Feeding and Nutrition :: amazing..

[turrbee]

after reading so many posts about how other ppl's turtles refuse to eat veggie
i was so afraid that mine will do the same
i was really reluctant to buy veggies for them (sorry!)
cuz i dont eat those lettuce. i cant just buy one piece to try out whether they like it or not.
anywayz.
i decided to give it a go
and they chewed the pieces up like crazy~ lol
i was really surprised and relieved~ ha!

my question is....
is veggie more like a snack for them?
u just put it in the tank and let them nibble away?
or it's more like a 'meal' diet? where u feed.. say bloodworm for one day and veggie for the nxt?

thanks!

[missibsu]

As your turtle gets older, the veggies should become the primary meal. My turtles are 1-2 years old and they get veggies daily and pellets every other day. I find it easier to buy prebagged salad ( I aviod salad mixes that contain spinach and other unhealthy veggies ). I rinse the salad and dump in part of a bag. The turts get variety and a healthy meal. I will occassionally add tomatoes, peppers, fruits, etc.

[industrial_girl_2000]

For the longest time, my RES wouldn't eat veggies either (she only wanted her Reptomin pellets, earthworms, or other protein-filled foods).

How I got her to eat veggies for the first time: I bought a little can of catfood & mixed a little bit of the catfood with some torn up romaine lettuce. I did this for about 2 weeks. Then I tried giving her lettuce without the catfood, and lo-and-behold, she chomped it right down! Eventually I transitioned to a few fruits now and then (blueberry, strawberry, banana, grape), or some cooked carrot & sweet potato. I never knew my turtle had a sweet tooth until then! She loved all these foods except the banana. It's all about trying different things now & then to see what they will accept.

[willie's mommy]

How much lettuce will they eat when they are younger? And how long does it usually take. I tried dipping the lettuce in tuna juice and she still didnt eat it.

[steve]

willie's mommy, you can keep offering it even if they don't take it. Many people reported success with aquatic plants when starting out.

[Muirner]

aquatic plants are my turtles turn on.... Anachris and Amazon Sward for now. THe anachris i see them eating once and a while, and the sward plant i can see a leaf that is getting bites taken out of it

I also have a banana plant, but they leave it be... I watch that every day to make sure they didnt get into a banana and if they do... out the plant comes.

[industrial_girl_2000]

How much lettuce will they eat when they are younger? And how long does it usually take. I tried dipping the lettuce in tuna juice and she still didnt eat it.

Just dipping in tuna juice isn't enough. Try tearing it up into *small* pieces & mixing with some of the actual tuna meat (or even a little bit of canned cat food.....fancy feast works great & is cheaper than some of the other brands). Feed with tiny spoon. Sometimes I would throw in some cooked/minced carrot as well. It's like a turtle version of "stew"!