Feeding and Nutrition :: Quick question about pellets and other foods

[Kiranin]

Hey guys, I just wanted to ask you some things about food, cause me and My gf are definitely overfeeding pellets, and I'm worried they're getting too much lettuce.

We feed them pellets once a day at night, and we give them veggies during the day, about one or two lettuce leaves.

So here goes:

1. Regarding pellets, exactly how much is "according to the size of your turtle's head"?

2. When my turtles get lettuce, they don't seem to be digesting it too well, their poop always looks like brown lettuce, is this normal, or is it "acting like a laxative"?

3. My girlfriend is very much the kind of mom who gives their baby everything, so she gives them lettuce when they don't have any and start to beg, what are some other foods she might be able to give them often?

[Sassamo]

1. The size of the turtles head is basically how it sounds. The best thing too do is grab the measuring spoons and pick which one is the closest too the size of your turtles head and use that as a guild for feeding.

2. Plant material is hard too digest, it provided nutrition and fiber too help them go. So perfectly normal.

3. As for feeding through out the day, they are little beggers lol, Maybe you can measure out the pellets and let her give them through out the day, she can give them pieces of cuttlebone(backing removed), the lettuce, pick a weekly snack for them and let her feed it. The main site has a good feeding list.

[BullDog]

In addition to what Sassamo said, in regards to the poop, it sounds like you might be feeding them a bit too much lettuce. Poop should be relatively solid.
A good rule of thumb for lettuce is a piece about the size of their shell. It's also good to mix it up a little bit. Check out the feeding section and the stickies at the top of this forum for some other good veggies.