General Care Discussion :: Getting them to eat their veggies

[Aethelbera]

So after much deliberation, reducing of funds and three days of owning two hatchling RES I've been wondering about their diet. I got them some turtle pellets, freeze dried shrimp, bloodworms, dark green leafy veggies and some crickets and I feed them twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. The only problem is that they ABSOLUTELY refuse to eat either the pellets or any veggies. They go straight for the bloodworm and shrimp and then finish and are ready to go back to their tank. The only veggies they will eat are leaves from the organic peas we're growing but I read that these should only be a treat.
And boy do they love their treats, and only their treats.
They are healthy, they're enjoying their tank setup, the water is fine but they are being very picky and only wanting snacks.
How do I coax them to eat better?
On that note, they refuse to chomp on their cuttlefish bone, instead using it as a flotation device to get to their basking dock.

I don't have powdered calcium and they refuse to eat any greens so I have been shaving dust off of the cuttlefish bone and putting it on their food.

[Aethelbera]

hello?

[marisa]

Hi. Not a very balanced diet for them. And depending on how much they're getting at a feeding, you might be feeding them too much...

It may take a little while for your hatchlings to get interested in greens, but it's good to offer them. If you can, you might get some anacharis (an aquatic plant that's sold in fish stores in states where it's legal) and leave a strand or two in the tank for them to nibble on.

What brand of pellets did you buy? Most of the hatchlings I've had have readily taken to Reptomin Baby, and if you aren't using this, I'd give it a try. It has a bit more calcium that regular Reptomin and the smaller size makes it easy to eat.

Since your babies now expect bloodworm and shrimp, you're going to have to stop offering those treats and offer the pellets instead. They likely don't recognize the pellets as food. When they get hungry enough, they'll eat them. You could try to make them more attractive by making them smell more. Some people dip them in water from tuna juice to get the scent of the tuna on them. Don't let them get mushy if you try this. When they get used to eating pellets you can occasionally give them a small amount of the other stuff.

Hatchlings usually aren't interested in cuttlebone per se. You could put some very small, thin pieces in the tank once in a while and see if the size and the newness of them make them more attractive.

Were the crickets live? If so, I'm surprised they weren't interested in them, although the first time I gave live crickets to mine, some of the crickets crawled on their shells and rode around the tank on them. Hatchlings like foods that move. You also could try pieces of earthworm, which is good as part of the diet.

Make sure they have a basking area and proper lighting to bask under.

[mikee]

Mar-mod is correct. You may be feeding them too much. If they are getting treats every day they will try and ignore the pellets. I suggest that you hold off on the treats and feed them once a day. m.

[boredwake]

I agree, once I started giving my turtle "treats" he was less interested in the pellets so I just cut back on the treats.

[pairpepper]

I just got my slider and he's wasn't eating since I brought him home so today I put some tuna on his basking area and he finally ate. I then dipped a few dandilion leafs in the tuna water and he's eating that too. What should I do now? I don't want him to get to fat... will he start eating the pellets now? any information would be great.

[marisa]

No one will know if he'll eat the pellets until you offer some to him... If he won't eat them, dip them in the tuna juice just to get him started. At some point he should be eating the pellets without the scent of the tuna on them.

Your turtle won't get fat if you don't overfeed him.