Feeding and Nutrition :: Pellet left overs

[Rafa2k]

I have 2 hatch-lings and so I feed them pellets every day. I have noticed lately, for the past week or so, they will pop like 2 or 3 pellets in their mouth and spit them back out. The pellets go in brown and come out white, so its like they are only eating the outside and spit out the inside. When' they're done, there is a small pile of little white dots at the bottom that neither will touch. Is this normal?

Also, should I be feeding them in separate tanks? I'm afraid one is eating most of the food because he starts eating right away and the other is busy trying to hide before eating.

[steve]

Are they actually white or just become lighter in color? Pellets are usually the same color inside/out. As for separate feeding containers... I think that depends on their setup now.

[Rafa2k]

Well I don't know if it's white from sitting in the water after they spit them out, or they come out white. I try not to be hovering over them while eating because one is so shy and wont eat when we're there.

As for the set up, they're both in a 40g tank but I feed them in a separate tank. The tank I brought them home in from the fair.

[steve]

What brand of pellets are you using? If they are skittish about eating, then I would leave them in there.

[Rafa2k]

I use the ZooMed Natural Aquatic Turtle Food With added vitamins and minerals (Hatchling Formula)

[steve]

I have not used those before, are they still eating most of it? How long do they normally eat for?

[darla1699]

what I do is to break the regular pellets into three so that each piece fits his mouth exactly. he would just swallow the broken pieces. I also scatter the pellets around so he wont it them all at once then spit them back. I also enjoy seeing him run/chase after the pellets. Or I would drop the pellets one at a time. It is fascinating to see him wait for the next pellet to drop with his neck extended and following where my fingers would drop the next.

[Rafa2k]

lol you're mean. I have 2 hatchlings, Goldie and Kinau (my kids named them after some cartoon I have no idea about). Goldie is an excited little guy and Kinau is super shy. If I dropped one pellet at a time then Kinau would starve lol. I have the hatchling sized pellets too, they are bite sized and smelly. I think they are just sucking the blood worm out of it and then spitting out the rest. I decreased the amount of pellets I give them and now they seem to eat it all. I introduced them to carrots and lettuce in the mornings and pellets in the evening. Now they seem to eat everything at every meal.

I love watching them eat too, they are such wonderful little creatures!