Feeding and Nutrition :: can anyone give me some feeding tips?????

[Franklin]

10-13 yrs old i feed him 2 times a day, once reptomin and then dried shrimp. i need some tips

[TheComputerGremlin]

You are likely overfeeding protein, esp. considering his age.

You want to feed a head-size amount of pellets every other day, no more often. You also want to feed dried shrimp only once per month. I am curious if your turtle has pyramiding of the shell due to the feeding schedule.

You will want to start your turtle on veggies. Start with dark leafy greens, like the outer leaves of romaine lettuce, or green or red leaf lettuce, or dandelion greens. Also, carrots are usually well accepted. You can try making little slivers out of them, that makes them wiggly. Other ideas would be apple or mango slivers, blueberries, strawberry slices, or sweet potato.

[Franklin]

thanks, i only got him 3 months ago and when i did he wasnt taken care of, i dont think his shell is suppose to look like it does but the uvb lamp and dock are helping, so only feed him once a day, and pellets every second day?

[Franklin]

is prramiding bad?? i could post a few pics , but he only got a uvb light when i got him so i dont think his shell is in good shape

[geekyturtle]

Posting pics would be very helpful since you just got him - then you can look back and see how much better he was treated under your care!

Try green or red leaf lettuce to see if he'll go for some simple veggies (give him a piece the size of his shell). If not, try the 'turtle shots' recipe at the top of this forum. It's worked for a bunch of people on here.

[Franklin]

ill try the green lettuce , just once a day thanks

[TheComputerGremlin]

So, yes, pyramiding is bad, it can shorten your turtle's lifespan depending on how severe it is. Basically it's caused when there is too much pudge trying to fit in the shell, so the shell expands to fit it. That smashes organs and puts strain on the system. The bad news is, the pyramiding of the shell will remain forever. The good news is, you can get your turtle to lose some weight and hopefully it won't negatively effect him.

As for feeding, you can give either a head-sized amount of pellets every other day or half a head-sized amount daily. This is just what you would think would fit in the skull of the head, not the neck. Veggies can be given daily, esp. lettuce. Carrots are more of a once per week item, and any fruits (just pick one type each week) should be fed once per week as well, since they are high in sugar. A high protein snack, such as shrimp or feeder fish, can be fed monthly.

The UVB bulb won't necessarily help with pyramiding, but it will get the shell looking healthier and ready to shed. You can also give a head-sized amount of blueberries weekly for a few weeks/months to help get the shedding going. Also, you should get some cuttlebone ASAP as that will help get the shell healthy as well.

Good luck! Enjoy your new pet!

[Franklin]

thanks, his shell doesn't seem to be pyramiding, from what i can tell ill post pics, but he wont eat the lettuce

[moldygrape]

he will eat it try not feeding him for a day or two and on the second day give him the lettuce he will eat it !! if you really want to what i did is rub a shrimp on the lettuce and so he thinks its shrimp!

[Franklin]

good idea thanks, so besides blueberries, anything else that helps him shed??

[Franklin]

my turtle will not eat lettuce, been 3 days now

[Lantic]

Keep trying.. tried soaking it in tuna juice?

[untsmurf]

good idea thanks, so besides blueberries, anything else that helps him shed??

I believe tomatoes and sweet potatoes help with shedding as well.

and if your turtles don't like the green lettuce, you could try another type of green or even an aquatic plant like anacharis. Some turtles are picky. But if the turtle wasn't properly cared for before you got him, it's likely that your turtle isn't used to eating a lot of veggies.

[Franklin]

here is a pic of him,

[Franklin]

the white spots are starting to go away