General Care Discussion :: How Do I get it to recognize food?

[Margarite]

We just got a RES that is probably a year old. It has only been fed pellets up to now, so it does not recognize anything else as food. How do I get it to realize that the other stuff is food too?

[SpotsMama]

Here are some tips on enticing turtles to eat:

http://www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

It's typical for young turtles (like yours) to be less interested in veggies than the older guys. When they grow up they usually love their carrots and lettuce but young ones tend to be very picky. Keep offering lettuce and other veggies and certain fruit (things listed in the Nuitrition section of this site) because they are very good for him and eventually he'll get the hang of it.

Some things turtles tend to like best: fresh basil, steamed sweet potato, blueberries. Turtles have their preferences - some like one thing, some like another - so keep experimenting with different things. Variety is good for a turtle, too - just like it is for you and me.

[Tiny]

I am finding that continually putting the veggies in and leaving them works. Up until last weekend Tiny was so picky, and would only eat radiccio and a lttle bit of romain. I have been putting in all kinds in the morning and evening, and finding them all gone hours later. I used to think if she didn't take it and eat it all imediatly, that she didn't want it, but she must like to munch on it, off and on at her own discretion, cause it's getting eaten.

It will happen for you. Just put in 3 or 4 different types, and leave it. Your turtle may get curious and pick at it later, when you are not around.

Good luck!

[TheComputerGremlin]

Yeah, I found that when I put veggies in at "dinner" time, they aren't eaten right away, but Mikey seems like he's always hungry, so he eats them during the night! Try a variety of foods, I used to give Mikey romaine heart leaves because that's what we ate at dinner, he wouldn't touch them. As soon as I tried the darker romaine leaves and red/green leaf lettuce, he *loves* them! Now he eats just about anything that goes in his tank ...

[marisa]

At a year of age, your RES really should be having veggies in the diet. The earlier they're introduced, the better. Variety is good, and concentrating on leafy greens (red-leaf lettuce, dandelion greens, romaine) in the beginning is really good. You might try some anachris (aquatic plant sold in aquarium shops) if it's legal to buy in your state---you can just leave it in the tank for your RES to nibble on.

[Margarite]

I will try what you suggest.
My turtle's shell is about 3" long, do you think it is about a year old?
We were keeping it in a glass tank, but it was so hard to clean. Now we are keeping it in a big plastic container, the kind that people use to store things in. It has a purple tint which is good because now Char does not swim into the sides all the time. We only have the water about 3" deep and lots of big rocks for it to hang onto when it wants to breath.
There is also a sunning rock with a heat lamp above it.
It breaths through it's mouth allot, is that normal?
We try to take it outside when it is warm enough, so it can get some sun.
It eats plenty of pellets, but refuses anything else, but I will try what you suggested.
Everytime it sees anyone it dives into the water and finds the darkest place to hide. We have had it for about a month and it is still doing this, is that normal?
Thanks a ton,
Margarite

[marisa]

If you've had her only a month, the diving into the water is normal, and some turtles remain skiddish for far longer.

The water depth (3") is really too shallow---you can make it much deeper.

Does your turtle have a UVB light? A filter? A submersible water heater?

[Margarite]

Well, when we gave her deeper water, she wouldn't go in at all, now she spends most of her time in the water. We do have the UVB light, filter and submersible water heater.
But we have decided to get rid of her. We are moving, and it is just simpler to giver her away.
We found someone who has been wanting a RES and we are giving them the turtle and all the stuff too. They get a good deal.
Thanks for your help anyways,
Margarite

[Bascomb]

It does take a little time to learn how to take care of a slider. If you are unable to do this, it is good that you will let someone who is willing to do it take care of her. You may want to refer the new owner to this site. b.