What's the right amount of pellets to feed my pet turtle daily?

A juvenile should be fed daily. An adult (1 yrs old and up) can be fed every other day. Feed an amount of food that would fit inside the head if it were empty. Remove any uneaten food promptly to prevent fouling the water.

The pellets shown should not be fed to turtles for any length of time. Doing so may lead to nutritional deficiencies. If you feed a pelleted diet, choose one specifically for turtles. You can also offer feeder fish, nightcrawlers and freeze dried prey made for turtles. Turtles are omnivorous, so you should be offering chopped fresh greens and vegetables in addition to animal protein and a pelleted diet.

Offer a varied diet including pelleted food, fresh greens and prey such as tiny crickets or earthworms. You can get prey from the pet store, do not feed wild caught insects. It may take a day or two for him to acclimate to his new environment. Keep offering fresh food daily. Be sure environmental parameters are appropriate for the species of turtle you have. This includes adequate heat, UVB lighting and water quality. If you know the species, post it in a new question or request a consultation for more detailed care information.

Make sure temps are high enough for him. Low temps can affect appetite and digestion in reptiles. Withhold mealworms for a day then offer bits of pellets. You can grind up mealworms and coat the pellets before feeding. Offer other prey as well. Make sure they aren't too big and gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value.

Thanks for reaching out about Shelley. Don't think there is a specific answer as metabolism depends on so many variables: water temperature, age, sex, and other parameters. But it sounds as if she is still hungry and recommend feeding twice daily. Monitor body score for becoming overweight. Good luck.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Juvenile RES should receive commercial aquatic turtle pellets, supplemented occasionally with live fish (guppies, goldfish), & earthworms. Make sure she gets at least 15 minutes of natural sunlight weekly. Adults need 30% of diet to be the pellets & some protein like mentioned above. The krill can be offered on occasion. 70% of the diet needs to be plants in the form of chopped leafy greens, kale, romaine, mustard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, parsley, shredded carrot, frozen (thawed) mixed veggies & squash, & occasional fruit. Take care.

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