Feeding and Nutrition :: Introducing veggies

[LauraLyn]

I have a few questions about veggies

What are the best ones to introduce first and how long should they be left in the tank with her?

So far we have tried red leaf lettuce, cucumber and carrots and she hasn't gone for them.

I know I should continue to try daily but what do you think she would like/benefit from the most?

[octpusgirl8]

Yes, definitely continue daily. Sometimes it just takes a long time. It took months of daily offerings before my turtle would do anything but nibble at his veggies. Now he eats them like candy! Red leaf is usually pretty polpular, as are carrots. How are you preparing the carrots? They need to be in pretty thin strips for easy chomping. A vegetable peeler works great. Small pieces of steamed/boiled sweet potato would be worth a try too. Just try lots of things, and try every day. Persistence is key. If your turtle is older, try not giving and pellets or treats for a couple pf days, your turtle might find the veggies a little more appetizing without easy pellets. one more trick to try would be using a suction veggie clip (usually found with the fish food in pet stores). Holding the veggies securely in place makes it easier and more tempting for a turtle to start nibbling on them. Hope this was helpful, and good luck!

[Nettle]

My turtles' personal favorite is romaine, even though its not the best for them. If a while goes by and they still won't eat them, you can try soaking the leaves in tuna juice over-night.

[LauraLyn]

thank you!

[imderanged]

my turtle went absolutly crazy for dandalion greens.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I think each different turtle has a preference towards how they get their veggies. My turtle doesn't like the lettuce attached to the side of the tank, he'd rather "hunt" down the lettuce floating at the top. I cut the leaves into strips and he just chomps away at it. Just try different things, what works for one turtle might not work for another. How big/old is your turtle?

[Take-One]

My brothers turtle ate veggie the third time she saw them. My male tried to eat carrots but cant.

[SpotsMama]

My turtle loves fresh basil - has since he was little. He loves steamed sweet potato too. But these days he loves most everything.

[marisa]

If your turtle isn't interested in any veggies right now, you might try some anachris (aquatic plant) if you can purchase it in your state. It's what I've started most of my turtles out with, and then introduced other veggies. For veggies, it's good to initially concentrate on leafy greens (especially dandelions), and vary with other veggies.

[LadyClovenhoof]

Dandelions like the kind that grow in your yard? If so, the whole thing, or just the leafy part?

[octpusgirl8]

Yes, just like in your lawn. Just don't use them from your yard if you use pesticides or have fertilized recently. You can also buy them at the store frequently. My turtle prefers the small baby leaves that grow before the plant flowers.

[marisa]

Once the plant flowers, the leaves become quite bitter. Smaller leaves are also more tender and easier to eat.

[LadyClovenhoof]

I'll have to keep an eye out as they start coming up then. We don't do anything to our yard, so they should be ok.