Help with feeding a painted turtle?

Question

I just got a painted turtle yesterday and I have no idea what I'm supposed to feed it. Any idea? lettuce? Crickets? I don't even know where to start! Help!

Answer 1

You don't mention the size. Young turtles are carnivores. Feed them live earthworms, fishes (not goldfish), and soft-bodied insects. When you can't get live food, strips of liver dusted with bonemeal are good. When the turtle gets older, you can try dark green leafy vegetables and bits of sweet potato.

Answer 2

lettuce and fruit

Answer 3

While "peek" had some good things, there were a couple of issues.

First, goldfish contain a poison that will slowly poison a turtle-guppies and minnows/rosy reds are still good though.  If the 36 year old has been eating goldfish for a long time, it's a fluke.

Second, there are commercial foods that are well balanced and provide a good, well balanced *base* for a turtle's diet.  Reptomin is one of the preferred ones, especially as it provides a good amount of calcium.  The commercial food should still be supplemented with fruits, veggies, and live foods.

At every meal a turtle should get enough pellets to equal the volume of the turtle's head (such as Reptomin). Turtles under 3" should be eating two meals a day of that size plus whatever veggies you can get them to eat. At about 3-4" in shell length the food pellets should be cut back to one meal a day and at ~6" it should be every other day.  If you truly can't stand to watch it beg, only feed it fruits and veggies outside of the normally spaced meals. Both fruits and veggies are far less concentrated in calories than pellets or live food (again, never feed a turtle goldfish-they will slowly poison it).

Also, make sure you have a good UVB bulb (it must say that it produces UVB-if it doesn't clearly say so, it doesn't make any) and that you make sure that it is also getting some extra calcium. Cutting up chunks of cuttlebone without the hard shell like layer and that are small enough to fit  comfortably in the turtle's mouth is good. Most turtles will play with them before eating so it will give them some amusment in addition to the calcium. Once a week should be fine, especially if you're feeding one of the better commercial foods. Eventually you might be able to just give her the full bone and let it chomp on sections whenever she feels like it. Without both adequate UVB and calcium the shell will become soft (metabolic bone disease). Without immediate treatment from a herp vet the MBD will kill the turtle rather painfully. Note: hatchlings naturally have a soft shell and it takes a month or two for the shell to start growing and to harden up. If the scutes show any growth lines at all and the shell is still soft, then it likely has MBD regardless of the turtle's size.

Answer 4

I have had 2 sliders for 36 yrs now plus a 7 yr old and a 5 yr old. This is how I have taken care of them for 36 yrs. Great pets.

I have had them in a stand alone 150gal pond from sears..for about 6 yrs now..

Here is some important and a lot of info. If he or she is small get feeder guppies or small feeder goldfish, frozen brown worms ..or live brown worms from a fish store. petco and or petsmart do not carry live worms..

Red-eared sliders, Gender especially juveniles, can be difficult to s*x. Gender in adults is determined by external physical characteristics and behavior. In Comparison to females, males have longer fore claws (which are use in courtship), a longer tail length, a longer distance from the body to the vent opening, a tail that is thicker at the base and generally a smaller body size and shell length. Turtles are considered juveniles till after 5 yrs old.

Their Home

The minimum enclosure size for hatchling re-eared slider should be a 20-gallon aquarium. As a general rule, the water depth should be at least 2 times the turtle's length, with several extra inches of air space between the surface of the water to the top edge of the tank to prevent escapes. For 4 to 5 inch long sliders, the recommended minimum enclosure surface area is 50 gal plus tank with an extra square foot for each additional turtle.

What to Feed

In the wild, re-eared sliders eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters but still love the greens.

In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist primarily of a commercial aquatic turtle pellet. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis; however, they should be offered no more than they will consume during a single session to minimize water contamination. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish),  tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of chapped leafy greens or finely chapped mixed vegetables, can be offered once weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow older. Fill tank with approx 20 feeder guppies and or 10 to 15 small goldfish. you’ll know when to replenish the live food supply. just count what’s left

For adults, 20% of the diet may consist of commercial turtle pellets. Plus 80% of their diet is fresh alive fish to catch in their water which also gives them exercise when trying to catch to eat. Adults should be fed greens kale, romaine, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, dandelion, watercress, parsley. Swiss chard, shredded carrots, shredded squash, thawed frozen mixed vegetables and miscellaneous fruits. Adults can be fed every two to three days. NO iceberg or cabbage!!

Vital Statistics

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max.

Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer foreclaws..

Water quality and Filtration

Sliders are voracious feeders and tend to foul the water quickly with their messy eating habits and frequent defecation. Therefore, a system needs to be in place for good water quality. Partial to full water changes can be performed. Many different filter systems are available ..

Common Health Problems

If you take proper care of your red-eared slider by providing excellent housing, nutrition, lighting, and heating, it is unlikely to ever become ill or injured. However, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with ailments common to sliders so that you can quickly identify them in your own slider, should it become ill. The following are some of the most common medical problems among red-eared sliders.

Fungal Infections

“Fungal infections are fairly common among red-eared sliders, especially younger ones. If you notice what looks like a light layer of cotton on your slider’s shell or eyes or in its mouth, this is most likely some form of fungal infection. Although their appearance can be alarming, most infections in their early stages are fully treatable at home. If a fungal infection remains untreated, however, it can spread across the entire body and cause serious harm to your turtle.

To treat a mild fungal infection, immerse your red-eared slider in a warm saltwater bath for about half an hour each day, using a soft sponge to gently scrub the infected regions. You can also treat patches of fungus with topical applications of a mild antiseptic, such as povidone-iodine. As long as the problem isn’t severe, you should notice signs of recovery within a day or two, and a full recovery in about 10–14 days.

If your turtle has a persistent fungal infection that home treatment isn’t curing, take it to the vet for treatment. Several medications are available that can address a fungal infection if it hasn’t spread too far.”

Respiratory Infections

“Slider turtles and other aquatic species are susceptible to respiratory infections. Most respiratory infections that can affect sliders are mild and easily treatable in their early stages, but there are also some particularly virulent infections that can kill a turtle very quickly without veterinary attention. Sliders usually develop respiratory infections when their tank is too cold.

Symptoms of an infection include a runny nose, wheezing, lopsided swimming (an ailing lung changes the turtle’s buoyancy), lethargy, and a refusal to eat. If you identify the illness in its early stages, you may be able to treat it by removing the sick slider from its quarters into a new, clean tank (especially if you keep multiple sliders, since the majority of respiratory infections are contagious) and keeping it a few degrees warmer than normal. Warmth is the most crucial factor in treating respiratory infections in the home. If the condition persists for more than a few days or worsens, bring your slider to your veterinarian, who will treat the infection with antibiotics.”

Contact the “herpetologicalsocieties.com“.

Good luck

Answer 5

hey I think I can help you. Whatever you do don't feed it lettuce. The best thing to do is to go to the pet store and get some turtle food,

Answer 6

I just got a painted turtle about a week ago, and Im feeding it these tube-like pellets I got from walmart. A pinch in the morning and a pinch in the evening.Mine seems to really like it. I read you shouldnt feed them lettuce because theres no nutritional value in it. But a pet store or walmart will have a can of food for them.

Answer 7

i fed mine pellets, that i bought from walmart. they ate them until the day i released them.

Answer 8

vetatables or turtle bites