No matter where your turtle lives – an aquarium or outdoor pond – they require proper diet in order to thrive and survive. Consult a veterinarian or the staff of your local pet store for advice.
Foods containing both fish and vegetables should be the ideal way to ensure your turtle receives all the essential vitamins and nutrients it requires, such as ZooMed’s Natural Aquatic Turtle food with three pellet types that ensure they get all they require for health and growth.
Contents
Vegetables
Turtles require high-quality, protein-rich foods like kale and other nutritional greens as well as live animal-based food such as feeder fish, frogs and tadpoles, aquatic snails, earthworms or crickets; however, these should always be responsibly sourced as parasites may damage their health.
Vegetables should make up an essential component of the diet of your RES. These should include dark leafy greens like collard greens, spinach and kale as well as other shredded vegetables such as squash and carrots. Incorporating aquatic plants like azolla (fairy moss), duckweed and water hyacinth into its daily feedings is also encouraged.
Your RES also needs an appropriate portion of fruits such as apples, bananas, strawberries and pears in their diet. Aim for 10% as part of their total food consumption from this category.
Fruits
Maintaining the optimal diet for a turtle requires finding an appropriate balance of fruits, vegetables and fish. Avoid bread or any cooked foods as these do not offer any nutrition and could introduce bacteria or pesticides into its tank.
Herbivorous turtles should consume 70% to 80% of their diet through leafy green vegetables like kale, lettuce, cabbages and collard greens. Also suitable are fruit such as berries, mangos and melons as well as small quantities of low sugar flowers such as carnations, hibiscus roses or nasturtiums for an additional boost to nutrition.
To keep your turtle’s shell strong, feed it a diet rich in Vitamin A such as squash, red peppers and various herbs. Be sure to remove any uneaten food regularly in order to prevent bacteria or algae growth in the tank.
Insects
ReptiSticks by Zoo Med provide your turtle with an artificial diet derived from fish meal, shrimp and kale to mimic its natural diet in an easy and tasty way. Avoid foods containing wheat or corn as these fillers will not provide your turtle with adequate nutrition.
Insects provide protein, energy and lipids essential to a turtle diet; however, houseflies don’t supply enough nutrition. Furthermore, they may carry disease-causing bacteria.
To ensure your turtle has an optimal diet, opt for food made specifically for turtles such as pellets. These usually have higher protein contents than commercial pet foods and you can add extra vegetables and fruits for extra nutritional value.
Meat
Turtles feed on various kinds of seafood and plants in their environment; however, commercial turtle food designed specifically for your pet may provide an important source of protein as well.
Your turtle should also receive other foods – vegetables and fruits. Provide fresh grated carrots, zucchini squash and kale as well as apples, berries pears or oranges as healthy food choices.
Avoid feeding your turtle dairy products or meat from land animals to avoid risking chelonitoxism poisoning, which causes serious kidney issues and even can result in death. If your turtle seems lethargic or sick, seek advice from a veterinarian that specializes in reptile care immediately.
Pellets
Owners often opt for feeding their turtle a pellet-based diet such as Gargeer gels – concentrated powders that form into gel when mixed with boiling water – making their pet’s meal simpler to eat and less messy in its tank.
The ideal turtle food contains moderate levels of protein and calcium. Phosphorus depletes their shell and bone health.
Stay away from deli meats, fried chicken and other processed meats high in fat; opt for fish low in phosphorus (like smelt or mackerel ) but high in calcium instead. Your turtle’s diet should consist of at most 20% fish supplement.
