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I have a turtle that is about 2 years old. A friend of mine gave him to be 2 months ago. He is only 2.5 inches. He was previously kept in a plastic tub in the corner of her room with very little water and a few rocks. When we got him, we went out and got him a 10 gallon tank, a basking light, and a floating dock. His shell was soft at first but his health has improved greatly over the past 2 months. His shell isn't soft anymore. The only thing I am really not sure about is how much to feed him. He has a cuddle-fish bone that we bought him the other day and he seems to like it. I have been feeding him once a day and giving him 3 "floating turtle Gammarus pellets". Should I be feeding him something else? Less often? More food?

Check out the nutritional info at the main site for the forum

http://www.redearslider.com/index_nutrition.html

For more than my post can offer.

The general guideline offered here for pellets is the amount that can fit in your turtles head. At less than a year, you want to offer that daily, but at two, you may want to drop it to 3 or 4 times a week. However 2.5" seems small for two years, so I would wait for others to chime in.

You should also offer some fresh vegetables. Red or green leaf lettuce is great. Not iceberg lettuce.

The cuttle bone is a source of calcium but note really much else. However, to metabolize that calcium, your turtle needs UVB light. You mention a basking area. Do you have UVB as well as a heat source?

Welcome to the forums! It's commendable that you have seeked help.

The link that ljapa posted is a great place to start. At 2-years-old, your turtle should no longer be considered a hatchling. This means that water temperature, basking temperature, and feeding schedule can be engraved in stone, as they will be the basically same for the rest of the turtle's many years.

After the first year (when the fastest natural growth happens), feeding can safely be restricted to 3 times per week. I have friends that feed every other day with enough pellets to fill an "empty head," while other friends only feed 1-2 times per week, giving enough pellets to gorge the turtles for 10 minutes or so. Both methods are acceptable, but make sure you stick to one or the other. Routine is extremely important with turtle feeding, but keep the food variety broad.

I usually buy an extra head of green-leaf lettuce every week for my girl. The darker the leaf, the better. Pellet brand is important, as well. I use Mazuri turtle diet, but I believe ReptoMin and a few others are reputable.

2.5 inches for a 2-year-old is a little on the small end, but it is not unhealthy. With proper care, including a UV light, your turtle will quickly grow larger and stronger.

The basking light only provides UVA rays and we have a heater for the water as well. What is the difference between the UVB and UVA?

I will start a different feeding schedule and diet asap! Thank you so much for all the help!

The differences between UVA and UVB for the sake of our turtles is that UVA is the most visible to the turtles, and it is this that entices them to eat regularly. UVB is a shorter wavelength light wave, it is necessary for the turtles to absorb to that they can use the energy to create vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is necessary for the turtles to metabolize calcium, which is incredibly important for many things in any reptile.

Everyday incandescent light bulbs emit wavelength up to UVA but not UVB

#1 they are in the "yearling" category, which is still growing, but not longer a hatching: So feeding can start to be around 50% protein, 50% veggies. So everyday veggies, every other day, pellets. As for veggies, you can try , red or green leaf lettuc (no iceberg), collard and turnip greens (leaves only) take 1 leaf put it in the tank, at the end of the day remove it, repeat daily.

#2 UVB is necessary for shell health the soft shell would have been from lack of calcium from no UVB.

A yearlings diet is very similar to an adults in variety, but feeding frequency includes one extra feeding of pellets per week. It's not a major situation, and it would be easiest for a beginner to get into the routine that will be important a in a year or so.

The yearling-adult differentiation only really matters when we speak about sexual maturity.

Check out the feeding list topic... tons of ideas of what to feed for what size/age turtles. Also check out the pellet page: www.redearslider.com/pellets.html