what to feed my aquatic turtle

A well-balanced aquatic turtle diet consists of:

• These aquatic turtles need a pelleted commercial diet.
• Commercial turtle treats and freeze-dried krill may be given as treats.
• Painted wood, map and red ear - Dark, leafy green veggies and finely chopped vegetables. They also benefit from comet goldfish, earthworms and insects as treats.

Full Answer

What is the best aquatic turtle food?

Summary

• The best aquatic turtle food is Mazuri, Omega One or Reptomin as your protein source.
• Use Red-leaf or Romaine lettuce or Anacharis as your vegetable or plant source.
• Feed ghost shrimp, feeder fish, crickets and other vegetables sparingly.

What are the safe materials for an aquatic turtle aquarium?

The Turtle Tank

• You will need at least a 40 gallon tank to allow enough space. ...
• Turtles grow. ...
• Wooden boards or bricks make great land areas as they can be cleaned easily. ...
• Wood chips and bark can get moldy or grow fungus. ...
• Shelter is a good idea. ...

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What can turtles eat besides turtle food?

• Animal meat
• Fish
• Snails
• Frogs
• Newts
• Insects
• Worms
• Snakes
• Bugs
• Vegetation

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What should you feed a turtle?

• A turtle’s diet shouldn’t have more than 25% turtle pellets
• Fruits, leafy greens, and vegetables should make up at least 50% of the diet.
• The remaining 25% should be filled with other food sources such as fish, mealworms, shrimp, and water insects.

What fruits and vegetables can aquatic turtles eat?

The following fruits and vegetables can be given to aquatic turtles (and box turtles): grated carrot and squash, cut apple and pear, corn (cooked kernels), peas, most tropical fruits (banana, papaya, guava, etc.), grapes, most berries (strawberries, raspberries, etc.), most leafy greens (romaine lettuce, collard, kale, ...

When should I feed my aquatic turtle?

5:007:35HOW TO FEED TURTLES - The Basics | Turtle 101 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd how often you should feed is for baby turtles you usually want to feed them the amount that goesMoreAnd how often you should feed is for baby turtles you usually want to feed them the amount that goes their head is hollow. Once a day for juveniles feed them every other day and for adults every two

How do I know if my turtle is hungry?

Most turtles, especially young ones, should be fed daily. For an adult box turtle, a day's food would be three tablespoons of the vegetable mixture and a couple of earthworms. You know your turtle is hungry when it begins to roam around its enclosure checking the place where you feed it.

What vegetables can water 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.

How often should I feed my turtle?

How often do turtles eat? If your turtle is still juvenile, feed it every day, advises Dr. Starkey. Once it reaches adulthood (around 7 years old), you can feed it every other day—or about 4 to 5 times a week.

How many times do you feed a turtle in a day?

You should feed your turtle one cup of food every day or every other day....Here are some good rules of thumb for frequency of feedings:Feed babies and juveniles (turtles up to 1 year of age) once a day.Young adults should be fed every other day.Mature turtles should be fed every third day.

How much do you feed a turtle daily?

The amount of food you feed depends a bit on your individual turtle. A good rule of thumb is to feed as much as your turtle will consume in 15 minutes. If you feed your turtle in a separate container, it is easier to monitor how much and how fast your turtle eats.

How Long Can turtles go without eating?

A young turtle (less than six months old) can't go a day without eating. A so-called “sub-adult” turtle (six months to one year old) can't go more than a day without eating. An adult turtle should eat, on average, every 2-3 days.

How should I feed my turtle?

Always feed your turtle in the water, not on land. Turtles need water to swallow their food.

How much should I feed my turtle?

Turtles are real gluttons. Even if they’ve just been fed, they’re going to ask for more. Don’t give in: you know what’s best for them! Turtles are cold-blooded; unlike us, they don’t need food to maintain their body temperature. They only use the energy from their food to grow and to move.

How often should I feed my turtle?

The frequency with which you should feed your turtle depends on its age. Young turtles grow faster, so they need more food than older animals. The type of food you should feed your turtle also depends on the animal’s age. You’ll find more information about this below:

What should I feed my turtle?

Turtles like a lot of food but some foods are better for them than others. You should always feed your turtle with a variety of food. A varied diet, provided in the right amount, will have positive effects on your turtle’s health and its lifespan.

Foods to be avoided

Even if your turtle is an omnivore, it’s not a good idea to literally feed it everything. Some foods are not healthy for turtles to eat:

What to feed a baby turtle?

So, here are some pointers on how to feed baby turtles: #1 First, Feed land baby turtles, a combination of commercially produced food and fresh leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage, and make sure you chop the food into tiny pieces. #2 Feed your aquatic baby turtle in a smaller feeding tank. Aquatic baby turtles are sloppy eaters, and they ...

What do water turtles eat?

Water turtles can feed on vegetables and fruits. Also, provide live food to the turtle. This is an integral part of their diet so be sure to have a regular supply of animal-based food for your turtle, including live feed. These live foods include crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and other small grubs and insects.

How to keep baby turtles from eating?

Aquatic baby turtles are sloppy eaters, and they relieve themselves in the middle of their meals. Therefore, they are bound to dirty their aquarium. #3 Give your turtle feeder fish and crickets for some meals. #4 Feed baby turtles two or three times a day. #5 Remember to leave your baby turtle’s food in the tank for half an hour ...

How to feed a turtle live crickets?

Feeding your turtle live crickets can seem a little tricky, but it helps to replicate how a turtle would eat in the wild. Feeding an aquatic turtle small live fish helps to stimulate the turtle and give him some exercise. Using vegetables that float is preferable to those that sink for an aquatic turtle. If you dust your food with ...

