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Do many of you use a seperate feeding bin?I have since day 1,to help keep his water clean.Is there any secrets to how to feed?I just drop in some pellets,about 5 worms,a few strips of carrot,and a couple of leaves.He goes in for up to an hour,as long as he takes to eat and do his business.He doesn't eat everything,I figure he will eat as much as he wants.Sorry if this sounds like a weird question,but does that sound ok?I want to do right for the little guy.

if you have a good filter i don't see why you need to feed him in a bin, the only downfall i see to it is it might give him alot of stress? (he won't have his usual "spots" to hide, or bask etc) sure does keep the tank clean longer doesn't it though =P

My filter is pretty good,I clean it out quite often as it gets clogged with his peeling skin!I do weekly water changes on all my tanks too.I guess I just want his living enviroment to be as comfortable for him as possible.He doesnt seem to mind going in the bin,he has worked out it means food is on its way.lol

A lot of people on this site feed in different containers. I am not one of them. There is nothing wrong with doing that as long as your turtle adjusts to it. Understand that he may or may not eat the first couple of times.

I don't leave them in there that long since it is not large and they become stressed out if they are there for more than a few minutes. Plus, I don't want the water temps to drop too much. Bigger is also better... the more room they have to move the better.

Just curious--how many pellets? how many worms (and what kind)?

If he's small, you don't need a large container. My RES who's a little over 6 inches, still eats in a dish pan when I feed him outside the tank. I find that if the turtle has a lot of room (and isn't used to feeding outside the tank), having a bigger container (and more room), is more distracting. You want them to eat and then put them back in the tank. Since you said you've been feeding him outside the tank from day one, he should be used to it, though.

I put the veggies in the tank, not in the feeding container.

I've found that my smaller RES, who is a picky eater, would easily become stressed in a small container. Once I started to use a 50qt container, he would settle down after a few minutes and eventually eat. My larger RES on the other hand, will eat anywhere...

Thanks for your replys guys,Nails is 5yrs old,and about 15cms.He loves going in the feeding bin and hasn't shown any signs of stress.I do watch the temp,it doesn't take long to drop.I posted another question on the worms,he gets 5 compost worms,and about 8 pellets,which he picks at,not eating them all.I am getting some romaine lettuce,or a red lettuce on shopping day,and tuna to give the soaking trick a go,lol.I will try putting it in the tank,see what happens.I'm prepared to do what I can to get his diet to a healthier standard.

Oh,and is duckweed ok?

Duckweed is good if he will eat it- my turtle is not interested. I like the way it looks, but it can be a problem in the pond.

Duckweed is great--good calcium content. My turtles love it. I bought some about two months ago and dole it out like gold coins. What's put in the tank for them to eat doesn't stay around long.

I wish Al would eat it- I wonder why he doesn't? I have it in the pond now and I thought I would have to guard it preciously, but so far he isn't touching it. I am getting some goldfish soon and I guess they will eat it.

I also like the way it looks in the tank. Sometimes will stick his head out of the water and pieces stick to it like a toupee.

Does it grow in the pond? I have to keep the duckweed in buckets on the porch where it gets indirect light and is growing well (not fast enough for me, though). If I leave it outside in the sunlight, it fades and dies.

So far is is doing okay in the pond. The lady who brought me a bunch of pond plants included duckweed, because it was growing in her pond. I love the way it looks, but it can be problematic. When I am trying to clean things out, I always end up with a lot of duckweed in the net.

You've given me an idea- I might put some in a bowl on the kitchen windowsill.

I grow my duckweed in my axolotl tank under a light,it's growing well,great supply.I do have a hairy algae problem in there though,on other plants,not the duckweed,so my tadpoles and snails are getting a plant every couple of days to clean off.They do a great job!:)

Tadpoles don't last around here. I put some in the pond the other night, and by the next morning, the fish had eaten them all.