feeding RES

TannimBP · 01-13-04, 03:52 AM

We have just gotten a new RES turtle who's about 7" long. The problem is that although he loves his turtle pellets (ReptoMin) and mealworm (given to him once), he's refusing to eat any vegetables or fruit (so far we've tried romaine lettuce, carrots, and apples). We've heard that adult RES need their veggies regularly. We could use with some suggestions on how to get him to eat his veggies.

marisa · 01-13-04, 04:16 AM

This is probably the hardest part! I also adopted my first RES as an adult who refused any and all veggies. Still refuses most.

Some good ideas are letting him go without food for a few days, then offering some brightly colored squashes or carrots which will catch his attention. I haven't had much luck at all getting my guy to eat fresh greens. So I went out and bought spirulina pellets instead so he is at least getting some green matter in his diet until he accepts leafy greens.

I have had the best luck with Butternut squash, baby carrots, baby corn (only a treat a couple times not the best for them) spagettie squash and peas.

Marisa

camilogutierrez · 01-13-04, 04:47 PM

oh my god what are you guys doing!!!???
first of all red ear sliders are carnivorous turtles...(which by the way means that they only eat meat). so it is obvious that they will refuse all kids of vegetables and all that... they need to be put in a tank with water and a few small fishis, or tad poles... i had some RES a long time ago and i used to put tad poles too...

you guys can also put a small piece of chicken or even shrim but mine liked better live prey...

please do not get offended by my comment i am just telling you what i think is right and best for those animals.

i am sure there will be other comments, take a little bit of every one elses commets and think about what you guys are doing.....

marisa · 01-13-04, 05:03 PM

Actually YOU are the one who is WAY off.

RES are insect/fish eaters while young, as they age they should move to an almost 100% veggie, aquatic plant diet with high protien foods as treats or every few days. A full grown adult RES needs nowhere near as much protien as a young growing turtle.

I have kept one 15 year old slider for almost three years, as well as having two current rescues. I am not offended by your comment, as you are only correct about a young RES diet. But adults would NOT be best fed with that diet you suggest. This is a simple fact in almost all RES literature. The fact you say "they only eat meat" is WAAAAAAAAAY off. No offense to you, but you are wrong.

An all meat diet is one of the reasons these turtles are mistreated and do not reach their full life expectancy.

Marisa

gfisher2002 · 01-13-04, 05:07 PM

Marisa is right. Except I think adults are more 70/30 plant/meat matter. Not quite 100% veggies. Young RES are mainly carnivorous but adult should be offered large amounts of vegetable matter. This is a fact chamil......., not opinion. Pick up a book about sliders in the wild and check for yourself.

By the way, I get my Adult RES's to eat veg by making a blender mix for them and freezing it into cubes. Although Reptomin in a commercial food it is a rather good staple item in their diet. My RES also go nuts for bright shredded carrot and orange peels which are high in Vitamin C. There's lots of options so try lots of different veggies.

marisa · 01-13-04, 05:08 PM

Some info to back up my statements and to give an idea of what other owners have found is healthiest and best for adult RES. And these are just internet sources:

Diet information:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-slider.htm
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/trachemyscare.htm

A good link
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/aquaticdiet.htm
Qoute from above link:
"do not forget that in the wild adults of these species are predominantly herbivorous! "

If you need still MORE proof, please don't hesistate to ask. I have tons of info on diets of RES.

Have a nice day and start feeding your turles some veggies.

Marisa

camilogutierrez · 01-13-04, 07:47 PM

hey i'm sorry guys... i just read that the RES was 7" long... i don't know why i thought you were talking about babies... I am sorry again...

and i no longer have red ear sliders...

Jayson · 01-13-04, 08:01 PM

we fed our veggies and some fruits, Also once a week she would get pinky rats or smelt fish (Bought from the grocery store)

I would also say to let it go without food a few days then try again, these turtles love to eat

TannimBP · 01-18-04, 11:15 PM

we have tried not feeding him for four days now and today offered some grapes and some spinach, but he still wouldn't touch them. We also tried some orange peel. We even tried putting a food pellet in the middle of a piece of friut, but he ate around the fruit. i think the problem is that his old owners probably only fed him pellets so he doesn't recognize the veggies as food. Is it okay just to feed him the ReptoMin and occassionally some meat because so far he's totally ignored all veggies and fruit.

gfisher2002 · 01-18-04, 11:48 PM

Another way I get my Adults to eat veg is not to feed it to them at all. I feed Preen Budgie pellets, oranges, kale and vitamin supplements to a my crickets. Throw a cricket in the water and he goes nuts. A gut loaded cricket is an excellent staple food. And he gets all the nutrients he needs.