Feed a lake turtle a balanced mix: a quality turtle pellet as the base, leafy greens and aquatic plants, and smaller amounts of protein such as insects, worms or small fish. Young turtles need more protein, while adults eat more plants. Wild lake turtles should not be hand-fed.
What Lake Turtles Eat in the Wild
Common lake turtles such as sliders, painted turtles and cooters are omnivores. They eat algae, water plants, insects, snails, worms, tadpoles and carrion. Their diet shifts with age and with the seasons.
Feeding a Pet Lake Turtle
- Pellets. Choose a pellet made for aquatic turtles as the staple. Hatchlings can eat a growth formula.
- Greens. Offer romaine, dandelion greens, collards, water lettuce and duckweed several times a week.
- Protein. Give earthworms, crickets, mealworms, snails or small feeder fish occasionally. Babies get more; adults need less.
- Fruit and treats. A small piece of berry or melon is fine now and then, but not a regular food.
How Often and How Much
Feed hatchlings and juveniles daily. Feed adults every day or every other day, offering only what they eat in a few minutes. Overfeeding fouls the water and causes obesity. Many keepers feed in a separate tub to keep the tank cleaner.
Calcium and Light
Turtles need calcium and UVB light to build healthy shells. Provide a UVB lamp and basking spot, and offer a cuttlebone or calcium source. Shell softness or deformities mean a vet visit.
What to Avoid
Skip bread, crackers, processed meats, dairy and most human food. Avoid raw chicken and fatty meats. Do not feed wild turtles at the park; it can make them sick and draw them into danger. See our guide to feeding turtles at the park.
More species guides: what to feed lake turtles, yellow-bellied sliders and red-eared sliders.
Bottom Line
Pellets plus greens plus a little animal protein, scaled by age, keeps a lake turtle healthy. Add UVB light and calcium, and talk to a reptile vet about any shell or appetite problems.
This article is general information, not veterinary advice. Consult a reptile vet about your turtle.
