Feeding and Nutrition :: RES Diet

[littlesnackcakes]

Ever since I got my turtles, they have hated pellet food. I have tried every brand on the market and resorted to their favorite: Tubifex worms. They love the worms and I thought that was great until I read the nutrition section on this site that says it is not recommended. I toss in a earthworm and mealworms every now and then. They used to eat lettuce but got tired of it. They have been eating the tubifex worms and freeze dried krill every other day for the past year. They look very healthy and are very active. Should I worry and changed their diet?

[industrial_girl_2000]

In the long run, the worms & krill are not nutritionally complete. It would be like feeding a human baby McDonald's food for the first year of their life.

It is time to start feeding them more nutritionally complete foods, like pellets. They will eventually will eat the pellets if they are given no other kinds of food (don't worry, they won't starve if they refuse to eat the pellets for a few days). Also, you can buy an anacharis pond plant to put in the tank. Most of the turtles will eat anacharis since it is a natural plant for them in the wild too & it will help balance their diet.

Try other veggies too, not just lettuce. There are about 30-40 different kinds of veggies/fruits that are good for turtles so feel free to try other things besides lettuce. The list is located at the top of the feeding/nutrition forum section, as a sticky. Print it out & put it on your fridge. That way when you make your grocery list, you can buy a couple of the things on the list & try them with your turtles.

[turtleman123]

starve them for a few days, then give them pellets

[megcornell]

No don't starve them, that is not sound advice. Just start offering them healthy foods only like pellets and veggies to eat. They may CHOOSE not to eat for a few days, but keep offering the food and when they're hungry enough they'll eat.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Exactly what Meg said. there is no need to "starve" them per se....just offer them the pellets. They may not want them initially and that's ok. Just keep offering pellets every day until they eat them.

[ZombieTurtle]

yes the change in diet will prevent that turtle from growing up extremely unhealthy. you should change there diet as soon as possible