Feeding and Nutrition :: switching to adult diet

Turtle diets and eating habits discussed here.

Post Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:44 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

Why skip the mealworms? I've tried 4 different types of greens, leaving them floating in his tank then renewing the leaf every day, and didn't feed him for four days. It was a long 4 days.:( Still didn't even nibble. I know greens are important in their diet...do you have any ideas?
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Laurielee
 
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:47 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

Mealworms don't have any real nutrition for them. I would cut down on his regular food and use a veggie clip for his greens. It's a small plastic clip with a suction cup and you can find it in most aquarium sections of pet stores.
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steve
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2015 10:25 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

In addition to what Steve recommended, I'll share what I did. I starved my turtle of all food for 2-3 days, and when they couldn't beg any harder, I kept poking them in the face with lettuce, wiggling it like a worm/fish at the same time. They eventually got so angry that they just bit the lettuce. The rest is history!
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Post Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2015 8:26 am   Re: switching to adult diet

I just give him mealworms as a treat, maybe twice a week. I'll look into the clip! I've already starved my turtle once for 4 days and got nothing. :( It was horrible for both of us. He still didn't eat the leafy greens. So, once your turtle (Jeremiah) tasted the greens he/she loved it? Maybe I could wrap a little piece around a mealworm and try that way! :) HEY...that would be great actually. He would get his favorite treat and it would have nutritional value.
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Laurielee
 
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Post Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2015 12:39 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

OK, thanks, Steve! And everyone else. :)
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:08 am   Re: switching to adult diet

Laurielee wrote:I just give him mealworms as a treat, maybe twice a week. I'll look into the clip! I've already starved my turtle once for 4 days and got nothing. :( It was horrible for both of us. He still didn't eat the leafy greens. So, once your turtle (Jeremiah) tasted the greens he/she loved it? Maybe I could wrap a little piece around a mealworm and try that way! :) HEY...that would be great actually. He would get his favorite treat and it would have nutritional value.


Yes. Fortunately, they both liked it after biting into it. I think a lot of it has to do with their age/size--their bodies "know" that they need higher vegetable content in their diet, at a certain point. Once they are introduced to vegetables either at that point or past it, they usually take to the plant matter more easily.
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Post Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2015 7:14 am   Re: switching to adult diet

Ok...thanks. I'll give your idea a try. :0)
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Laurielee
 
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2015 10:04 am   Re: switching to adult diet

I got my turtle to eat green beans! Good start. He loves them!
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Laurielee
 
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Post Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 12:55 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

That is great! Keep in mind that green beans have quite a bit of oxalates. They're more of a snack food, but given the difficulty you've had so far with vegetables, they should be okay for a little while. Good work!
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Post Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 2:46 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

Okay. I'll have to look up oxalates, I've never heard that word before. Thank you!

I looked up Oxalates. The first veggie I get my turtle to eat and it's not even good for him. Ugg. I feel like a bad mom. What is the tastiest and easiest green leaf veggie to try first?
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Laurielee
 
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:49 am   Re: switching to adult diet

A lot of us use romaine/green leaf/red leaf as staples.
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steve
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 9:06 am   Re: switching to adult diet

Yeah, those are the ones I can't get him to eat....yet. That's what I get for looking on websites for turtle care. This is a great forum, and everyone seems so knowledgeable and very helpful.Thank you!
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Laurielee
 
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Post Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:42 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

No problem! And try that veggie clip I mentioned earlier.
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steve
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Post Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:29 am   Re: switching to adult diet

Day three of veggie clip and romaine lettuce. And he's eating his greens!!! Just little bites for now, but he's eating it! Thanks for the tips. You helped me to help my turtle live a little healthier. Thanks :) I also ordered cork bark that someone suggested. Can't remember who. I got a really good deal on it too. It's extra large 15" to 17" with shipping included, cost me $21.
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Laurielee
 
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Post Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 8:26 pm   Re: switching to adult diet

Awesome to hear! Where did you get the bark from?
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steve
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