General Care Discussion :: feeder fish

[turtleman123]

what kind of feeder fish is the best and healthiest? P.S. are snails good for a RES?

[SpotsMama]

Rosies are good because they are really fast so the turtle gets exercise chasing them and if he never catches them they will help keep the tank clean. Also they are nuitritious and not fatty. However, any feeder fish can carry parasites. The calcium in a snail's shell is good for a RES. Just be careful though because if the turtle doesn't eat them snails can take over a tank and filter and become a nuisance.

[Tenodera]

you really shouldn't use plecos as a feeder fish. They have lots and lots of tiny little bones. Most people use them to eat algae.

Usually guppies are too expensive to use as a feeder fish.

and goldfish are too fatty for the consumption of a turtle.

[turtleman123]

i put plecos in by mistake

[Tattoo]

I bought a big pelco thinking it would beok because it was ocever half the sixe of my turtle but boy was I wrong. Within a couple of minutes of Turbo spotting him, the poor pelco's death began. So needless to say I was wrong about the size and know better than to put another one in there again. Turbo was so mad that I removed the pelco and put him in another tank before he got to eat him but the poor pelco passed this morning.

[myrtletheturtle]

how large should the res be before eating live fish

[turtleman123]

my res ate a fish when it was 1 inch

[myrtletheturtle]

wow!! well maybe ill get a few and try