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I got my hatchling yesterday and he hasn't eaten anything. I have Chicken of the Sea canned tuna in water. Is that ok? I want to entice his appetite because he won't touch the Zoo Med aquatic turtle pellets.

A bit of tuna to get him eating won't hurt, but don't make it the only food he eats just because he really likes it (and he will).

If you only got him yesterday, it may take a few days before he wants to eat (and bask). Remember, he's adjusting to a new environment. Does he have the equipment he needs (lights, basking area, heater, filter, etc.)? Make sure the water and basking area temps are good.

If you're giving him the micro pellets by Zoo-Med, I have to say that just about every hatchling I've tried to give them to hasn't really gone for them (and I personally think they have a rather foul smell). Try to get some Reptomin Baby for him. Most hatchlings will eat it and it has a bit more calcium in it (good for growing turtles).

Well I tried tuna and he likes it. I'll try soaking the pellet in tuna juice to see if it works. I want the pellets to be his staple diet.

He has all the necessary equipment. Water temp is at 80 and basking area is at 90. He's not shy at all. I think he's comfortable and adjused to his new home qquite well. In fact, while he was basking I stuck my hand in the tank to adjust some things and he didn't even flinch.

Just an update. He's doing fine and eating pellets. He spat it back out at first but after 2 tries he finally gave in and swallowed it whole. I'm so glad he doesn't spit any of it back out because I want the tank to stay clean.

He's a hatchling at 1.25" but I feed him the growth formula pellets for turtles 2 - 6". Is this ok? I want his diet to be low in protein so he doesn't suffer from pyramiding.

Hatchlings need more protein then adult turtles. So it is good, just as long as you don't give him live food all the time he should be ok. Just feed him as much pellets that would fit in his hallow head.

I'm not sure what protein your pellets have but mine is on reptomin baby and he hasn't pyramided. If you can get him to eat veggies that will help to not pyramid.

I don't know what growth formula pellets are, but I'd probably recommend against them. Just plain old turtle pellets should be fine for your turtle, and then they won't be being given extra "growing" materials (whatever those might be). I'd recommend Reptomin, it's good.

I feed him Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Food growth formula for turtles 2-6". It is 35% protein. I'm not sure if this is sufficient for hatchlings? Zoo Med has a hatchling formula that is 43% protein but Petsmart doesn't carry them. If 35% isn't enough then I'll supplement his diet with extra protein.

Here's a link on turtle pellets that may be helpful:

http://www.redearslider.com/pellets.html

I see the Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Food is on the "good" list. Apparently Zoo Med has recently reformulated its pellets - sounds like for the better. The main problem is that the pellets for big turtles are big - and thus hard for a little hatchling to eat.

What some people do if they can't get turtle food especially for hatchlings is to buy Reptomin turtle sticks (which are big) and break them into little pieces to make them easy for the hatchling to eat. I think the Reptomin sticks would be easier to break up than the Zoo Med pellets, and they are higher in protein which is a good thing for a hatchling.

If you haven't had a chance yet, you might take some time to read through the other info on nuitrition on this site. There are lots of good tips there including how to add variety to your turtle's diet, which is very important, just as it is for us.

Thanks for the link Marisa. According to the article, approximately 50% of a hatchling's diet should be protein. What I'll do is supplement his diet with tuna and some type of freeze dried food. I'm also thinking about breeding guppies.

The Zoo Med pellets I have are 3/16", about half the size of his head. I break them up into 1/4 portions and soften them in water before feeding. He seems to like the pellets. Zoo Med claims they are all natural with no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.

She is SpotsMama not Marisa.

lol My RES didn't really like them and I hated the smell, but Zoo-Med pellets are OK for him. You might alternate with Reptomin Baby pellets (around 39% protein and a bit more calcium than regular Reptomin) if you can get them.

Little ones need more protein in their diet to promote growth. That said, I wouldn't go overboard with the tuna or freeze dried food (crickets?) and would give them more as treats. Most turtles do nicely with regular Reptomin (42.5% protein) and variety in the diet. Just don't overfeed.

I was thinking once a week with the tuna or freeze dried food. I'm not sure what freeze dried food I'll get but I'm leaning towards shrimp or krill.