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So i am currently on my second batch of the Jello shots... I am a little worried. The first batch were a nice green color and the turtle just devoured them, This batch is the leftovers from the first batch that I froze, thawed and made, they are not green anymore but brown in color. I am guessing thats from freezing the leftovers. Anyone else experience this issue?

I froze my leftovers but haven't had the guts to thaw them. How do you thaw them and what is there consistency? As far as the brown color, I think you're right. Freezing veggies does that (especially after they've been cut up)

Is gelatin ok for RES's to eat?

JimmyLo wrote:Is gelatin ok for RES's to eat?

Yes it is but it needs to be the unflavored kind. My turtle loves them and there are no ill effects in his diet or health from them.

Tried this and my res loves them. my map is just picky likes bloodworms the best.Maybe he will eat them when he gets older.

I am debating on trying this out. It looks awesome! My turtles: Koopa and Mertyle eats their veggies but sometimes they are picky about it.

I was wondering if I could give it to them as food? And what other modification can I make?

You can made almost any change... it's your choice

From the responses this sounds like the answer to my RES' veggie avoidance. Will be trying it next.

I recently acquired two neglected sliders. In wanting to create the most optimal habitat allowable I have researched their needs extensively. Unfortunately, discrepancies about nutrition abound in the absence of evidenced based outcomes. Some people advocate leafy greens while others caution against veggies with too much phosphorous. But the veggies high in vitamins A and K and calcium (such as kale and beet greens) also contain hight amounts of phosphorous and other potentially dangerous elements. Some people promote romaine lettuce, others feel it is empty. Some say carrots are a good choice but too much Vitamin A can be toxic (and carrots are high in sugar). Still, to promote a varied and balanced diet, I decided to introduce my new friends to raw veggies. I have one turtle that eats just about anything but the other is very finicky. In a comical kind of way, he takes a bite of leafy green, spits it out, and pushes it away with his leg. After scratching my head for a few days, I decided to read about homemade turtle food, which brings me to this morning's "turtle loaf". I didn't follow any hard and fast recipe but rather opted to use veggies I had on hand. I ended up grating/chopping equal proportions of sweet potato, carrot, kale, romaine, and beet greens. To the mix I added some pellets and tuna juice (for a fishy smell) along with a bit of grated apple. I also sprinkled some calcium powder fortified with vitamin D3 over the top, stirred, and added this concoction to three packets of gelatin. This particular combination yields quite a bit - about three weeks worth of food for two turtles (give or take). I decided to cube the veggie laden gelatin for storage (some in the fridge and some in the freezer). Upon serving I sliced the cubes to create thin patties. This was devoured in seconds without any mess and is really easy to make. What a relief!!! When I make the next batch I am going to try a different mix of veggies - maybe some red leaf lettuce and anacharis.

If anyone knows about which veggies to avoid, I would appreciate hearing from you...

Romaine lettuce is fine, but cannot be the only thing a RES eats. There can be phosphorous in a diet but it should not exceed the amount of calcium. In the feeding section, we try to break down what can be used and how often. http://www.redearslider.com/plants.html

I recently made a mix of Phak Coy


and strawberry with a gelatin and then add cuttle bone. Is that kind of mix okay?

It should be OK as part of a varied diet.

Thank you Steve

I am going to whip some of these up for my turts, but I only have hatchlings at the moment. Is it ok for them?

I don't see why not… what other things have you been feeding them?