what to feed baby red eared turtles

What Do Baby Red Eared Slider Turtles Eat?

• Protein Diet. Turtles of all sorts can consume the same nutrients, including snails and earthworms. If your local pet...
• Vegetable Diet. You can offer carrots, squash, and other dark leafy greens vegetables in an aquarium. Make sure you cut...
• Fruit Based Diet. Baby turtles can only eat a limited number of fruits, but it’s worth...

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 should I Feed my turtle?

Fruits and veggies are very good sources of vitamins and minerals and should be included in your turtle diet. 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.

How often should I Feed my Baby red eared slider?

Baby red eared sliders are voracious eaters and should be fed every day. A major difference between adult and baby red eared sliders is their diet: Adults eat primarily a 50/50 balance of plants to meat. Babies and juveniles need a 30/70 ratio of plants to meat.

How do you take care of a baby red ear turtle?

You should also test the water once a week for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Stress-Free Tank: Even if their tank setup is perfect, your baby red ear can still become stressed if the environment around the tank is too noisy or busy. Keep your turtle’s enclosure in a calm, quiet room that is out of the reach of dogs, cats, or small children.

What do u feed a baby turtle?

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.

How do you take care of a baby red-eared slider turtle?

0:555:01Basic Baby Red Eared Slider Turtle Care 2020 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAlways use a treatment such as rough to safe which gets rid of chlorine. And make sure that theMoreAlways use a treatment such as rough to safe which gets rid of chlorine. And make sure that the water is more safe for a turtle. It might seem like five gallons is not enough space for swimming. But

What fruits 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.

Can baby red-eared sliders eat vegetables?

An equal mix of protein-rich food items, dark leafy greens, and vegetables is ideal for a baby red-eared slider. Their diet should be 30% plant based and 70% meat. Any vegetables you feed should first be boiled and chopped into pieces small enough to fit into the turtle's mouth.

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 old is a 1 inch red-eared slider?

Baby red-eared sliders are very small. In the first months of their life, they are no bigger than 1 inch in length.

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.

Can I feed my red-eared slider spinach?

Spinach can be fed to turtles in small amounts and very sparingly due to the high amounts of oxalic acid that can block absorption of a staple mineral in a turtle's diet, calcium.

Can 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 much water does a baby red-eared slider need?

Fill the Tank With Water Red-eared sliders need an adequate amount of water in which to swim. At a minimum, the water should be about twice as deep as your turtle is long—a 4-inch turtle should have a minimum water depth of 6-8 inches.

What is the best food for red-eared sliders?

Vegetable matter should make up 50-60% of an adult turtle's diet. Earthworms and insects, freeze-dried krill or bits of cooked chicken, plus small amounts of fruit (apple, melon, cantaloupe, berries) can be offered as occasional treats. How big do red-eared sliders get? Red-eared sliders can grow up to 12+ inches.

Do red-eared sliders like to be petted?

Turtles are arguably the cutest of all of the reptiles. Because of this, they are often desirable pets. However, turtles don't really enjoy being handled and petted the same way other domestic animals do.

How much water do baby red-eared sliders need?

Ideally you should provide 10 gallons of water for each inch of shell length for each turtle. So a 4 inch long turtle would need about 40 gallons of water and two 4 inch long turtles would need around 80 gallons of water.

Do red-eared sliders need to be in water all the time?

The answer is, yes. Red-eared sliders need to be in the water. For starters, red-eared sliders lack saliva and need water to swallow their food. They can eat without water, it's just a lot more difficult.

Do red-eared sliders like to be handled?

Generally speaking, red-eared sliders dislike handling and prefer to be left alone. One of the easiest and most effective ways you can build trust with your pet red-eared slider is with tong feeding. Don't hand-feed — this is likely to get you nipped!

What is the best way to feed a turtle?

A variety of fresh food offers a wider range of nutrients in different forms, which may even be absorbed better when fed in the natural state. Feeding a variety of items is also more stimulating to the turtle and a good form of enrichment.

What do turtles eat?

