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My 3 months old RES turtle loves the pellet. Today I introduced him to some lettuce before the pellets but he ignored them. I know that once turtles get accustomed to pellets, it is hard for them to go on a different diet. I do have a plan, to make him not eat for a couple of hours and just toss in the lettuce instead of the usual pellets. I know, it sounds harsh but that's the only way I know for him to eat vegetables. Any suggestions?

Get some veggie clip. Sooner or later you'll find them munching the veggies once they get hungry enough. Or soak the veggies with tuna juice (water-based tuna on cans); the smell will entice them to eat. I've read that methods in this forum (and used them as well). But, for whatever reason, your turt may be picky. Good luck!

What do you mean by veggie clip? Yeah tuna juice, the old trick. Gonna try it. Can you link in the threads you read from those methods? Thanks.

They sell them at Petco for like $4.. Worth every penny.

I just set the lettuce or whatever in the tank. My turtle will go after it, I never used a veggie clip so he got used to having to grab his food and chase it if it gets away. Starving is the best way IMO, to get a turtle to eat lettuce and other veggies. Turtles are like us and have their preferences when it comes to food. If it takes awhile then give a small portion of pellets during feeding time only and no other treats. It's tough love but does work. I got lucky my turtle took to veggies and everything else I throw in the tank, right away. He will eat anything! Heck, I think he would eat pizza if I gave it to him:)

slider_keeper wrote:I just set the lettuce or whatever in the tank. My turtle will go after it, I never used a veggie clip so he got used to having to grab his food and chase it if it gets away. Starving is the best way IMO, to get a turtle to eat lettuce and other veggies. Turtles are like us and have their preferences when it comes to food. If it takes awhile then give a small portion of pellets during feeding time only and no other treats. It's tough love but does work. I got lucky my turtle took to veggies and everything else I throw in the tank, right away. He will eat anything! Heck, I think he would eat pizza if I gave it to him:)

About the starving part, how long did you not feed your turtle? I also thought about that but not sure how long should I not feed him pellets then go and feed him with lettuce after a few hours.

Offer him lettuce, then wait, go the whole day without pellets. Then the next day offer more lettuce. Wait the whole day then if he doesn't take the lettuce, give him a smaller than normal portion of pellets, like two or three. He will beg but don't give in, keep doing this and the lettuce will get eaten;)

Oh man. 2 straight days without pellets for a 3month old? I feel sorry for the little guy.

haha, he will be fine. If you want to give him pellets everyday, cut it to one or two. Offer lettuce everyday and nothing else. He will give in! Sooner or later.

I think 3 months may be a bit young to try tough love for vegetables. In the wild, a turtle that young is going to have a diet of primarily protein. Which is not to say, offer lettuce at the beginning of the day and move pellets to the evening.

Try the Jell-O shots:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17486

Try different types of lettuces. (I steal from my wife's spring salad mix.). Try carrot shreds.

I'm going to guess my son's turtle was 2 or 3 months old when we got her. I was lucky that when I first offered lettuce about a month after we got her, she ate it readily.

But, even then, pellets were the primary source of food until she was about 3 inches.

slider_keeper wrote:haha, he will be fine. If you want to give him pellets everyday, cut it to one or two. Offer lettuce everyday and nothing else. He will give in! Sooner or later.

I don't want to regret this lol might as well try.

ljapa wrote:I think 3 months may be a bit young to try tough love for vegetables. In the wild, a turtle that young is going to have a diet of primarily protein. Which is not to say, offer lettuce at the beginning of the day and move pellets to the evening.

Try the Jell-O shots:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17486

Try different types of lettuces. (I steal from my wife's spring salad mix.). Try carrot shreds.

I'm going to guess my son's turtle was 2 or 3 months old when we got her. I was lucky that when I first offered lettuce about a month after we got her, she ate it readily.

But, even then, pellets were the primary source of food until she was about 3 inches.

Wow you guys are lucky. Carrot shreds? As in finely chopped to look like a pellet?

I use thin slices or little sticks. If you leave fresh water aquatic plants in there, they can stay in the tank even if the turtle doesn't eat it.

I would love to put live plants and have them last, oh a day! Lol

It is really never to young to offer veggies although, it is harder to get them to eat veggies when they are younger. Of course you want to get them eating pellets before trying food they don't want to except readily. I was lucky, Toku took to lettuce without tough love!

I do like the live plant idea tho, their more in the sliders natural food list.