I haven't seen my turtles eat.I've heard they eat theturtle food after it dissolves.Is that true?Some1 help!

Question

Well,I feed them Reptomin.I haven't seen them eat it,and they NEVER take a bite out of it.The food dissolves into tiny pieces after about a day,but like I said I've heard they eat it after it dissolved.Does any1 no?Can some1 help me?And they're active they swim around and seem fine.JUst some1 plz help!!

Answer 1

It is not getting any food, and slowly starving.

I suspect that the basic cares are bad- wrong temps, wrong housing, etc.- which is sadly common for turtles since there is a LOT of bad information being passed around.

I suggest that you go to http://www.redearslider.com and see what they have to say about taking care of your turtle. I bet it starts eating well once it is getting the cares and diet it needs!

Answer 2

If you want to see them eat, drop some small live earthworms into the water. Soft-bodied insects and fishes are good too. Just avoid goldfish.

Answer 3

my mom has a baby water turtle and she feeds it fish food flakes and shredded letuse and it eats all the time and she has had it for about two months now I would try that

Answer 4

I've never heard of them eating it after a day of being in there. You make it sound as though they're just breathing it in to eat it. Chances are they're probably eating it when you're not looking, they're shy creatures. It was months before I saw my turtles eat anything. I had to train them, it took a long time. They're still scared of me and my husband, but when they see the food they come to me. Now they're even trying to catch it out of the can.

What you need to do is show them they're being fed. I like to shake the can of food around and make sure they see it. Then I put the pellets in so they're right above them in the water. For now, just put them in and walk away. Every time you feed them stand there a little longer after you put the food in. They'll realize that when you're there they get food. It's also a good idea to always feed around the same time, you and the turtles need to be on a schedule.

You should also add more variety to their diet. A baby turtle should be eating pellets daily as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. And should be having live and freeze dried fish and insects a few times a week. Produce isn't a favorite of babies, but adults love it and it's a main part of their diet. This is why you should start early, so they can become used to eating it. Try putting some baby feeder guppies in the tank, that way there's always food available for them. And remember, turtles can only eat in the water so all food should be placed in the water. If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me. Hope I could help!

Answer 5

I have a red Slider and she eats Meal worms every Day about 16 of them and then she eats Turtle sticks.She lives outdors in a 900 gallon Stock tank turned in to a Fishpond.She has her own platform to get out of the Water if she wants.They need at least 2hrs of Sun a Day.She has never eaten a Goldfish because she is to picky.Start feeding her or him the same time every day then you have control over how much she eats and the water woun't be messed up with leftovers.Peek has some good answers you might want to print them out in case you have a Question.Also there are some Websites on Turtles you can go to.

Answer 6

No, they do not eat it after it dissovles. They eat it while it floats on the surface. If it dissolves, it just dirties the water and is wasted.

Answer 7

some help...they eat greens,goldfish,minows or guppies...and he could use some calcium since he is not eating right ort he will get sick..

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. 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 minimum. 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. So if your turtle is 4” around  he needs at least 10 to 12” of water to swim. For ONE 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  of a commercial aquatic turtle pellets and small feeders guppies or goldfish or minows. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish), tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of  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 and then fill it up again..Get a cuttle bone from the bird dept and drop in the water for added calcium. Hopefully they may eat it and that’s what you want.

For adults their of the diet may consist of some 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 , 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 real 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 ..

*** 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.

Fungus 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.”

**Shell Rot.

First make a dry box to keep the turtle in, shell rot needs water to grow.

Keep it warm and give it plenty of light.

Scrub the shell gently with a toothbrush and water.

Let the turtle swim for about 20 minutes a day in something other than his pond..clean water.

1-2 times a day take a cotton ball apply Hydrogen Peroxide to it then to his shell. It'll start bubbling which means its cleaning it. it. DO NOT get it in his eyes.

Then clean the shell and apply providone-iodine solution to the shell, coat the shell and don't clean it off until he is ready to swim the next day.

** Keep this up for several weeks and it should go away. . MOST important !!! TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

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“.

Ps..I have arthritis in my hands, so I have  pasted my answer for you. I just try to help you the pet  owner as much as I can. I wish you  Luck.