Turtle Thursday: Did You Know?

I didn't write this week's Turtle Thursday, so I'll post a cute pic of Dante taken a week ago. It was supposed to be a pic of Silent Bob in his new tank setup, but Mrs. Baxojayz never emailed it to me, per my request.

From my email:

Turtlesale.com Information Time

This week's topic:
Common Errors, Truths & Quick Fixes When It Comes To Feeding A Water Turtle.

Did You Know?

1. Pet store People Despite what they may tell you, turtles should not be fed dog or cat food (Sounds insane, but we've heard it!) Research, Research, Research!

2. Pellet-only diets are acceptable. Pellets provide many benefits, but variety is key! Supplement fruits and veggies you have in your fridge- check out our safe list below!

3. Feeding in your turtles tank. You should really try to feed in a separate container to avoid frequent changes of water and filter media. A Rubbermaid container is the easiest way to feed outside your tank.

4. Giving in to Beggars. Turtles will always beg whether you give in or not- they know you are the supplier of food! Supplement between feedings with Iceberg lettuce- its a common filler that doesn't contain much nutritional value, but will keep them content.

5. Failure of providing sufficient Calcium or vitamin D3. Turtles need both for strong bones and shells It is recommended you have a light that supplies UVA and UVB- Reptisun 5.0.

6. Hatchlings. Baby Turtles should be fed everyday for the first year of their lives. Feedings should be done in a separate container so that you do not have to frequently change the water nor the filter media. I found it best to give them as much as they cared to eat in a 10 or 15 minute window. Hatchlings tend to be more Carnivorous than adults, so make sure to check out the suggestions of live and protein-rich foods below for how to supplement accordingly. (Make sure you still give fruits and veggies at this stage!)

7. Juveniles/Adults. Once your turtle reaches the 4" mark, we recommend that you change their feeding schedule to every other day. Again, a separate container is recommended, and the all they can eat deal should still be implemented. Adults tend to become more Omnivorous, so make sure to check out the suggestions of fruits and vegetables below.

8. Our Own Blend Of Low Fat High Protein Turtle Pellets. Commercial Foods Tetra Reptomin ZooMed's Aquatic Turtle Food Exo Terra

9. Frozen/Canned

Spirulina-enriched Brine Shrimp.
Beef Heart
Bloodworms
Plankton
Krill
ZooMed's Can O'Crickets, Grasshoppers, or Meal Worms

10. Live (Carnivorous)

Guppies/Rosies Reds
Crickets (Gut-Loaded)
Pinhead Crickets (for smaller turtles)
Earthworms/Night Crawlers
Ghost Shrimp
Aquatic Snails/Apple Snails
Slugs
Wax Worms/Super Worms

**Be careful about Wild-Caught foods because they can carry parasites that can be transferred to your turtle. Freezing Wild-Caught foods for a month will help to kill off some parasites.

11. Fruits

Apples
Bananas
Grapes
Melon
Tomato
Strawberries
**Should be cut up in small, bite-size or match-like sticks that will be easy for the turtle to bite into and not choke on.

12. Veggies

Squash/Zucchini
Carrots
Broccoli
Greens- Red Leaf, Romaine, Collards, Kale, Dandelion Greens
**Stay away from Spinach. Make sure to cut the veggies in bite-size or match-like sticks so your turtle can eat them easily. Iceberg lettuce is a good filler, but contains little/no nutritional value!

13. Aquatic Plants

Anacharis
Duckweed
Water Hyacinth
Water Lettuce
Water Lily
These are great plants for turtles to eat.

Turtlesale provided a great resource in this. I have a feeling that the forum staff, of which I used to be one, really wrote all this. Too bad they have so much good information but implement it with the turtles they sell. [Bob]