what to feed baby pond sliders

Examples of food you can feed baby red-eared sliders include:

• Green lettuce
• Guppy fry
• Red-eared slider turtle pellets
• Mealworms
• Silkworms
• Earthworms
• Dandelion leaves
• Apple
• Pond snails
• Water lily
• Water hyacinth
• Anacharis
• Water fern

Full Answer

What do Baby sliders eat in the wild?

Omnivorous Diet: Baby sliders eat vegetation, moths, earthworms, crustaceans, tadpoles, snails, and any other small animal they can catch in the wild. Their diet is not limited to one thing, so you should not feed them just one prey.

How do I Feed my 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. This helps to avoid making the water dirty in the main tank.

What do baby red-eared slider turtles need?

In addition to their regular diet, baby red-eared slider turtles need supplements, as well. Vitamin or mineral deficiency is a serious thing that can lead to severe health problems. Calcium and Vitamin D are important elements for the health of the turtle shell and should be mixed in the regular diet of your turtle.

What do you feed a red eared slider?

Tips for Feeding Red-Eared Sliders. Catching wild prey can be dangerous if they have pesticides on them. They can also give your red-eared slider intestinal parasites. The same goes for vegetation like dandelion greens that you pick outdoors. Vegetables can be shredded to make them easier to eat.

What vegetables can baby red-eared sliders eat?

Like humans, red-eared sliders are also omnivorous and have a very varied diet. 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 I feed my slider turtle?

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.

How do I get my baby red ear slider to eat?

4:1615:23What To Feed Baby Red Eared Slider Turtles!!! | DIY Reptiles - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut they're gonna eat like aquatic insects and insects that have fallen into the water. And inMoreBut they're gonna eat like aquatic insects and insects that have fallen into the water. And in captivity that can look like crickets or mealworms or lesser meal worms or earthworms.

What fish do baby red-eared sliders eat?

Feeder fish: goldfish, guppies or minnows. Insects, earthworms, slugs, snails or tadpoles.

What can baby turtles eat?

People always ask, “What do baby turtles eat”? The answer is simple baby turtle food of course. But seriously baby turtles require a special diet when it comes to feeding them properly. They will usually take to lettuce of all kinds except for iceberg, worms, krill, river shrimp, mealworms and pellet food.

What human food can turtles eat?

They especially like leafy green veggies, so kale, collard greens, and mustard greens are both healthy and delicious for them. They'll also chow down on carrots, squash, green beans, and peas. As far as fruits go, you can give them bananas, apples, and pears, among other things.

Do baby red-eared sliders eat mealworms?

Food for Red-Eared Slider Turtles Prey Items: Earthworms, crickets, waxworms, silkworms, aquatic snails, bloodworms, daphnia, shrimp, krill, and mealworms.

How do you keep a baby red eared slider turtle alive?

If you do decide to care for a baby red eared slider, keep in mind that they are sensitive to water quality and temperature. Clean your baby's tank weekly to maintain pristine water conditions. They thrive in water and ambient air temperatures of between 75°F and 85°F. Basking temperatures should be 90 to 95°F.

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.

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 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.

What can red-eared sliders not eat?

Avoid These Red-Eared Slider FoodsFeeder fish.Crickets.Earthworms.Crayfish.Ghost shrimp.Krill.

What fruits can turtles eat?

Fruit should be fed more sparingly than vegetables, since they are often preferred by box turtles over vegetables and tend to be less nutritious. Fruits to offer include apples, pears, bananas (with skin), mango, grapes, star fruit, raisins, peaches, tomato, guava, kiwis, and melons. Fruits that are particularly ...

What vegetables can turtles eat?

Desirable vegetables to offer include dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, carrot tops, endive, Swiss chard, kale, parsley, green beans, dandelion greens, turnip greens, and clover.

What foods can a red-eared sliders eat?

What do red-eared sliders eat? Juveniles and adults can be fed a base diet of commercially available pellets or sticks that are made for aquatic turtles, along with vegetable matter such as dark leafy greens (dandelion, mustard and collard greens with chopped broccoli, carrots, squash and green beans).

Can red-eared slider turtles eat lettuce?

1. Leafy Greens: Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and bok choy. Head (iceberg) lettuce should never be fed as it contains very little nutrition but dark green leaf lettuces (e.g. romaine) can be fed sparingly. Make sure you only feed items with appropriate calcium to phosphorous levels.

Slider Turtle Habitat

Slider turtles are not very large and as such, they can be comfortably housed in an aquarium. For every inch of turtle, add 10 gallons. As such a 5-inch slider should be housed in a 50-gallon tank.

