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| Red Eared Slider TurtleEnclosure Selection Health Feeding Water BreedingGeneral Information Supplementation Feeding Suitable Foods General Information Red Eared Sliders start off life mainly carnivorous, and gradually switch over to a diet consisting mainly of vegetable matter as they become adults. However, most hatchlings will still take the occasional piece of veg or fruit and they should still be offered. It is also important to remember that they will learn to associate you with food, and may beg when they see you. Resist the temptation to offer more, as they are not hungry. In the wild they must take food as it comes and they dont know that you will be giving it to them routinely. If you give them food every time they beg they will quickly become obese. If you begin to suspect that you are over-feeding, look for folds of fat around the legs. Supplementation Whatever foods are being offered, they should be dusted with multivitamins containing Calcium and vitamin D3 twice a week. There are several good brands out there such as RepCal and Nutrobal so have a look at see what your store offers. Small pieces of cuttlebone can also be added to allow them access to calcium if they need it. Feeding Feeding should ideally take place in a separate tank, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it eliminates food waste which will rot and foul the water. This makes cleaning far easier. Secondly, it allows you too exactly how much they are eating. Finally, and most importantly, they will usually defecate when they are eating. Therefore, if they are in a separate tank cleaning this up is a lot easier, as it can simply be thrown out with the water! Foods should be dusted with supplements as needed and floated in the water where the turtles can get at them. They must eat in the water, as they lack saliva glands that we have so cannot swallow out of water. The total size of the meal should be approximately the same size as the head and neck. Suitable Foods
Foods which should never be offered include:
Cooked chicken and lean beef do not provide the proper balance so should be avoided. Fruits will often cause diarrhoea so should also be avoided. Any comments or feedback can be sent to webmaster@reptileguides.com. Check back often for updates
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