Feeding and Nutrition :: Green diet?

Turtle diets and eating habits discussed here.

Post Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:46 pm   Green diet?

So when i first got skipper she only ate canned tuna and OCASONALY a dried shrimp. or 2. but when she started eating pellets i was so exited that i gave her abuot 4 table spoons of pellets a day. as you can emagine she got very fat. :shock: :lol: so, now, months from then i turn around to see her devouring a peice of red leaf lettuce :!: (i only offer her red leaf lettuce because she has a fake plant that the leaves keep falling off and floating to the top, plus a friend gives it to me for free)
so is it okay to only offer her greens (or reds lol) to her until she will like, eat them out out of my hand? p.s. i will also offer cuttle bone and the lettuce is coated with vitanin powder and calcium powder.

thanks! :msgreen:
1 red eared slider
1 mutt
2 minnows
1 ranchu goldfish
3 sarassa comets
1 dojo loach?
3 zebra danios
1 betta
3 white clouds
3 harlequin rasboras
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Skippah
 
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:02 am   Re: Green diet?

I would still feed some sort of protein. Krill, fish pellets. Just a little every other day or two. Keep in mind im no expert on nutrition.Have you tried cattots? My res loves carrots and red leaf. And she does eat out of my hand.
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
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300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:12 am   Re: Green diet?

Any reason why she needs to eat it of your hand?
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steve
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:44 pm   Re: Green diet?

so she will attack it because she likes it :msgreen: :msgreen: :arrow: :D :idea: :shock: :D
1 red eared slider
1 mutt
2 minnows
1 ranchu goldfish
3 sarassa comets
1 dojo loach?
3 zebra danios
1 betta
3 white clouds
3 harlequin rasboras
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Skippah
 
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:20 pm   Re: Green diet?

Skippah wrote:so she will attack it because she likes it :msgreen: :msgreen: :arrow: :D :idea: :shock: :D

Too funny :D
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:35 pm   Re: Green diet?

I suggest feed Skipper a variety. Dandelions are full of vitamins and nutrients, and calcium. Mine also likes carrot especially if I put it through a food chopper, and carrot tops. Also try Kale, again lots of vitamins and nutrients, and calcium. Because RES are omnivores, I would also suggest feeding him some protein. Minnows (I cut the heads off) and Crickets (remember to tear their legs off or they'll hop out)) cost 11cents each at my PetSmart. Also, worm are super easy to catch, and Skipper will love them. Finally I've started an aquatic snail tank. The tank was less than $20 and I bought 25 snails on-line for something like $6. btw, those dried-out shrimp have almost no nutritional value. They will taste like candy, but do nothing for him. Also, with a good variety of foods, you won't need the cuttlebone.

The idea is give Skipper lots to try and choose from and you'll see what he likes, and it's really easy to do the things I mentioned above, and Skipper will thank you.
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:53 pm   Re: Green diet?

My turtles are pretty gentle , but I won't feed them from my hand... I was bit by one a couple years ago, and it HURT... I'm confident that they could break skin easily with a good bite...

Well maybe if the thing I was feeding them was longer then their necks , I might.
Long time turtle owner (15+ years).
One Painted turtle, one Yellow Belly Slider, 120 Gallon tank filled to maybe 80 Gallons
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 7:28 pm   Re: Green diet?

tjurhs wrote:I suggest feed Skipper a variety. Dandelions are full of vitamins and nutrients, and calcium. Mine also likes carrot especially if I put it through a food chopper, and carrot tops. Also try Kale, again lots of vitamins and nutrients, and calcium. Because RES are omnivores, I would also suggest feeding him some protein. Minnows (I cut the heads off) and Crickets (remember to tear their legs off or they'll hop out)) cost 11cents each at my PetSmart. Also, worm are super easy to catch, and Skipper will love them. Finally I've started an aquatic snail tank. The tank was less than $20 and I bought 25 snails on-line for something like $6. btw, those dried-out shrimp have almost no nutritional value. They will taste like candy, but do nothing for him. Also, with a good variety of foods, you won't need the cuttlebone.

The idea is give Skipper lots to try and choose from and you'll see what he likes, and it's really easy to do the things I mentioned above, and Skipper will thank you.


thanks! :msgreen: :D
1 red eared slider
1 mutt
2 minnows
1 ranchu goldfish
3 sarassa comets
1 dojo loach?
3 zebra danios
1 betta
3 white clouds
3 harlequin rasboras
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Skippah
 
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 7:37 pm   Re: Green diet?

oh and the reason that i am feeding her only greens and cuttlebone is because she loves pellets so much she dosent eat her veggies when i give her the pellets
1 red eared slider
1 mutt
2 minnows
1 ranchu goldfish
3 sarassa comets
1 dojo loach?
3 zebra danios
1 betta
3 white clouds
3 harlequin rasboras
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Skippah
 
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:16 pm   Re: Green diet?

Your doing a good job! Calcium powder is also good. But she can also have pellets. :-)
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 8:38 pm   Re: Green diet?

remember, dandelions have a very high calcium content. Thor even has his own dandelion garden that he likes to "trim"
tjurhs
 
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 8:53 pm   Re: Green diet?

Do you grow your own ? I grow lettuce in the spring and will again next fall. Just learned I could this fall.
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Kansasslider
 
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:53 pm   Re: Green diet?

yep, I grow my own dandelions, and they are really easy to grow. I start off with young ones and dig up as much of their root as possible then transfer them into a one gallon bucket filled with dirt from the backyard and MiracleGrow dirt. Then place the bucket where the sun can shine upon it, and be sure to water. At first the leaves will probably wilt but in a couple days they should regain their strength. Even if the don't, let them go until they are pretty much toast, then cut them off. After two to three weeks you should have nice healthy dandelions. Thor likes to eat them when the leaves are young and tender, but he'll also eat the older ones, just NOT ones with spikes. I'm also told they'll eat the yellow flower, but I've never fed them to Thor.

Also, there are more than 30 types of dandelions. Look for one that have "full" shaped leaves not the ones that have "arrow" shaped leaves. One picture shows the "full" shaped leaves (the top picture) and the other shows the "arrow" shaped leaves (the bottom picture). It's ok to feed them the "arrow" shaped leaves, but you get less leaf for your efforts.

Have fun!

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dandelion-greens-closeup.jpg (31.53 KiB) Viewed 10647 times

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ttar_dandelion_greens_v.jpg (14.92 KiB) Viewed 10647 times
tjurhs
 
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 9:05 pm   Re: Green diet?

Well that's cool. Thanks.
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Kansasslider
 
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Post Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 3:04 pm   Re: Green diet?

i have bothe kinds of dandelions! :D
1 red eared slider
1 mutt
2 minnows
1 ranchu goldfish
3 sarassa comets
1 dojo loach?
3 zebra danios
1 betta
3 white clouds
3 harlequin rasboras
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Skippah
 
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Location: Moose Lake, Minnesota


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