I got an RES (Crush) about three weeks ago. He's still small about 1.5 inches from head to tail. He eats fine in the tank and knows when it's feeding time. I just got a second RES (Crash) as well and he is slightly smaller. Crush knows the feeding times and always darts right to the food when i put it in the tank so i'm afraid that Crash (the new one) isn't getting his fill of food. He is very active and swims around very fast a lot too. I only got him 3 days ago and fed him outside the tank once and inside as well. Outside i noticed him actually eat only one pellet and simply shred the rest unlike Crush who doesn't leave a scrap.

Do you think Crash just needs more time to adjust? Should I continue feeding him outside the tank instead of together with Crush? I don't want Crush to overeat on the extra food and Crash to not get anything. Those of you who have multiple RESs do you feed them in the same tank or seperate them when feeding to make sure they all eat?

They are together in a 10 gallon (well decorated) tank for now and I have a full spectrum lamp over the tank as well. It is usually on for about 10-12 hours a day.

Thanks for the help!

[missibsu]

It could be that he needs more time to adjust. If I was going to remove a turtle for feeding, I think I would remove the one who has already adjusted. The other option is to remove one while feeding the other in the tank, and then switching. Then they could both eat in a familiar place. It is important that the one turtle not overeat, because that can lead to a variety of health problems.

What kind of veggies are you offering?

[Crash]

Actually no veggies at the moment. Right now I am using Turtle Bites pellets. When you talk about feeding veggies...how big should they be cut? Should I stick a whole leaf of Romaine lettuce in there or cut it up into smaller peices maybe the size of the turtles head and use that instead?

[missibsu]

You can throw the whole leaf in there, or you can cut it up. Either way it will probably be messy. Your turtle may not eat it right away either. The sooner veggies are started, the easier it is for them to adapt. There is a feeding list in the food section in one of the stickys.

[slidin_sliders]

yea my hachlings didnt start eating their veggies until about 1 year after i got them. you have to remember that when they are small, they are more carnivorous

i recommend throwing in some sliced ROMAINE lettuce a few pellets and a few small sized mealworms which you can get at any store.

seeing that your RES is about 1.5 inches, i would guess that it is a hatchling. for that, switch the pellets that u use to reptamin pellets because they provide lots of vitamins and calcium

good luck

[sonyj]

...
i recommend throwing in some sliced ROMAINE lettuce a few pellets and a few small sized mealworms which you can get at any store...

Mealworms shouldn't be offered very often or at all to turtles. In a well balanced diet, occasionally or rarely is fine but concentrating on veggies/plant matter and pellets as the staple is what's important.

Even though younger turtles are more carnivorous, in the wild they do not eat as much protein as we think they do. Captive turtles are very much over fed compared to their wild relatives.