They often eat submerged plants like anacharis, water hyacinth, water lettuce, duckweed, azolla (fairy moss), and frog-bit.

What do red-eared sliders eat?

Mojkan/Getty Images. Red-eared sliders need a diet that is a mixture of both animal and plant materials. Young red-eared sliders eat more animal protein, so babies should start with a diet that's more on the carnivorous side. 1.

Can turtles eat goldfish?

Larger turtles can be offered larger prey, such as tadpoles or feeder fish, though some experts warn that feeder fish may carry parasites and other undesirables, and some fish (like goldfish) are too fatty to be fed regularly. 1.

Is it better to drop turtle pellets in a commercial?

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. A variety of fresh food offers a wider range ...

What does a baby red eared slider need?

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: Controlled Temperature: Baby red eared sliders are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. Drops in temperature can cause pneumonia.

How to keep a red eared slider healthy?

A varied diet is both nutritionally and mentally enriching. It also helps them to get a full range of vitamins. Clean Water: Young red eared sliders need very clean water for swimming and drinking. Use an aquarium pump to circulate and filter tank water .

What is the difference between a baby red eared slider and an adult red eared slider?

A major difference between adult and baby red eared sliders is their diet: Adults eat primarily a 50/50 balance of plants to meat. Babies and juveniles need a 30/70 ratio of plants to meat. One quarter of your baby slider’s protein content should come from commercial turtle food pellets.

Why do red eared sliders refuse food?

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.

Why don't turtles bask?

Even if they can reach the basking spot, turtles will not bask if the water temperatures are too high and/or the air and basking temperatures are too low. 4. How To Care For Baby Red Eared Slider Turtles. Babies are more likely to get sick because of their developing immune system.

How much does a red eared slider baby cost?

The most common red eared slider baby is the wild-type. Most wild-type sliders sell for $30 to $60. Private breeders sell specialty morphs like hypo pastel, albino, ghost, leucistic and piebald too. Rarer morphs like caramel and charcoal are sold for $1,000.

What is the most popular pet turtle in 2021?

April 13, 2021 Johnathan David. A red eared slider is a fun, unique, and interesting pet. They are one of the most popular pet turtles in the world. Baby red eared sliders are one of the cutest reptiles, it is tempting to get one as a pet. But before you do, take time to consider the care and feeding needs of these tiny turtles.

How to care for a baby red eared slider turtle?

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. Provide a full spectrum UV-A/B bulb for basking.

What are the signs of a red ear slider turtle?

As part of red ear slider turtle care for babies, you must be especially vigilant in watching for any signs of a developing respiratory illness, shell rot and bacterial or parasite infestation (loose stools, apathetic behavior and lack of appetite are all potential indicators).

Why do sliders pack mealworms?

On the flip side, if you’re not in a cold climate, they pack the mealworms loosely so they don’t overheat each other from friction and too much contact. This prevents them from overheating and dying. Your baby slider will definitely enjoy following the natural instinct of going after live worms. Live Mealworms!

Why is it important to watch for baby turtles?

Because your baby turtle’s shell will be weaker than an adult’s of the same species, it may be more apt to sustain an injury while climbing up or down off its basking ramp or enjoying play time outdoors. This is important to watch for because shell rot is a common health concern for hatchlings in particular.

What causes shell rot in turtles?

Also, your baby turtle will be more vulnerable to toxins, poisons or pesticides from food sources and bacterial build-up from unclean tank water.

How often should I change my turtle's bulb?

Here, be sure to change the bulb every six months. This will give your turtle the ability to absorb calcium fully to grow a strong, hard adult shell. Dust your baby’s food with supplements. Use a calcium with D3 powder and a non-D3 aquatic turtle multi-vitamin/mineral supplement.

Is a turtle's immune system still developing?

system concerns are the other. Your hatchling turtle ’s immune system is still forming and so your baby turtle is more susceptible to a full range of potential health risks than an adult would be. Just like parents with a human baby, you want to be cognizant of your hatchlings developing immune system.