
What Do Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtles Eat?
- Carrot Tops
- Parsley
- Kale
- Turnip Greens
- Collard Greens
- Apples (As A Treat)
- Green Beans
- Water Lilies
- Red Bell Pepper
- Duckweed
What do you feed a yellow-bellied slider?
Offer only what your turtle can consume in about 15 minutes and remove uneaten food. Dark, leafy greens like romaine, dandelion greens, and fresh parsley should be a regular part of your yellow-bellied slider's diet. Offer chopped apple pieces and freeze-dried shrimp occasionally.
What do Baby Yellow Belly slider turtles eat?
Here are some of the things you should feed your baby yellow belly slider turtles. Proteins for the baby sliders are the same as adults. They will come in the form of insects, Fish, and commercial food pellets. Proteins should account for a higher percentage of their diets than their adult counterparts.
What do sliders eat in the wild?
To supplement them, provide some leafy greens as well. These turtles enjoy Romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, dandelion greens, and even apples. Occasionally, you can offer up some live or frozen foods. Yellow-bellied sliders will accept gut-loaded brown crickets and shrimp. Make sure to avoid anything too high in protein or loaded with fat.
How to care for a yellow-bellied slider turtle?
To keep ammonia and nitrate levels undetectable, perform partial water changes every few weeks. In the wild, yellow-bellied sliders are omnivores. They will gladly eat a wide variety of foods in captivity too. However, it’s best to provide them with a diet that’s centered around plant-based foods when the turtles are adults.

How much do you feed a baby yellow belly slider?
Food and Water Juveniles and hatchlings should eat twice a day, and their diet should lean towards carnivorous. Once a turtle reaches adulthood (age 2 to 5), its diet should consist of mostly vegetables.
What can you feed yellow belly slider turtles?
The yellow-bellied slider will eat a range of aquatic foods, meat products and livefood. They can also be fed dried foods when the fresh or live options are not available. The dried food should be created with shrimp or meat protien rather than vegetation.
What human food can yellow belly turtles eat?
Lettuce in particular is a common food item for yellow-bellied sliders. Cut-up bits of meat, including seafood like shrimp, are also usually beneficial for these turtles. You can also offer your yellow-bellied pet "once in a while" snacks -- think waxworms and mealworms.
How much water do baby yellow belly turtles need?
The water in the tank should be at least deep enough for a turtle to turn over should it land upside down. That requires a depth equal to the length of your turtle's shell. But deeper water of up to 16 to 18 inches is even better. The water should be kept between 72 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
How deep should the water be for a baby yellow belly slider?
Care tips: Enclosure: 75 gallon tank or larger, water 16-18 inches deep. Substrate: reptile sand or even fine pea gravel.
Can yellow belly sliders eat fruit?
Yellow-Bellied Slider Foods In captivity, young sliders need to be fed daily, whereas adult sliders can be fed every two to three days. Crickets can be a source of protein, greens can provide nutrients, and fruits like peeled and cored apples, blueberries and strawberries make good treats.
Do yellow belly sliders get lonely?
Do yellow bellied sliders get lonely? No. Turtles can actually get territorial especially when kept together in small tanks. It's usually best to keep one turtle to a tank or have at least a 120-150 gallon tank if you opt to keep several.
How fast do yellow-bellied sliders grow?
What is this? Hatchling Yellow-Bellied Sliders emerge from their eggs at a mere 1 inch long and reach around 4 inches by their first birthday. After that, they only grow about 1 inch per year until they get to their adult size.
How long do yellow-bellied sliders live in captivity?
40 yearsYellow-bellied sliders can live between 25 and 30 years on average in the wild. If you are keen on having a yellow-bellied slider in your family, be prepared to make a very long-term commitment. With proper care, they can live an average of 40 years in captivity.
How do I get my baby yellow belly turtle to eat?
Yellow-bellied sliders eat in the water. When providing food, drop a few items into the water near the turtles. Healthy turtles will usually swim right over and immediately begin eating. Don't saturate the tank with food items; provide only as much food as your turtles will consume within five to 10 minutes.
Do turtles need a light at night?
Night Lights They can also provide some heat, which can be important for hatchling turtles, who often sleep on the basking area at night. Adult turtles don't need night lights, and most turtles don't care whether they're red or blue as long as they're not too bright.
Can yellow belly turtles live in tap water?
The chlorine and fluorine in tap water can interfere with its pH balance and harm a turtle if it consumes it. Basking turtles of all sizes must be protected from the elements throughout their lives. How Often Should You Clean A Yellow Belly Turtles Tank? You must fill up the tank with clean water at least once a week.
