Adult Red-Eared Slider Turtle Feeding Schedule
| Day | Food |
| Monday | Large handful of kale, One chopped carro ... |
| Wednesday | Large handful of kale, Two earthworms, T ... |
| Friday | Large handful of kale, 2-3 aquatic ferns ... |
| Sunday | Large handful of kale, One chopped carro ... |
How should you give your red eared slider its food?
Providing Good Nutrients for Your Red-Eared Slider
- Animal Protein. As protein is a part of your pet’s dietary needs, you will include this in its meal but make sure you do not feed it with more than ...
- Plants. There are a variety of plants you can feed your turtle and they should make up 50% of the total diet.
- Vitamin Supplements. ...
What is a red eared slider's favorite food?
Even if this list isn't exhaustive, red ear sliders will certainly eat:
- Fish
- Tadpoles
- Crayfish
- Flies
- Slugs
- Grasshoppers
- Meal Worms
- Wax Worms
- Pests
- Various Aquatic Plants
What kind of vegetables can a red eared slider eat?
Red-eared sliders can be fed dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, kale, dandelion greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, or swiss chard. Vegetables such as bell peppers or carrots can also be fed. Fish that can be fed as feeders: goldfish, guppies, and minnows. The insects, worms, slugs, snails, and tadpoles are all related.
How many pellets do I Feed my red eared slider?
How Much Food Should I Feed My Turtle A Day?
- Put a bunch of pellets into a plastic bag (like you would use for a sandwich), then squeeze the end and twist a bit so that it resembles your turtle’s ...
- Put it up close to your turtle’s head to see how much bigger or smaller it should be.
- After you get the correct size, measure it using a teaspoon, tablespoon or measuring cup.
What is the best food for red-eared sliders?
A big handful of leafy greens, a pinch of turtle pellets, and a couple worms or insects should be plenty. Adults eat a lot less meat, so make sure you offer plenty of dark leafy greens, vegetables, and aquatic plants. Foods rich in protein, such as fish and invertebrates, should only be offered once a week.
How often feed red-eared slider?
The frequency of feeding depends on the age and size of your red-eared slider. Smaller or juvenile turtles will eat heartily every day. As they get older, adult turtles may be offered a good-sized portion of food every two or three days.
What veggies can I feed my red-eared slider?
Leafy Greens: Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and bok choy. Iceberg lettuce should never be fed because it is not nutritious enough,1 and dark green leafy lettuce such as romaine can be fed sparingly. Make sure you feed items with appropriate calcium-to-phosphorous levels.
How long can a red eared turtle go without eating?
Healthy adult red-eared sliders can go without food for a few weeks up to two or three months at most.
What Do Red-Eared Sliders Eat?
Red-eared slider turtles are omnivores, so they eat both plants and animals.
Red-Eared Slider Food
Red-eared sliders are omnivorous so they can eat both plants and animals.
Summary
Red-eared slider turtles are omnivores, so they will eat both plant and animal matter. However, as they age, they need less protein.
What Red Eared Slider Turtles Eat
Since red eared slider turtles are omnivorous they can eat a huge variety of ailments. So to make things simpler I will divide them in 5 categories:
How to Properly Feed Your Red Eared Slider Turtle
Over the years I’ve read about countless methods of feeding turtles. But out of all of them two stood out the most, as being the most used and the most efficient. And they are the 15 minutes method and the size of the head method.
Red Eared Slider Turtle Feeding Schedule
The first thing that you have to take into consideration when thinking how often you have to feed your turtle, or when making a feeding schedule, is the age of the turtle. Baby red eared slider turtles need a different amount of food than juveniles, and juveniles need a different amount of food than adult red eared slider turtles.
Occasional Treats
Another thing that I want to address is that you can occasionally give your red eared slider turtle treats. As long as they are not too consistent, you can give your turtle a few live fish, fruits, vegetables or dried insects, without worrying that you disturb their feeding schedule.
Final Thoughts
While red eared slider turtles can eat a lot of things, not all of them can be good for them.
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Best Foods For Red Eared Slider Turtles
Turtle pellets should be the main food source for your red eared slider. The pellets are commonly made with Gammarus shrimp and crammed with vitamins and minerals. These pellets will give your turtle all the nutrients it needs for a healthy diet combining vitamins, minerals, calcium and proteins.
Other suitable foods for red eared slider food list?
Okay, so these foods we’ll not go into detail with, but these will all need to be offered only a couple of times a week. These foods have high levels of varying vitamins and minerals which is why they should only be offered in moderation. Red eared slider turtles are relatively non fussy eaters, which makes meal prep pretty easy.
Conclusion
Well there we have it, everything you need to know to create a healthy Red Eared Slider Food List. We hope our top recommendations help you to decide on some alternative meals for your turtle. Remember to monitor vitamin and calcium intake as too much can lead to health problems, which you really don’t want.
How Often To Feed A Red Eared Slider
Red eared sliders have a particularly big appetite, and will act as if they are starving all the time! It is important not to give in and overfeed your turtle, as they will take as much as they can get without refusing any food.
How To Tell How Old Your Red Eared Slider Is
If you did not have your red eared slider from when it was born, or very young, then you will need to determine its age in order to feed it the proper diet that it requires. Some argue that you can find how old a turtle is by looking at its scutes, but this method is unreliable, and the scutes are hard to find on a red eared slider!
What To Feed A Red Eared Slider
Red eared sliders are actually omnivores, and in the wild, they will eat a mixture of both animal and plant sources. This includes worms, aquatic plants, fish and many other sources of food.
Why Is My Turtle Eating So Much?
You may notice that your red ear slider is eating very frequently, and begging for lots of food. This does not necessarily mean that it is hungry or starving, as turtles are naturally opportunistic eaters in the wild.
Why You Should Not Overfeed A Turtle
Turtles are actually very opportunistic, and will eat whatever is put in front of them. This can cause a problem, and make overfeeding them very easy. However, overfeeding a turtle is not advised as it can cause a few health problems for the reptile.
Conclusion
If you have a red eared slider, then it is important that you have a good feeding routine. Most red eared sliders can be fed once daily, or every other day if much older.
Habitat
A red-eared slider habitat should be a 40-gallon or larger enclosure with a screened lid so the turtle can’t escape. Habitat size should increase as your turtle grows to adult size. Be sure the habitat selected is wide enough to give the turtle room to comfortably turn around.
Feeding
The nutritional requirements of red-eared sliders change as they age and grow. While sliders of all ages are omnivorous, juvenile sliders require more animal protein for growth, and fully grown adults eat more plant matter to help prevent obesity.
Where to buy
Red-eared sliders are available at Petco stores. Contact your nearest location to check availability.
Aquarium mates
Adult aquatic turtles of the same species may be housed together as long as the aquarium is large enough. Do not house different turtle species together and avoid overcrowding, which can lead to aggressive behaviors.
Notes and sources
Ask a Pet Care Center associate about Petco's selection of products available for the care and happiness of your new pet. All products carry a 100% money-back guarantee.
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.
Different Methods of of Choosing the Amount of Food for Your Red Eared Slider
As I said there are a lot of methods out there, but two of the most talked-about are the 15 minutes method and the size of the head method. I tried both of them and did extensive research to find out what other people have to say about them. So let’s start with the 15 minutes method.
Occasional Treats
Another thing that I want to address is that you can occasionally give your red eared slider treats. As long they are not too big, you can give your turtle a few live fishes, or similar things that they like, without warning that you disturb their feeding schedule.
LEGAL INFORMATION
TurtleOwner.com is owned and operated by The Turtle Owner Team. TurtleOwner.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
