A healthy turtle diet includes both plant- and meat-based food sources. Treats between meals should also be given in order to ensure that they don’t become overfed!
Hikari Tropical Sinking Carnivore Pellets are an excellent way to feed herbivorous turtles that specialize in algae eating, particularly aquatic varieties. While very low in proteins and fats, they still contain some artificial color for added visual interest.
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Fruits
While turtles are typically carnivorous, as they age they become increasingly omnivorous and will consume vegetable matter such as carrots, squash and bell peppers.
Regularly switching up what fruits and vegetables you feed your turtle can help stimulate their appetite and ensure they receive all the essential vitamins and minerals they require. Be wary when feeding high protein food as this could create nitrogenous wastes which disrupt water chemistry balance.
There are various fish and turtle food products you can select to supplement the normal diet of your aquatic pet, but our favorite is ZooMed Natural Aquatic Turtle Pellet Growth which contains high amounts of calcium:phosphorus as well as Vitamins D3 and E for maximum growth potential. In addition, it’s made from top quality ingredients like whole salmon, herring and halibut for maximum protein intake!
Vegetables
Turtles can become bored of eating the same things on a regular basis, which makes offering variety essential to both their happiness and overall health. A nutritionally balanced turtle pellet should form the majority of their diet while other treats such as vegetables can supplement it further.
Turtles typically enjoy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, mustard greens, romaine lettuce and Swiss chard; other popular favorites are zucchini carrots bell peppers and peas. Try not to feed your turtle anything with high levels of oxalates as these could lead to digestive blockages in their system.
Fresh fish and live food is another essential component of a turtle’s diet, provided you can find safe sources. Avoid feeder fish caught outside the tank as these may contain parasites or diseases; add small amounts of dry or canned sardines, trout chow or chicken meal for protein supplementation in addition.
Meat
An occasional diet of meat for your turtle is beneficial as an adult; however, only small portions should be included in their daily food intake. Protein can help stimulate their appetites while providing essential nutrients that promote good health and development in shelled turtles. Some great sources of meat include drained sardines, turtle pellets and trout chow. Ideally though, boiling the meat first will kill any bacteria and make eating easier for both turtles and humans alike.
As an extra treat for your turtle, cut some cooked ground beef or chicken into bite-size pieces and remove all seeds before offering.
Treats
Wild turtles must hunt for food, which consumes considerable energy. Therefore, they typically eat several times each day in order to replenish their energy reserves; pet turtles on the other hand only need feedings once every two or three days since they don’t need to hunt themselves.
So that they do not become bored and stop eating, turtles must receive a variety of foods to maintain a healthy and happy diet. Dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, collard greens, kale and dandelion greens make great options while other options could include turnip greens mustard greens swiss chard. Furthermore, you may offer your turtle drained sardines or high quality commercial turtle pellets as treats.
Hikari Tropical Algae Wafers are designed specifically to satisfy herbivorous turtles’ diet needs and may help prevent vitamin E deficiency which can result in serious health issues for them, including weak bones and shells as well as slow healing processes. An excellent alternative to feeder fish would be Hikari Tropical Algae Wafers for turtles who prefer aquatic foods.
