When should i start feeding my turtle crickets?

Question

my res is 3 inches .. i still think he's kind of small.. i have him on reptomin turtle pellets.. im going to try to stay away from the veggies .. seems kind of useless.. looking to get him on feeder fish and crickets.. i bought a feeder fish for him when he was smaller and he didnt take it and now its like they're family.. i dont want to waste money on guppies and 1/2 inch crickets if he's not going to eat it..

just wondering if you think he's big enough to eat 1/2 '' crickets.. and what should i do if he doesnt take

Answer 1

At that size he should definitely be eating more protein. You should have started him when he was much smaller, the protein in fish and insects helps them grow. Buy the crickets and throw them in the water, if they're not gone in a day then scoop them out. They'll be floating on top of the water just like his pellets would so he should eat them. You can also try injuring the guppies before putting them in the tank. Usually the problem is the fish are too fast and the turtle can't catch them. Other good things to try are shrimp, krill, blood worms, earth worms, and wax worms. And you should start offering fruits and veggies too. Once they reach about 4 inches they begin eating produce as their main diet. Hope I could help!

Answer 2

The fresh fruits and vegetables isn't useless, that's one of the best things you can do for a turtle. In the wild they rely on that and not getting it in captivity will cause poor health, short lifespan, and inactivity. Instead of crickets, try something like meal worms or small earth worms cut into pieces. Crickets seem to make turtles temper flare. I have yet to see a turtle that was fed crickets remain friendly.