Feeding and Nutrition :: help...... turtle not interested in feeder guppies !

[bangaloreboy]

ok so i went and bought 2 male guppies for SPUTNIK to feed on ! but he on the other hand seems to be least bothered.......those fishies are small and colourfull but this dude is more interested in whats fallen on the tank bottom rather than eating them ! so what do i do now ! i am not able to feed the fishies also as sputnik is eating their food also ! and how often should i be feeding him guppies and egg white ! he really like the white egg !

[Hoooneylynn]

Guppies or feeder fish should be used in moderation, only a few times a month. Egg whites should be used RARELY. Only ONCE a month if that. You really should cut down on egg whites. They should not be a staple on the diet. Please read the nutrition section to learn the proper diet. You shouldnt have to feed the fish, they should eat them in a few days or so.. if they dont eat them, I would just throw them away... but they either die or they eat them.

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

[SpotsMama]

A couple of little guppies will find plenty to eat without your feeding them separately. Turtles are messy eaters so there are always crumbs that fall to the bottom of the tank and the guppies will eat the crumbs and actually keep your tank cleaner.

[pumpkinsherbet]

my rosie always eats whatever falls to the tank bottom.

[Ferd]

isnt that a little harsh Hoooneylynn? "just throw them out"? just because they are feeder fish still means that they are living creatures. i need to get rid of a few fish. they some sort of disease infecting them. its a black sopt that appears and bulges. one fish has it on the eye, another on the back, and for others its near the end of the tail. should i worry about my turtles eating them and catching the same thing?

[megcornell]

I don't think there's any need to get rid of healthy feeder fish after a few days if they haven't been eaten. Leo usually leaves one or two in there for a few weeks, then regains interest and eats them . Two guppies aren't going to add much to tank waste and they will eat whatever scraps the turtle leaves behind as spotsmama said, so just leave them and don't worry about feeding them.
Ferd- I don't think that Ick is contagious to turtles, but on the other hand, it's risky to feed diseased food to anything so I wouldn't take the chance, its not worth it if your turtle does get ill. Are the fish in the turtle tank now? If so, I'd remove them.

[DavidY]

Hey Jessica, were you up all night again? (hey Ferd, maybe that's where the "just throw them away" comment came from...he he...). I think you're turning into a vampire...

[xsavingsaturdayx]

You dont need to throw away the fish - just leave them in the tank, your turtles will get hungry and eventually eat them..sooner or later.

And ferd, I wouldnt feed my turtles those feeders with Ick, i have NO idea if they will get sick from it..but its better to be on the safe side, you know?

[iac637]

we never fed our feeder fish they eat leftovers from the turtles.

[Hoooneylynn]

well, then go out and buy them a different tank. If the turtles dont eat them, they will most likely get sick or die anyways. So whatever. I am NOT cruel, and I understand they are living creatures Ferd. I wouldnt want my turt getting sick eating a dead rotten or sick fish. Hmm, seems to me you are gonna throw those fish away too now doesnt it?? Dave, I am so sick right now, Im thinking about going to the hospital again.

[DavidY]

Sorry to hear that, Jessica. I hope they can do something for you to help you feel better. Hang in there, kid!

(I know you weren't being cruel. )

[industrial_girl_2000]

The feeder fish will just "clean up" any excess turtle food & will most likely just hang out until the turtle eats them. I recall my hatchling RES not showing too much interest in the feeder guppies I bought either so I just fed them one by one to my aquatic frog.

Keep in mind that sometimes a frog or turtle is just "too lazy" to hunt the guppies & guppies are pretty fast! A lot of times I have to just "catch" a guppy & hold it down to the aquatic frog before he will eat it. I am slowly but surely getting rid of my guppy population that way.....