All Turtles Message Board

shellyangel · Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:53 pm Post subject: diet

Hi guys, i wonder can anyone help me with suggesting a good healthy well balanced diet for my adult red eared slider. Can i just tell you now what he does eat.? I feed him dried meal worms about 3 times a week. Pellet sticks about 3 times a week and terrapin tinned food (includes shrimps, tubifex etc). But once a week or sometimes more, i give him a large treat of household meats like ham, chicken or sardines. Can you advise anything else that would balance that out and also...a biggie, how do you get your terrapins to eat veggie things i.e. lettuce, and plants? CAn you suggest nice and good plants to feed him.? Am really quite concerned about this as i know that basic good health starts with their diet too..so please help. And thank you soooo much.xx

contact444 · Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:36 pm Post subject: Spoiled

You have got a very spoiled turtle there!

First- be careful with feeding household meat, they can be very fatty and are not usually in their diet, and NEVER raw.

You may have a hard time getting your turtle to eat veggies because they prefer meat and if they get plenty of that will often times refuse veggies.

I would try some watercress, it's dark green leafy quality has alot of good vitamins. I would offer this in place of one of the meaty meals. My turtles (RES) love carrots, but be careful to get them in small enough pieces that there is no chockin/blockage risk.

Also keep in mind that turtles eating habits change as they get older, young turtles naturally eat more meat and older turtles eat more veggies.
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2 big RES, 1 Flowerhorn Cichlid, 1 Cockatiel. I will alway hold a place in my heart for Daphne, my albino RES.

shellyangel · Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:10 am Post subject: re spoiled

Hi, and thank you for your detailed reply. Yes, i too was concerned about the amount of meat that he wanted. Obviously you enjoy watching your terrpain eat so enthusiastically when he's munching away on meat but i knew that too much wasnt good for him. Can i get water cress in any food shopping store? Or is this especially bought in a pet shop? I think if i were to cut him down on the fatty meat, he'll get hungry enough for some good greens...wish me luck.
Thats the method i tried when i wanted my terrapins to get back unto their dried tinned terrapin food. They found it all incredibly boring but after 3 days of no treats what so ever, i few sprinkles of their dried terrapin food and they loved it. He's been happily eating it ever since.
Can you tell me, by boy is now 15 years old, is that the age where he should really be looking for more greens then meat? I know that little ones crave more meat and the olders ones eat more greens. And does anyone know roughly how long a RES can live for? There is a debate going on where i am from. A vet told me that they can live for up to 60 years, i read in various terrapin books they can live up to 50-60 years then someone told me the other day (and he is an experienced terrapins keeper) that he believes that 13-15years old is the maximum they live? Can anyone put an end to this debate? Thank - you!!

contact444 · Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 4:29 pm Post subject:

I buy watercress at my local grocery store, but any dark green veggie will work fine- (except spinach, I shy from this as it is toxic to birds and I don't know about turtles so I don't chance it).

At 15 years your turtle should definitely be into greens. Try a variety of veggies- making sure their nutritious.

As for how old turltes live I think that the 50-60 is more the max, but it really depends on how well taken care of the animal is, if they have any diseases etc. they will obviously die younger and as we know many people do not know how to properly care for turltes. I think that I would trust your vet's judgement.
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2 big RES, 1 Flowerhorn Cichlid, 1 Cockatiel. I will alway hold a place in my heart for Daphne, my albino RES.

shellyangel · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 3:28 pm Post subject: diet and lighting

Thanks for replying back to me. I will try and encourage my little man to eat more healthier like his mum.
I also know that its how well you look after your little ones that will determine their life expectency.
I do have a question regarding lighting. For years i was only aware of the flourescent lighting that sits in the lid of the tank, now i hear about providing an extra heat light or something. What is this for and can you help explain why this is important and just what exactly should i be correctly providing for my terrapin. Right now he has a filter, a heater and that flourescent light.
Many thanks. Shellyangel