Feeding and Nutrition :: Too many carrots?

[octpusgirl8]

Turtley loves carrots. I put lettuce in his tank everyday, and he barely touches it, there's usually a few nips taken from the edges, but most days he doesn't eat much of it. Every other day (the days i don't give him pellets) i give him carrots along with the lettuce, and he eats all of them every time. Is there anything wrong with a large percentage of his vegetable intake being carrots? I know he needs more variety, i always offer the lettuce and i occasionally give him other things on the what to feed list, but he only really gets into the carrots. Any thoughts?

[DavidY]

Carrots are listed in the moderate use section on the nutrition guide on this website. I'm not positive, but I think it may be a little high in sugar. A couple of times a week should be okay, but if that's the only significant vegetable that he's getting, you should try to find something else he will like. I notice my turtles all seem to go straight for anything red, like red leaf lettuce or radiccio. You could also try some aquatic plants from the pet store.

[octpusgirl8]

Hmmm maybe that's why he loves them so. For the lettuce, i use romaine and red leaf depending on which i have, he doesn't seem to prefer one over the other. I tried radiccio a few times, he wasn't interested. I have some anacharis in there, he eats that occasionally, but he really loved the hornwort i got him, he ate most of the plant in a couple days. I would like to get him more of that but the petsmart hasn't had any lately. Maybe next time i go up to PA i should see if That Fish Place has any, i could stock up on it. Knowing my luck i'll buy a ton of it and he won't eat it! I was also thinking about trying to make some food for him with gelatin as a binder, i could chop up a bunch of good veggies and throw some tuna juice and chopped worms in there for flavor.

[grey goose]

Beaker loves carrots too. She can eat a whole baby carrot by herself...then she swims around with her orange lipstick! I only give her carrots on Fridays.

[octpusgirl8]

I love it when they swim around with a prized piece of food that's just too tasty to let go of! I just got Turtley some of that San Francisco Bay Aquatic Turtle Diet and he is all over it! At first he seemed weirded out because it was cold, but he took a little nibble and then latched on to the cube and swam all around the tank with it before he settled down and ate it. Oh turtles....so cute! And i love the carrot lipstick look too, it's quite fashionable!

[Starchick]

Hehe I love the lipstick look! Napoleon used to always have a little orange smile when I was feeding him bigger peices of carrot, but now he gets the shreds that come in his salad and they don't have the same effect.