Feeding the Slider Turtle

Sliders are hearty eaters and will eat almost anything you offer them. However, ensure that you feed them the right diet. I recommend a mix of commercial aquatic turtle diet, leafy greens, and insects. Insects to feed them include superworms, locust, mealworms, bloodworms, crickets, and roaches.

Common Health Concerns

Respiratory infection. This is generally down to poor temperature control as well as vitamin A deficiency.

Pricing and Availability

Sliders are very easy to acquire, especially red-eared sliders. This is no surprise as they are cute, affable and easy to care for. Most turtle breeders have red-eared sliders for sale, and so do many pet stores that sell herptiles.

Conclusion

Slider turtles can be found in most pet stores that sell reptiles and amphibians. One key thing that is important is that you only buy a pond slider from a reputable captive bred breeder.

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.

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.

What to feed a baby red-eared slider?

Taking care of baby red-eared slider turtles is quite different from taking care of adult red-eared slider turtles. They are more prone to diseases, they need special attention and they need to be fed more regularly.

How to feed a baby red-eared slider turtle

One of the most important things you need to do for your turtle is to give it the right combination of foods in the appropriate quantities. Let’s explain everything step by step.

What do baby turtles eat in the wild

In the wild, baby red-eared slider turtles are not so fortunate like those ones kept as pets. They don’t have regular access to food, they have a lot of predators, and they need to compete with other animals. The first year is the most crucial, which determines whether the turtle will survive or not.

What if my turtle is refusing to eat?

Sometimes whatever you do, your turtle will still refuse to eat. What can you do to solve this situation? If your baby red-eared slider refuses to eat plant-based food, there is nothing you need to worry about.

Final Thoughts

A good diet makes all the difference when it comes to raising a baby red-eared slider turtle.

vixtory

Hi everyone, this might seem like a silly question since I already have 6 adult and 2 junior turtles, but I have just bought my 9th turtle and he/she is really tiny so I'm not sure what to feed him/her.

vixtory

Thanks for the reply Anthony, we can't get smaller pellets here.. I'll order some online though. I feel much better knowing that I'm doing right by the little guy/girl. We got it out last night and he/she is only slightly bigger than a UK pound coin lol. Thanks again, much appreciated x

vixtory

Lol, I put a Romaine lettuce leaf in for Pakito ( now hot a name lol ) and the little beggar is happily floating around on it rather than eating it... Another question, does the UVB and heat lamp need to be on for 12 hours when their this little? With it being winter I leave my other turtles lamps on for just 8 hours.

Turtle321

I believe in changing the daylight/night cycle as it would change in nature. Right now I have my sliders on 10 hours of heatlamp and UVB and 14 hours of darkness. In the summers I reverse the ratio and keep their lights on for 14 hours.

vixtory

Oh where?? When I said we can't get them round here I meant anywhere near where we live, not the whole of the UK lol. I've looked for some and can't find any. I don't mind ordering them online anyway.

Turtle321

If you have a local pets at home they sell Zoo Med growth and maintenance and your local fish shop will sometimes sell turtle foods. Otherwise there's always things like Amazon and I've found this place useful: http://www.netpetshop.co.uk/p-27110-zoo-med-floating-aquatic-hatchling-turtle-food-213g.aspx

vixtory

Our pets @ home don't sell anything like that unfortunitely.. at the very most they sell tiny tubs of complete turtle and terrapin, and tiny tubs of Reptomin for turtles. They don't deal with reptiles at our local pets @ home either, which is a shame..

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.

5 Vegetables That Are Safe For Red-Eared Sliders

Carrots have a very high vitamin A content, and they are perfect for your turtle. However, they do contain folic acid that can be long-term harmful for your animal, so try it is advisable to not feed carrots to your turtle more than twice a week.

Which Vegetables Are NOT Safe For Red-Eared Sliders?

Chard has a really high content of oxalic acid (700mg per 100g). Oxalic acid is found on different types of leafy greens and blocks the absorption of calcium. A strong calcium intake is crucial for the shell and bones of your turtle, so chard is a food that should definitely be avoided.

What Is The Recommended Diet For Red-Eared Sliders?

The recommended diet for red-eared slider turtles is very varied. During the first years of their life, red-eared meat should make up for 70 percent of your turtle’s diet. As it grows, the meat percentage should reduce gradually. Adult red-eared sliders will have an almost fully vegetarian diet.

FAQs

In normal conditions, a red-eared slider should not go for longer than 3 -4 days without food. However, if your animal lives in an environment with temperatures under 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, it is possible that your pet goes through a state of brumation. Brumation is a state of torpor that reptiles have to fight the cold.