Freshwater turtles living in captivity may be fed various forms of food; the ideal diet will provide balanced nutrition.
Other food should also be offered as supplements, including an assortment of vegetables and fruits as well as live prey or plant matter.
Turtles must only receive small meals at a time to prevent overfeeding from decomposing food entering their water faster than can be removed by filters. Overfeeding leads to decomposing food entering their environment faster than can be cleared away with filters alone.
Contents
Vegetables
Turtles in nature are adept opportunistic feeders and will take in many insects and animals in their diet, in addition to an assortment of plant food which aids their overall health in the wild. A similar selection should be provided as pet turtle diet.
Some keepers suggest feeding whole animal protein sources, like chicken, beef or fish as the staple diet of an aquatic turtle. Although these are readily accepted and provide essential vitamins and minerals, such diets should not form the sole basis of an aquatic turtleaEUR(tm)s diet; rather, only a portion should be included as their daily consumption.
Other commercial products now exist to replicate the natural nutrition of turtles and should make up most of a turtleaEUR(tm)s daily food intake. These typically take the form of nutritionally dense pellets like Reptomin or Mazuri that are both palatable and high in nutritional density; other food offerings should include dandelion greens, collard greens, bok choy and water lettuce as well as kale carrots apples cantaloupe and guava fruits as treats for your turtle.
Meat
Turtle meat is rich in proteins, iron and calcium – all essential building blocks of our daily nutrition – while remaining low in fat content unlike many animal meats which may contain excessive calories and cholesterol levels.
Freshwater turtles should be fed a varied diet consisting of animal and plant sources. These could range from processed pet foods like drained sardines and turtle pellets, through live prey such as snails, moths, crickets, feeder fish shrimp and worms to vegetables such as collard greens mustard greens or dandelions.
Vegetables should be diced into bite-size pieces to make eating easy for your turtle, while dairy and sweets should be avoided since turtles don’t possess the enzymes to digest them. Grilling turtle meat can add extra flavor by marinating it in citrus or brown sugar barbecue sauce before grilling; alternatively it can be coated in flour, cornmeal or breadcrumbs and deep-fried for even more crunchiness!
Fruit
Fruit is an integral component of freshwater turtle diets and provides many essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C. However, too much fruit could lead to obesity and other health problems in turtles. Furthermore, fruits containing oxalates could bind with calcium deposits in their bodies, leading to health issues in turtles.
Always offer fresh, natural fruits instead of canned or frozen food for your turtle’s best health and safety. Be sure to remove seeds and pits first as these could present potential choking hazards.
As a general guideline, turtles should only be fed an amount that they can consume within an hour. Overfeeding can not only endanger turtles, but it can pollute water as it leads to algae blooms which deprive your turtle of essential nutrients. Therefore, for optimal feeding practices for your particular turtle species consult a vet who specializes in reptile care for recommendations specific to them.
Supplements
Freshwater turtle diets should include not only vegetables, fruits and meats, but also protein-rich foods like fish & worms to provide balance to their diet and replicate how the turtle would eat in its natural habitat. Incorporating sources of Vitamin A will ensure proper eye development as vitamin A deficiency can cause eye problems like swollen eyelids & nose, dry mouth & lethargy.
There are commercial products designed to mimic the variety of food a turtle would encounter in its natural environment, typically comprising animal and plant materials supplemented with vitamins & minerals and created using current knowledge regarding freshwater turtle nutrition requirements.
ZooMed’s Hatchling Diet, which uses three different pellet types, is very popular among many owners & has an outstanding track record; however, one 2.2lb package costs $8-9.
