Feeding and Nutrition :: Turtle stuck on pellets....

[DanielRES1180]

Ever since I printed out that care sheet in this forum with the things to feed a turtle I have started to put more variety into the diets of the turtles. I only fed them pellets- and lettuce since that's the only green thing in my fridge until now. However one turtle is really hooked on the pellets and won't eat the lettuce. I try to coax him with a pellet and take it away really quick putting a piece of lettuce in it's place (same way I got my sister to eat pretzels ). Don't get me wrong he falls for it and eats the lettuce, but once he tastes it, if turtles can taste food, he spits it back out. So I make it up to him and make it up with pellets.
What do I do here? I don't want to deprive it of food until it eats lettuce since I feel pity for it after a while.

[missibsu]

Sometimes that is what you just have to do. Instead of offering pellets for a couple of days, throw in some lettuce and just leave it. Mine eventually figured out why it was there, and they ate it. Now they can't get enough of it. You turtle isn't going to starve if you refuse to give it pellets for a couple of days, especially if you have the lettuce in there.

[sonyj]

Turtles can go several days in the wild without food, so don't be afraid to apply some tough love and withhold the pellets for a while. You aren't doing him any good by overfeeding pellets. Instead you are causing more harm for him and you in the long run by feeding just pellets.

[steve]

One of my turtles is very picky about everything. I'd just leave some in there and he will eventually develop a taste for it.

[SkyGunner]

My roommate and I are having the same problem, we got a pair of turtles from a little girl (they had grown too big for her tank, and we have them in an outdoor pond). They were raised completely on pellets for about 4 years and now will not touch any veggies we put in the pond. They will eat the occaisional goldfish however.

[missibsu]

Goldfish are not healthy for your turtles. Aside from being extremely fatty, they can carry parasites. Best not to keep goldfish with your turts.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Haha, I never knew goldfish were extremely fatty....!

Thanks for the tips.

[missibsu]

Junk food, just like McDonalds...and well I still eat there. Maybe they should carry parasites too, and then I would have a good excuse to avoid the place, lol.

[Andrew7769]

lol 2 late!

[steve]

Junk food, just like McDonalds...and well I still eat there. Maybe they should carry parasites too, and then I would have a good excuse to avoid the place, lol.

Have you seen "Super Size Me"? I also want to read "Fast Food Nation" but I hear it's pretty graphic.

[missibsu]

Never heard of either of those...what's the deal? Is the book the one that the guy wrote after his experience of McD's for a year? Maybe something graphic is what I need, lol.

Sometimes fastfood is all I am in the mood for. I mean, who wants to work all day and then come home a fix dinner...which then means doing the dishes. The first step is to stop doing the dishes, then you don't have anything to eat on, so fast food becomes the only choice...lol pathetic huh?

[Andrew7769]

Missi i saw that movie it was just plain gross the guy was asked 2 stop by his doctors because he started having health issues the deal was if they asked if he wanted 2 supersize he had 2 and he had 2 eat all of it i think mcdonalds was PISSED at him for doing that it cost them alot and low and behold they eliminated the supersize option a few months after the movie came out they claimed it had nothing 2 do with it

[missibsu]

It's not as bad as I make it sound...my life I mean. Just the junk food craze I get one once in awhile. I think I should watch the movie...maybe, lol. I'll do it before I eat.

[tissigirl]

It was a very interesting movie. I would highly recommend watching it.

[marisa]

I don't think he did it for a year--he would have died if he did.

In defense of McD's---they did a brilliant thing by introducing Paul Newman's organic coffee. Much better than Dunkin Donut's brand IMHO.