what to feed a baby slider turtle

• Proteins. Proteins for the baby sliders are the same as adults. They will come in the form of insects, Fish, and commercial food pellets.
• Vegetables. Vegetables should make up a large percentage of their diet. Since turtles are omnivorous, they love vegetables.
• Aquatic Greens. Your turtle would be eating a lot of these in the wild, and that’s no different in captivity. ...

Full Answer

What do baby red eared slider turtles eat?

Provide your baby turtle with 1 to 2 leafy greens daily. Young red-eared slider turtles may not show interest in vegetables, but you should introduce them to their diet early. Lettuce, dandelion plants, and water lilies are safe to give your young turtle every day along with its protein and pellets.

What can I feed a baby turtle?

To feed a baby turtle, start by figuring out what kind of turtle you have since different varieties of turtles prefer different foods. If your turtle is an herbivore, provide it with a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as aquatic plants like duckweed and water lettuce.

How do you feed a baby slider fish?

They prefer to feed in the water rather than on land. Feeding is simple, just drop their pellets and food in to the tank. If you are feeding in the main tank then scoop out any uneaten food after 10 minutes. Some keepers choose to feed their slider in a separate tank.

How do I care for a baby turtle?

Take your baby turtle to a vet with experience handling turtles to help with the identification process. Administer the food properly. A high-quality turtle pebble can be the base of a healthy diet. But other foods might also be options, depending on your turtle's specific needs. If so, be sure to expose your turtle to these other food sources.

What do baby slider turtles eat?

What Do Baby Red-Eared Sliders Eat?Mealworms.Earthworms.Shrimp.Snails.Tadpoles.Crickets.Small fish.

How do you take care of a baby slider turtle?

They thrive in water and ambient air temperatures of between 75°F and 85°F. Basking temperatures should be 90 to 95°F. These turtles also need a varied diet of mostly protein to stay healthy. Feed them a portion of food the size of their head every day and rotate food items.

What human food can a slider turtle eat?

Sliders can eat many types of vegetables- such as green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and squash- but also a wide range of fruits – skinned apples, bananas, berries, melons, nectarine, and mango.

What can you feed slider turtles?

Red-Eared Slider Diet Pet red-eared sliders will feed on just about anything you give them, but I recommend feeding them a commercial turtle food or pellet to benefit proper growth and health. On occasion, you can offer them leafy greens, freeze-dried shrimp or krill, crickets, superworms or earthworms.

What do baby turtles need?

They require a habitat with plenty of clean water for swimming as well as dry land where they can rest, hide and bask in the sun. A tank that can hold at least 40 gallons should give your pet turtle an adequate amount of room to move around in.

Can baby red-eared sliders eat fruit?

Some experts recommend fresh fruits such as bananas, berries, apples, and melons. However, this isn't a natural staple in the red-eared sliders diet, and it may cause diarrhea. If you offer any fruit at all, limit it to very small quantities as a special treat. Don't feed frozen fish, or at least not very often.

Can baby turtles eat carrots?

Shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that turtles can eat, too. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed. “For fruits, consider shredded apples and melons, as well as chopped berries,” recommends Dr. Starkey.

Can I feed my turtle lettuce?

Is Lettuce Safe for Turtles? There isn't any type of lettuce that should be poisonous to a turtle. They can eat all kinds, and many varieties — like romaine and radicchio — are both nutritious and delicious for them. Iceberg, on the other hand, is basically just crunchy water.

What can turtles not eat?

Treats to AvoidDairy. Turtles possess none of the enzymes necessary to break down and digest dairy products. ... Sweets. Do not feed any food with chocolate, processed sugar, or corn syrup to your turtle.Salty foods. Most turtles are not used to eating highly salty foods.

How do I feed my baby turtle?

In general, you should feed a baby turtle a little more protein than you would an adult turtle. You can replace some fruits and veggies with a little more pellets and feeder fish if your turtle is still growing. Pellets are a great option here, but you could opt to feed him live food instead.

How often do baby turtles eat?

Feed baby turtles two or three times a day. Leave your baby turtle's food in the tank for a half hour, and then remove what's left. You can feed it to your turtle again later. Give baby turtles vitamin supplements, especially vitamin D, which is good for shell development.

What can I feed a baby red-eared slider?

Baby red eared sliders eat a combination turtle pellets, insects, and some vegetables....A baby red-eared slider would definitely eat any of the following animals/insects:Mealworms.Earthworms.Gut-loaded crickets (crickets that have eaten carrots or other vegetables).Small fish.Dried shrimp.Other small insects.

How long can a baby red-eared slider go without food?

Baby or juvenile red-eared sliders would not be able to last more than a week or so without food, whereas older red-eared sliders will be able to last a month or two. A well-fed adult will be able to live without food for up to two months, three at an absolute stretch, but that really is not advised.

How many pellets do you feed a baby red-eared slider?

