First of all…we are so happy when people find our articles/posts useful for them. We feel like we are not just 2 turtles and 1 human who are running the blog simply for fun. Well,it is fun but we also want people to learn more about our species.
- Iceburg lettuce and Celery because they provide very little useful nutrition or fiber. They are fillers, a way to add variety but not nutrition.
- Spinach, Chard, Beets, Rhubarb because they have Oxalic acid and it blocks the absorption of calcium. These foods cause the turtle to become calcium deficient even if a good source of calcium is provided which can result in soft shell or MBD (metabolic bone disease) which is fatal.
- Beans, Mushrooms because they do not much nutritional value, and can cause gout.
- Raw meat, Frozen fish, Raw chicken because they will causes obesity, pyramiding, kidney problems << this used to be my problem.Mommy often gave me cook chicken…and I am a bit overweight now :(
- Goldfish because it is very fatty, really no nutritional value for turtle
Now … here are what’s good for us :) (also copied from redearslider.com)
- For turtles under 1 year old, feed pellets daily, as much as would fit in their head if it were hollow (not including the neck) and veggies every day (if they refuse, don’t stop offering it)
- For turtles one year and older, feed every other day at most (amount of food will increase with size of head), with veggies every day.
- Romaine Lettuce
- Mustard leaves
- Leaves of Radish
- Collard Greens
- Tomatoes (must be considered a rarity. too acidic to be a regular staple)
- Sweet Potato (cooked – boiled/ steamed/baked)
- Peas (occasionally – once a month max)
- Cantaloupe/Common Melon
- Grapes (remove skin so its easier for them to pick at )
WATER PLANTS **rinsed thoroughly**
- Water Lily
- Water Hyacinth
LIVE PREY **as snack, once in a while**
- Feeder Fish (guppies, rosey red minnows)
- mealworms (no more than once a week as they’re very high in protein)
- mosquito larvae
- crickets (preferably gutloaded)
- apple snails or other water snails
- cuttlebone (found in any pet store in the bird section – peel off the hard backing first, as they can’t digest it)
- Calcium Dusting (you can crush cuttlebone for this)
- Calcium blocks
Getting Vitamin A (Great for eyes ..especially if they are puffy)
- green leafy vegetables
- cod liver oil
Remember!! don’t feed us same food over and over again because we can easily attached to it and refuse other food.
Take good care of our species, okay :)