Why should you clean your turtle's food?

Whenever you give them food, you should make sure to clean the feeding area. This is because leftover food decay, and this is not healthy for a turtle.

Do turtles eat the same amount of food?

No two turtles will eat the same amount of food, so recommendations on the amount to provide have to be generalized. In that case, it’s important to note that young turtles should be fed often. Juvenile turtles, a term that most describes baby turtles, need lots of food and need to be fed most often than mature turtles.

Can turtles eat yogurt?

First of all, don’t feed them the same food over and over again because they can easily get attached and refuse other foods. You should also avoid giving dairy products such as milk, yogurt, or cheese to turtles. They cannot digest dairy, and this may cause illness.

How to feed an aquatic turtle?

But, the easiest way to feed an aquatic turtle is to just drop the food into the water in their habitat. However, that usually means you will need to clean the food waste from the tank more often to prevent algae and mold growth.

What should a turtle eat?

Most of their diet should be protein, somewhere in the 70%-80% range at this age. Just like children, young turtles may not like veggies right away but keep offering greens and other vegetables. Giving your turtle the occasional piece of fruit is a good idea (see treats).

What is the best mix for a turtle?

Too little leafy greens and too much protein can lead to pyramiddingand eventually debilitating deformity. A healthy mix is 50-70% leafy greens and the rest a protein source. Food Pellets. I'm of the mind that a turtle's diet ought to match as closely as possible to what they would eat in the wild.

How to keep turtle cage clean?

If you want to keep the cage cleaning minimal (always smart) a the recommended turtle feeding technique is to move your turtle to a smaller water filled container. This makes it easy to clean since you can just dump the water after the turtle has eaten.

What do turtles eat?

Minnows, crickets, and a variety of worms are perfect-sized proteins. You can also feed other insects, small fish, and aquatic snails. Turtles prefer live food if possible, and many will only eat in the water, where they feel safe.

Why is feeding time important for turtles?

It’s also important to note that although turtles can become used to your presence and eagerly approach you, it does not mean you should handle them often. They’re still not for cuddling.

Can you feed a turtle fruit?

Fruit can be safely given to your pet, and it’s a good way to provide additional nutrients. But fruits are not a primary part of a turtle’s natural diet. They don’t need all the sugar from fruit. Give small pieces as treats, and don’t feed citrus fruit to turtles. Apples, bananas, strawberries, and melons are good choices.

What do turtles need?

All aquatic turtles, however, do share certain needs. The most important things that all aquatic turtles need are: 1 The right heat and lighting. 2 A large enough habitat that has both a dry area and enough clean water for them to swim. 3 The right amount of the right finds of food.

What do turtles need to survive?

Most high-quality turtle foods contain all the vitamins and minerals a turtle in a healthy habitat needs. The most common exception to this rule is calcium, which turtles need in high amounts to build and maintain their skeletal systems and shells.

Why do turtles need to be in the water?

The first thing you need to understand is that aquatic turtles have to be in the water to eat because they need the water to wash down their food. Even if they take food from your hand, they'll still run or jump into the water to swallow it. Many keepers recommend feeding turtles in a separate tank from the one they live in.

What is an aquatic turtle?

Aquatic turtles are turtles that live in and spend most of their time in water. This distinguishes them from tortoises, which are turtles that spend most of their time on land. There are many different species of aquatic turtles, and each of them has their own needs in terms of food, temperature, lighting, and habitat.

How often should I feed my turtles?

I believe that that juvenile turtles (up to one year of age) should be fed once a day, young adult turtles should be fed every other day, and older turtles should be fed every third day if there are edible plants in the tank for them to snack on in between.

How to add calcium to turtles?

Calcium can be added to a turtle's diet by adding supplements to their food; or it can be added to their environment by placing a cuttlebone or sepia bone in the tank. Another exception to the rule is Vitamin A.

Can you give a turtle a vitamin A shot?

Usually the first visible symptom is swollen, puffy eyes. A veterinarian can administer Vitamin A shots in the case of a deficiency, and there are also eye drops for turtles that you can administer to your turtles yourself.

What is an aquatic turtle?

If you’ve felt interested in branching out to other species, you may have considered adding aquatic turtles to the mix. “Aquatic turtle” is a bit of a misnomer. “Aquatic” implies the turtle lives exclusively in the water, never venturing onto land.

How big of a tank does a map turtle need?

However, females get twice as large as males reaching 10 inches. Even a single female map turtle requires a 75-gallon (284 l) tank. Map turtles are one of the shyer aquatic turtles out there. You won’t get as much interaction with them as you might one of the other species.

Why are Caspian Pond Turtles declining?

Native to the Middle East, the species is declining in numbers due to habitat loss. If you decide to bring one into your aquarium, opt for a captive-bred turtle to prevent further losses to the species.

How long do painted turtles live?

Painted turtles have an average lifespan between 25-30 years, though some have survived up to 55 years. They remain active throughout the day, which appeals to a lot of people.

How big do Mississippi map turtles get?

However, females get twice as large as males reaching 10 inches.

How big do Reeves turtles get?

As adults, they reach a total length of 6 inches (15 cm). They also prefer slower waters, making them one of the easier species to keep. Just make sure you choose a quality filter. Unlike other species of aquatic turtles, Reeves enjoy having their heads stroked.

How big do turtles' sidenecks get?

( source) Depending on their age, sidenecks grow from 8-18 inches (20-46 cm) in length. You may need to expand your tank depending on the health of your turtle.