Feed them as much as they can eat in 15 to 20 minutes. Give them enough food that would fit inside their head, if it were completely empty.

Can baby red-eared sliders drown?

Even though red eared sliders love swimming and submerging themselves, they can drown. In fact, all turtles can drown because they do not have the ability to breathe underwater. If your red slider stays under water for too long, it will drown. The same goes for any other turtle, though.

Do baby red-eared sliders sleep a lot?

Turtles sleep anywhere from 1-10 hours a day. The amount of time they sleep is dependent on the species of turtle and environment. Turtles that are more aquatic and can hold their breaths longer usually sleep longer than less aquatic turtles.

Proteins

Proteins for the baby sliders are the same as adults. They will come in the form of insects, Fish, and commercial food pellets.

Vegetables

Vegetables should make up a large percentage of their diet. Since turtles are omnivorous, they love vegetables.

Aquatic Greens

Your turtle would be eating a lot of these in the wild, and that’s no different in captivity. Aquatic greens are an amazing natural source for all sorts of vitamins and minerals in your baby turtle’s diet. Just like adults, baby turtles will love aquatic greens. Here is a list:

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Variety

Commercial pellets are fairly nutritious, convenient, and beneficial since they contain a good mix of vitamins and minerals. However, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Offering a wide variety of foods is better than just dropping in a commercial turtle pellet for your little guy.

Nutritional Supplements for Red-Eared Sliders

A vet may recommend that a good reptile multivitamin with calcium and vitamin D3 be mixed with the turtle's food a couple of times a week. Also, an excellent way to provide additional calcium is to put a cuttlebone in the turtle tank.

Tips

Catching wild prey can be dangerous if they have pesticides on them and they can carry intestinal parasites. 1 The same goes for vegetation like dandelion greens that you pick outdoors.

2. Baby Red Eared Slider Habitat

Baby red eared sliders need a proper and safe habitat to stay healthy and happy. Before getting a turtle make sure you can provide them with everything in the list below:

3. Baby Red Eared Slider Tank Setup

For every inch of your turtle’s shell length you will need to provide them with a minimum of 10 gallons of space. For adult sliders, this can mean purchasing a tank up to 120-gallons.

4. How To Care For Baby Red Eared Slider Turtles

Babies are more likely to get sick because of their developing immune system.

5. Baby Red Eared Slider Diet

Adults and babies eat the same food items, but the ratio of meat to plant and feeding frequency is different.

6. Why Is My Red Eared Slider Turtle Not Eating?

It is very common for a baby red eared slider to refuse food during the first three days. This is due to the stress of being introduced to a new environment.

7. Is My Turtle Male or Female?

In very young turtles it can be difficult to accurately determine their gender.

8. Handling

A red eared slider baby should be handled only when necessary. Turtles are usually not adaptable to being held, it can cause stress.

Expert Q&A

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Warnings

Always wash your hands after handling your turtles as they may carry certain diseases harmful to humans. [25]

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Audra Barrios. Audra Barrios is a Marine Biologist and owner of Lick Your Eyeballs, a business offering experiemces, reptiles, supplies and plants. With over 15 years of experience, Audra specializes in reptiles and exotic animals, environmental education, marine biology, conservation issues, and animal husbandry.

Having a Baby Red Eared Slider is Exciting!

If you are in the process of learning how to care for your red ear slider hatchling, you are probably already enthralled by the cute wonder of your new tiny pet. But as cute as baby turtles are, they are also more fragile than an adult turtle ever will be.

There Are Two Main Challenges in Caring For a Hatchling

shell is one of the challenges. Your hatchling turtle’s new shell is still a bit soft, as it was designed to be for hatching. So now your turtle needs access to precise levels of full spectrum UV-A/B lighting plus an appropriate natural protein-rich diet in order for its shell to begin hardening as it should.

The Right Diet in the Right Environment

One of your biggest responsibilities in providing the right type of red eared slider turtle care for a hatchling turtle is offering the right mix of foods in the right quantities. The first thing to know is that, even as a baby, your turtle will likely want to do just about everything (feeding, hiding, excreting) in water.

What To Feed a Baby Red Eared Slider

They might look gross to you, but mealworms will make your turtle smile. The folks at Gimminy Crickets & Worms sell 1100 Count Live Mealworms that are organically grown on Amazon. Their worms are around an inch to an inch and a quarter long.

Provide The Right Minerals and Vitamins for Your Turtle

As you are learning the ropes of baby red eared slider care, there are three main ways to ensure your tiny charge gets all of the vitamins and minerals required for optimal health and shell growth.

Maintain Water and Ambient Aquarium Temperature

Even the most general red ear slider care sheet will likely mention the importance of maintaining the correct temperature – both ambient and basking – for your turtle tank. This is twice as important for baby turtles, which have a stricter, narrower temperature tolerance range than adult turtles.