When choosing a diet for your red eye slider turtle, you’ll want to make sure that you’re providing it with a variety of nutritious foods. These omnivores enjoy both plant and animal matter, and a balanced diet should consist of thirty percent meat and seventy percent plants. You can also offer a meat-based supplement to your turtle to provide protein. You can find commercial pellets for your pet turtle that are formulated specifically for this species.
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Commercially available pellets
Most red eye slider turtle owners have a basic knowledge of the importance of feeding their pets a variety of foods to prevent overfeeding. Turtles are asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella, a potentially deadly bacteria. As a result, red eye slider turtles are banned from sale in the USA under a 1975 regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration. In addition, state and local health jurisdictions are prohibited from selling any red eye slider turtles that are younger than 4 inches (10 cm) in carapace length.
Commercially available red eye slider turtle pellets should be mixed with coarsely chopped vegetables and fruits. In addition to commercial diets, a variety of animal protein sources can be introduced into the turtle’s diet. Turtles prefer dark leafy greens, which comprise 40-60% of the diet of adult sliders. Turtle pellets can also be supplemented with earthworms or live feeder fish. While commercial diets are the most common source of protein, you should also provide your pet with a healthy amount of water each day, including an adequate amount of humidity.
Fruits and veggies
Most people feed their red eye sliders a diet of vegetables and fruit. While a red eye slider can eat almost any kind of vegetable, they do prefer fruit that has the skin still on it. Vegetables that are floatable are fine to leave in the turtle’s tank, but they should be scooped out every day. Dark leafy greens like collard greens, endive, mustard greens, parsley, and dandelion greens are all good for sliders.
Red-eared sliders also like dark leafy greens. These include romaine, collard greens, mustard greens, and cabbage. You can also feed them vegetable matter such as shredded carrots, apples, pear, and squash. Other food items that your red-eared slider can eat include vegetable matter and commercial aquatic animal pellets. A little research will help you find the perfect diet for your pet.
Cuttlebones
In general, the red-eared slider is an omnivorous pet that can be fed a variety of vegetables and pellets. Feeding them pellets only once a day is a good idea, but you can offer cuttlebones as well. These bones sink in water and make a perfect snack for your slider. Make sure to add water to the feeding bowl to make it easier for your slider to swallow.
The cuttlebone is a natural source of calcium, which most captive turtles do not get enough of from other food sources. Its chambered structure helps the creature maintain its buoyancy. Cuttlebones provide added dietary calcium to the diet while also keeping the turtle’s beak well-trimmed. A cuttlebone can be put into the turtle’s aquarium whole or chopped into chunks. Ensure the cuttlebone is removed from its hard plastic backing. Replace the cuttlebone every few weeks or every two months.
Calcium supplements
A good way to improve your red eye slider’s diet is to supplement it with calcium supplements. These supplements should be given to your turtle once a week. To help keep your turtle healthy, be sure not to handle it right after feeding it. Make sure to read the label carefully so that you don’t overdose it on calcium. Below are some examples of foods that can help improve your turtle’s diet. You can also experiment by combining different foods with different amounts of calcium and phosphorus in their diet.
The easiest way to provide calcium to your red eye slider is to add a Slow-Release Calcium Block to its water. You can even mix calcium blocks into your turtle’s food or mix them with the food. A good trick is to cover every dish with a high-calcium mineral supplement. Rep-Cal and Miner-All are excellent choices. Alternatively, you can use a cuttlefish bone. This can be broken into chunks and float on the surface of the water. Cuttlefish bones are not only delicious to red eye sliders, but they also contain valuable calcium and trace elements.
Area of water required for basking
In order to care for a basking red eye slider turtle properly, you must provide them with an appropriate amount of water. They can swim only in water that is 1.5 to two times deeper than the length of their bodies. This means that a four-inch turtle needs a tank that is at least six inches deep. The water should be deep enough for the turtle to swim about five times its length in one direction.
The area of water your red-eared slider needs is important because they spend a good deal of time outside the water. To keep their body temperature stable, you must provide an area of water with proper basking amenities, including a UV lamp. The water temperature must remain between 74 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of your pet. This temperature range can be set manually or with a thermometer.
Health risks of overeating
Overfeeding a red eye slider turtle can lead to a range of health problems. Overfed turtles tend to show signs of bloating, lethargy, and disfigured shells. Overfeeding your turtle may cause a number of health problems, including liver failure and obesity. Many first-time keepers mistakenly believe that they can stop feeding their turtle by moving it to another enclosure.
Carrots are an excellent source of nutrients for red-eared slider turtles. Diced carrots can also be fed to your turtle. Carrots are rich in fiber and vitamin A. Vitamin A helps boost the slider’s immune system. Phosphorus and calcium are essential to the slider’s shell and bones. It’s important to wait at least five hours after feeding your turtle to allow it to absorb the food.