Can you overfeed a yellow belly slider?
It's essentially a form of Metabolic Bone Disease and occurs when your turtle is overfed. It's not good for the turtle and could lead to their organs being squeezed or being damaged. The biggest culprit of shell pyramiding is usually from feeding your turtle too many pellets.
How long do yellow-bellied sliders live in captivity?
40 yearsYellow-bellied sliders can live between 25 and 30 years on average in the wild. If you are keen on having a yellow-bellied slider in your family, be prepared to make a very long-term commitment. With proper care, they can live an average of 40 years in captivity.
How do you tell if a yellow belly slider is a boy or girl?
The most common way to determine gender in a turtle is to look at the length of its tail. 3 Female turtles have short and skinny tails while males sport long, thick tails, with their vent (cloaca) positioned closer to the end of the tail when compared to a female.
Can yellow belly sliders eat celery?
Diet: The hatchlings are more carnivorous than the adults, they prefer more meats, like shrimp that you can get at the pet store rather then the pellets. The adults eat a verity of veggies like carrots, and celery etc.
What type of light do yellowbellied sliders need?
These turtles rely on amply lighting to regulate their body temperature and stay healthy. You’ll need two types of lighting: a basking light and a UV light. The basking light will shine on the land portion of the tank.
How do yellowbellied sliders use land?
While yellow-bellied sliders will spend most of their time in the water, they use the land to regulate their temperature and bask in the sun. You can create a piece of land naturally with the substrate material. However, the easiest option is to use a floating perch.
What is a yellowbellied slider?
Yellow-bellied sliders are a popular pet turtle that many owners enjoy. Their high activity level and unique habitat requirements make them stand out in pretty much any home. But the same traits that make them unique also make them a bit trickier to care for than other turtles. This means you need a strong understanding ...
How to make a yellowbellied slider turtle feel safe?
Next, add some plants (they can be real or artificial). Yellow-bellied sliders need plants to feel safe. Get a healthy mix of submerged plants and floating plants to make your turtle feel right at home. To keep the water in good shape, use a powerful filtration system.
How long do yellowbellied sliders live?
Lifespan. The average yellow-bellied slider lifespan is between 20 and 30 years. However, it’s not uncommon to see these creatures reaching the ripe old age of 40! Of course, there’s no way to guarantee that your turtle will live that long.
Do yellowbellied sliders eat plant based food?
They will gladly eat a wide variety of foods in captivity too. However, it’s best to provide them with a diet that’s centered around plant-based foods when the turtles are adults.
Do you need a water conditioner for a turtle?
The quality of the water in the tank is very important. We recommend using a water conditioner before you introduce your turtle to their habitat. The conditioner will get rid of any chlorine or any other chemicals that could harm your turtle.
What do sliders eat?
Pet species should eat mostly leafy green vegetables, supplemented with protein from insects. Pelleted turtle food is also a good choice. Yellow-bellied sliders are a semi-aquatic turtle.
How much does a yellowbellied slider cost?
Juvenile yellow-bellied sliders are commonly sold online and at reptile shows. Depending on the seller they can cost $30 to $80. It is also easy to find adults for sale because of their long lifespan.
What temperature should a yellowbellied slider be?
Turtles need to warm up before they can become active. Your Yellow-Bellied slider should have a basking spot on land that reaches 90 to 100°F, as well as a cooler area that is 72 to 76°F. Both UVA and UVB lights are essential for sliders metabolize calcium. A 5% UVB bulb, often marketed as a “tropical UVB” bulb, is ideal for sliders.
How much does a slider tank cost?
The most expensive part of owning a slider is the tank and its setup. A 100-gallon tank and accessories will cost over $300. When looking to purchase a yellow-bellied slider, make sure you are buying a captive-bred turtle from a good breeder. Healthy turtles should be alert and try to escape if approached by a person.
How big are slider turtles?
Sliders are large turtles with an average shell length of five to nine inches. However, they are a sexually dimorphic species, meaning there is a significant difference in size between males and females. Males average seven inches long and females are closer to ten inches.
When did slider turtles become popular?
Slider turtles became popular pets in the 1950s as hundreds of turtle hatchlings were sold throughout the United States. Sliders are great pets for those who are not afraid of taking on a long-term commitment. Be prepared to go through a lot of fresh vegetables and do not expect to have a cuddly pet.
How many gallons of water do sliders need?
But, this should be changed for a larger tank after four years. Adult sliders need at least a 100-gallon enclosure to be healthy. Some owners use a standard glass fish tank to house their slider, while others use plastic pond liners to create a more natural setup.
