Feeding and Nutrition :: re: veggies

[ladybug02124]

HI ,


My lil babies are about a year old and they are VERY picky, they will only eat brown pellets and only if there are softened first. I used to feed them turtle hatchling bites and they loved them because the pellets were too big and hard. so i decided that since they are over a year they need to grow up so i recently changed them to regular pellets. I tried veggies when they were young, and now i'm trying to introduce it again, after a year, and they are not interested at all , i just put romaine lettuce in the tank, Ike(male) tried a bite and spit it out. the only different thing tah they get besides pellets is dry krill treats once a week, i just started giving them this recently.


1 what should i do??????

2 whats a good way to get them to eat new stuff they didn't like the appetising pellets made with fruit juices, they didn't even want the appetizing cherry scented food (when the were young and did not want to eat)


3 I feed then usually once a day is that enough??? awhile back i was doing every other day but it seemed like they were starving.


any help is appreciated.

Thanks

[CountryGirl68]

At a year old, you should be feeding pellets every other day and veggies daily. If they eat the krill, stop giving that to them until they start eating the pellets and veggies. If they don't eat one day, don't give in. When they are hungry enough, they will eat whatever they have in the tank. It takes some time to get them to eat other foods.

[BullDog]

My turt also likes to take a bite of lettuce, then spit it back out, but he's just a destructo-turtle And he usually eats most of it.

As CountryGirl said, let them go a couple days with only vegies, and they'll probably come around. You could also try soaking the lettuce in tuna juice, which I hear a lot of people have success with.

[ladybug02124]

thanks CountryGirl68 & Bulldog.

I will try with the lettuce tonight, and no pellets. last night i gave in an gave them pellets because i was sad to let them go the day without food.


*******do you feed your turtles only once a day???????

[CountryGirl68]

My turtle gets fed pellets and veggies one day and then only veggies the next day. And he is fed only once a day. He knows that when I get home from work at about 7pm, that's the only time he will get fed.

About 2 weeks ago I ran out of veggies and was not able to pick any up for 2 days. Tanner didn't eat on one of those days, except for the cuttlebone I throw into the tank. He was fine although he kept begging ... just in case.

[ladybug02124]

So...................... i'm really sad!!!!!!! Looks like Tina tried a bite (she is the smaller one), and Ike is just not interested in it, i even brak it in nice edible pieces. Ike just keeps begging, and staring at me wondering , what the heck my problem is. what do i do??????????? yesterday i just put lettuce, and they did not eat, today (thurs) I am trying that tough love again. I'm so sad!!!

[CountryGirl68]

Don't be sad. Turtles can go days without eating. Stay strong. Eventually, they'll realize they aren't going to get anything else and eat what you give them.

[ladybug02124]

ok, so i will TRY tonight not to cave in, they just look so sad, worried and confused at why they are not getting anything to eat. I will leave the lettuce in there tonight and take it out in the morning. BUT i am going to feed them tomorrow if they don't eat tonight. I can't let them go 3 days.

[BullDog]

Just don't let them hear you say that. Turtles have excellent hearing you know...

[ladybug02124]

HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! that's funny, but I'm sure it's true .whenever i walk into the livingroom, they jump from their basking spot. Your turt is a cutie!!!!