Ever wonder about red-eared slider diet or how to take care of them at mealtime? Feeding your turtle properly is important for its health and happiness. Let’s find out what they need and how you can make mealtime better for your shelled friend.
What Do Red Eared Slider Turtles Eat?
Turtles can eat a variety of foods, and feeding them a mix of different items is the best way to keep them healthy and happy.
One easy food to give turtles is commercial pellets. These are designed for turtles and are rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Pellets are super convenient and good for them, but it’s not a good idea to feed only pellets.
Fresh foods provide turtles with a variety of different nutrients that they need to grow strong. Additionally, offering a variety of foods keeps them engaged and active during mealtime.
Turtles, in particular, enjoy live food, such as bugs or small worms. Live food is excellent because it lets them use their natural hunting skills. It’s like playtime and mealtime all in one. Still, pellets should make up only about 25% of their entire diet. The rest should come from other healthy foods like these:
1. Prey Items
Turtles can eat a variety of foods, including krill, earthworms, waxworms, silkworms, crickets, aquatic snails, daphnia, bloodworms, shrimp, and mealworms. For tiny turtles, cut the food into small pieces so they can easily chew it. Bigger turtles can eat larger prey, such as tadpoles or feeder fish, but be careful. Feeder fish may carry parasites, and some fish, such as goldfish, are too fatty.
2. Leafy Greens
Try feeding your turtle greens like collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and bok choy. These are super healthy. Avoid feeding iceberg lettuce because it lacks many essential nutrients. If you want to give lettuce, choose darker types, such as romaine, but use it sparingly. Always ensure the greens have the correct balance of calcium and phosphorus.
3. Aquatic Plants
If your turtle lives in a tank or pond, you can add plants they like to nibble on. Some good examples are anacharis, water hyacinth, water lettuce, duckweed, Azolla (also known as fairy moss), and frog-bit.
4. Other Vegetables
Turtles also enjoy vegetables like carrots (including the green tops), squash, and green beans. Just make sure to shred or cut the veggies into small pieces so your turtle can eat them easily, especially if it’s still small.
Nutritional Supplements for Red-Eared Sliders
Just like people, turtles need the right vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.
Sometimes, a vet might tell you to mix a reptile multivitamin into your turtle’s food. These special vitamins typically contain calcium and vitamin D3, which help maintain your turtle’s bones and shell strength. You only need to do this a few times a week, not every day.
Another easy way to give your turtle more calcium is by adding a cuttlebone to their tank. You can find cuttlebones in the bird section at pet stores.
To use it, you can clip it to the side of the tank with suction cup clips or just let it float in the water. Your turtle will nibble on it when needed, which helps keep its shell nice and healthy.
Read here about florida softshell turtle.
Should You Move Your Red-Eared Slider for Feeding?
Some people like to feed their red-eared slider in a separate container. They do this to help keep the turtle’s tank water cleaner. But is this the right thing to do? Well, it depends on your turtle.
If your turtle doesn’t mind being moved, then using a separate feeding container can be helpful. It can keep the water in the main tank clearer and make it less messy. That means less waste building up in the water.
However, remember that this does require more time and effort on your part. It’s not something you have to do. It’s totally up to you and what works best for your turtle.
Conclusion: Red Eared Slider Diet
Taking care of a red-eared slider means learning what they need to stay happy and healthy. From feeding them the right mix of foods to deciding where to feed them, every turtle is a little different. Just pay attention to what your turtle likes and needs. With the proper care, your red-eared slider can live a long and healthy life.