What fruits and veggies can 8-year-old red-eared sliders eat?

Fluker's or Maxuri pellets/sticks are quality diets. The diet should be varied to maximize nutrition. Offer leafy greens, crickets, small feeder fish, krill/shrimp (either can be freeze dried) or superworms in addition to a commercial pelleted diet.

A small amount of carrot would be ok as a treat. For information on proper diet and treats that are safe for your turtle, you can consult http://www.wnyherpsociety.org/care-sheets/turtles-and-tortoises/ and click on the link at the bottom labeled "red ear slider".

Shrimp should not be the sole source of nutrition. This may lead to deficiencies. Sliders are omnivorous and should be fed a combination of greens and proteins. Offer live prey such as crickets, minnows, nightcrawlers and superworms. Dark, leafy greens can be chopped finely and offered. A commercial pellet or stick formula should also be fed. To stimulate the appetite, you can soak pellets in some water used to rehydrate dried shrimp or krill. Fasting the turtles for a day or two will also get them hungry enough to eat pellets or prey. Be sure to provide adequate space, heat and lighting. Allow 10 gallons per inch of she'll as a guideline for tank size. Three sliders, when fully grown will need a large tank. UVB lighting will aid in calcium metabolism and heat is necessary for proper digestion and health in reptiles. Water temperature should range between 75F and 85F. A basking area should be 90F to 95F. Care should be taken when housing wild caught turtles with captive bred turtles. Parasites and disease present in wild sliders may infect a captive bred one. You should also check local wildlife laws regarding the keeping of wild turtles. You can read more about care of sliders here: www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Thanks for reaching out about Ruby. Meat such as chicken, is a poor food since it is low in calcium and high in phosphorus. My usually recommendation is 1/3-1/3-1/3, meaning parts vegetables (green, red, yellow, orange), pellets and live fish (goldfish, tetras). The benefit of whole live fish is environmental enrichment (hunting, foraging) and has a skeleton with calcium, muscle and organs rich in other nutrients. Vegetables provide a wide variety of vegetables and the pellets a fairly balanced diet. Water temperature, a basking site with UVB and heat and water quality are also important. Good luck.

Hi. I'm glad you checked. Red rated sliders can be fun pets but they also require specialized environment and care. She should eat some live feeder fish, some plant matter and only about 25% of her diet should be commercial pellets. Be sure she has an area to get out of the water in her tank, she needs a basking light for warmth and full spectrum UV lighting. Housing is the number one reason that sliders get sick or die in captivity so please take the time to get her set up correctly. Here is a great beginner article for RES care. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Without an exam, it can be difficult to determine what may be wrong. Confirm proper environmental parameters, especially temperature. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. You can offer bits of raw beef heart to stimulate the appetite. Be sure to offer a balanced diet including protein (feeder fish, nightcrawlers, etc.) fresh greens and vegetables and a small amount of commercial pellets. A calcium supplement and a powdered multivitamin should also be used. You can review slider care at the links below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Red-Eared-Slider-Care-Sheet/ http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

As an occasional treat, brine shrimp are fine. I would recommend feeding Pepper in a separate container to minimize mess. Once Pepper is bigger, consider krill since they are bigger and would be easier to eat.