When you have a pet turtle, it is important to know what to feed them. There are several different types of food, including leafy greens, insects, fruits, and canned fish. However, a diet low in these types of foods isn’t a good idea. Instead, look for a turtle food that contains ingredients your turtle will be attracted to. Fortunately, the main companies that produce fish food for aquariums also make food for turtles.
Contents
Leafy greens
There are hundreds of species of turtle available for purchase in pet stores and reptile expos. You can easily find nutritional guidelines for different turtles based on their diet types. Herbivorous turtles require more leafy greens, while omnivores prefer a combination of both types of greens. Some types of leafy greens contain oxalates, which bind calcium in the intestines. You can feed your turtle a mix of leafy greens and protein.
To feed a turtle lettuce and spinach are healthy and provide all the nutrients it needs. Make sure to provide lettuce at least once a week and only during low oxalate periods. Brussel sprouts are another type of green that is not healthy for your pet. Brussel sprouts and spinach are both from the brassica family and can interfere with the absorption of iodine.
Fruits
A healthy diet is essential for the long-term health of your turtle. Try to provide 80 to 90% vegetables and 10 to 20 percent fruit. Your turtle will probably like kale and green vegetables, but you should also include a variety of leafy vegetables, such as spinach. You can also give it occasional treats of flowers, such as apricots, bananas, grapes, and melons. Whether you feed your pet turtle with a variety of vegetables or fruits depends on the type of pet.
Unlike vegetables, box turtles prefer fruits. However, they tend to be lower in nutritional value than vegetables. Some fruits to give your turtle include apples, pears, bananas with skin, mango, peaches, star fruit, apricots, and raspberries. You can also give it flowers like geraniums, hibiscus, or apricots. In addition, fresh flowers such as lavender and lilies are excellent for your pet turtle.
Insects
Your turtle will need various food items on a daily basis. You can feed it meat, fish, or vegetables and fruit, but make sure to wash and prepare them properly. Turtles should not be fed cat or dog food, since these food items contain nutrients that are not right for them. This can cause long-term harm to your pet turtle. Instead, offer your turtle dried fruits, nuts, and vegetables, such as leafy greens, which are rich in vitamins and minerals.
In addition to meat, turtles also require live food. Most leafy greens and vegetables are great choices, as they are high in calcium. You can also give your turtle non-sugary fruits, such as bananas. Turtles also enjoy worms and other living organisms. You can purchase both live and dead varieties of these at your local pet store. Adding live worms to your turtle’s diet will also give your pet more nutrition than they can get from the table.
Canned fish
Fish are an excellent source of calcium for aquatic turtles. You can also give them a canned fish treat once in a while. If you’re short on time, you can use a canned fish supplement such as Exo Terra’s Canned Fish, which is shelf-stable. Canned fish are a great addition to your turtle’s diet because they increase variety and provide a backup source. Canned fish should be fed directly from the can, using feeding tongs or a float. When feeding your turtle, be sure to discard the food after 24 hours or seven days.
To find a good selection of fish, consider adding zebra fish, tetra fish, or a school of yellow cichlids to the turtle’s tank. These types of fish are easy to get and relatively cheap. They grow to around 1 to 2 inches in captivity and are a good addition to any turtle tank. Alternatively, you can introduce small schools of either species to see how they react.
Turtle pellets
A good way to ensure your pet turtle gets the nutrients it needs is to provide the best diet possible. Turtles are opportunistic feeders and will eat as much as they can if given the opportunity. A turtle’s brain will send a message when it sees a human and will automatically associate it with food. To avoid this behavior, provide the turtle with as much greenery as possible and keep the percentage of pellets to about 25% of the total diet.
The amount of food you should give your turtle varies depending on its size. Depending on its size, you can feed it one to two tablespoons at a time. A general rule of thumb is to provide as much food as the turtle will consume in 15 minutes. This way, you can ensure that the food isn’t wasting and that your pet is getting enough nutrition. If you’re concerned about the amount of food you give your turtle, you can always use a timer.
