redearslider.com

Hi all,

New to the forum here, hope you knowledgeable turtle owners can shed some light on some thoughts/care for my baby turtle.
my turtle is named Yoshi and is about 2in shell diameter. I've only had him for a week and he's much better since I've got him.

i have a few questions regarding some info i read online:
1. Can you use Caltrate Plus (a drugstore available calcium suppliment for people over 40) for a turtle to mix in his food? if so, what are the dosages?

2. Are grocery store (typically found in asian stores) dried shrimp edible for my turtle?

3. Can you leave cooked chicken or liver on a rock above water for Yoshi to consume? - would it be bad for a RES turtle to eat on land without water? i don't want to contaminate the water and change it more often than necessary.\

thanks in advance all for your insight.

1. I use cuttle bone for birds for calcium. I take off the hard backing and cut it into small chunks and he eats it.
2. Dried shrimp should only be used as a treat. Main diet should consist of quaility turtle pellets and fresh greens.
3. I very rarely give my turtle cooked chicken. When I do it's been boiled without seasoning. A res needs to eat in water. I put my turtles treats and pellets on the dock. He gets them and eats them in the water anyway.
Sorry it took so long for you too get a reply.
Is your turtle eating good?

1. Fresh water turtles always need water to swallow their food. They do not produce saliva.
2. it is not recommended to feed turtle cooked chicken or cooked shrimp because turtles can become picky and stop
eating turtle pellets altogether if you are feeding them those two on a regular basis.
3. Those two items are are high in fat and protein content compared to turtle pellets.
If you are worried about making a mess in the water get a separate feeding container and fill it with water so t
hey can eat outside the main tank.

Yoshi is very shy, whenever he sees me walk by while hes basking he'll rush into the water and hide. I think he is still adapting to his surrounding so I'll setup a seperate feeding station later. Any tips to make him less shy? Overall thanks for all your response
Yoshi is eating well and ive given him a small portion of cooked chicken that he takes into the water to shred apart. He's also eating pellet, hope he's not going to grow up picky eater.

How often should I use cuttlebone and how big of a piece do I use?

If you haven't had Yoshi for long he's just getting acclimated. Wait until he realizes you are the food god. He'll probably lose some of that shyness. If he's eating pellets that's great. Keep the chicken and shrimp for an occasional treat. If you give him to much of the good stuff he may stop eating his pellets. I cut up small slivers and put it in my 4inch turtles tank once a week of cuttle bone. He gets most of his calcium from the leafy greens he eats. Ref leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce and dandelion leaves. I also give him once a month or so a small piece of banana, a small piece of cucumber or tomato. A young small hatchling should be eating the amount of pellets that would fit into his head (not neck) once a day. He can have all the greens he wants but he may be into a protein diet while young then lean towards greens when he reaches about 3 -4 inches. You can put some greens in his tank for cover just change once a day. He might take some nibbles when he's hungry. It's never to early to introduce greens.