Feeding and Nutrition :: Turtle Jello Shots

[Azfar]

Wow~! What a nice shape of your jello shot! cool! Your turtle surely love their jello-shot! What a big jaw! hehe..

[Washu]

Would a sweet potato, some collard greens, and a yellow squash be good veggies for a turtle who's only source of UVB for 2 years was the open shades of a window? I can't get him/her to eat veggies or cuttle bone. S/he has a little pyramiding on the front end of his/her shell, and the shell is 2 1/2 inches.

[hoojib88]

Would a sweet potato, some collard greens, and a yellow squash be good veggies for a turtle who's only source of UVB for 2 years was the open shades of a window? I can't get him/her to eat veggies or cuttle bone. S/he has a little pyramiding on the front end of his/her shell, and the shell is 2 1/2 inches.

http://redearslider.com/plants.html
It says that collard greens are to be used rarely. Also, sweet potato, squash and zucchini are to be used in moderation. I believe that you should only use either dandelion greens, green or red leaf lettuce, or turnip greens for the jello. But if you would like feed them sweet potatoes and squash on occasion. That's what I do and my turtles still enjoy the turtle jello... In fact, they go kinda crazy...

Also, maybe to help with the pyramiding try omitting the tuna meat. Also try to use more vegetables than protein.

P.S. try using the very low sodium canned tuna packed in water. It's a bit more expensive but when it comes to our little turtle babies I think it's worth it.

[Washu]

http://redearslider.com/plants.html
It says that collard greens are to be used rarely. Also, sweet potato, squash and zucchini are to be used in moderation. I believe that you should only use either dandelion greens, green or red leaf lettuce, or turnip greens for the jello. But if you would like feed them sweet potatoes and squash on occasion. That's what I do and my turtles still enjoy the turtle jello... In fact, they go kinda crazy...

Also, maybe to help with the pyramiding try omitting the tuna meat. Also try to use more vegetables than protein.

P.S. try using the very low sodium canned tuna packed in water. It's a bit more expensive but when it comes to our little turtle babies I think it's worth it.

Thanks for the help. Right now those are the only veggies I have on hand, I use them to feed to my rats, so I was wondering if they would be good options for the turtle. Would it be ok if I added just a little bit of these with a lot of the staple food greens?

[trudykurz]

I didn't use tuna or tuna water at all. I just used veggies and a little fruit along with the gelatin/water mixture. I froze them and Barnie snaps them up!

[hoojib88]

I'm not 100% sure about that. I don't feed my turtles anything like that, because I'm afraid of what may happen. I suggest to either go outside and find some of the leaves from dandelions. Or when you go to the store to buy gelatin and canned tuna buy a head of lettuce too! Why don't you eat the squash, sweet potato, and zucchini? They're all very tasty. Also, if you think about it all of those vegetables are to be used rarely or moderately why would you even want to feed it to your turtle? Those vegetables aren't even in a turtles natural habitat.

[Washu]

I just want to make sure the turtle gets the best nutrition possible. I would have done research BEFORE I got him/her, but I wasn't expecting my sister to just dump the poor thing with me.

I was planning on following the recipe in the first post, but I was unsure what vegetables would be suitable. I read through this thread and saw that some people were using sweet potato. I would gather the dandelions from my yard, but my dogs go to the bathroom out there. I'll just buy some with my weekly grocery shopping.

I don't eat many vegetables myself (even though I'm vegetarian). I buy them for my animals (they eat better than I do).

[drtweak]

Alright about 3 weeks ago i made my first batch and spike LOVE THEM! she goes for those before anything...

BUT i have one prob...the tanks get very cloudy and very sinky fast. I have a XP4 filter and it keeps my tank cryastal clear until i put some of those in...its now the second time its happened...

For no on i'm going to feed him in another tank but has anyone else had this problem with the food?

[Azfar]

Yeah I had this problem for first time feeding them in the tank where my water get very cloudy (maybe because some sweet potato in the jello shot I made). After my turtles finish their jello shot, I do partial water change. As a conclusion, next feeding.. I let them eat in separate container. So the problem is solved

[drtweak]

yea i though i might have to end up doing that with her...good thing i still have the old 10 gallon...Might just do regual veggies and pellets in the tank and the jello shots in the 10 gallon.

Thanks!

[bently11]

This looks so great! I have a 3 year old turtle Bently and and he won't eat any veggies at all! I can't wait to try this! I just need some jello and I'm good to go.

Got a question about the tuna. Should I buy that canned in water? I was wondering because sometimes it's canned in oil and I don't think that would be good for the turtle.

[Caphits]

Tuna in water.

[zoologist]

The only reason the tuna is in there is to entice your turtle to eat the veggies. remember, these were created to help turtles to hate veggies to learn to love them. one can of tuna (in water, not oil!) in the whole batch will not add any unwanted protein, so use the tuna.

I just made a new batch. Kale, carrots, half a sweet potao (no skin), calcium, apple skins and blue berries. lets see how Princess and Torti like em

if the water gets cloudy too fast you are not using enough gelatin or you are using too much water. try using more gelatin next time

[bently11]

I just fed some to Bently! Wow he loves them! He would just take one in his jaw and try to swim away with it. Of course, there's a glass wall there. I put carrots, turnip greens, a small collard green leaf, a tomato, tuna, reptomin, zoo med pellets, another kind of pellet, and repcal calcium powder in my jello. Some pieces were chunkier than others but Bently didn't care! Thank you for the awesome recipe! I can't wait to make another batch!

[mzkitty23]

girl u know how i feel about these!!!! WOOT!