Feeding and Nutrition :: how much veggies do they need?

[shelach]

so... how much veggies should i be tossing in there every day? I dont want to give them to much, and they eat EVERY THING i put in there.

GOSH I LOVE MY TURTLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[xsavingsaturdayx]

You can pretty much give them as much as they want, but not too much all at once. You can feed them a leaf of whatever your using (the size of their shells) and see how that goes - if they get diarhea then you know you are overdoing it, so cutting back might be a good idea, but if all goes well, try more.

I feed my turtles mostly endives, dandelion and even some lettuces every now and then, i toss in a leaf or two in the morning, and some more sometime during the afternoon.

What kind of veggies are you feeding them?

[shelach]

Romaine, baby arugula, leafy greens & carrot pieces. They really like romaine, or anything purple. Im looking for some more stuff to try with them.

You said you feed them dandelion. is that like the weeds from outside, or dandelion greens like something for a salad?

Ive got 3 little guys. I toss in a mix of veggies once a day (later in the day than the pellets) about the size of their shells combined x 2.
They devour it all in under 5 min. Do you think I should give them more? or are they just piggies?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Romaine, baby arugula, leafy greens & carrot pieces. They really like romaine, or anything purple. Im looking for some more stuff to try with them.

You said you feed them dandelion. is that like the weeds from outside, or dandelion greens like something for a salad?

Ive got 3 little guys. I toss in a mix of veggies once a day (later in the day than the pellets) about the size of their shells combined x 2.
They devour it all in under 5 min. Do you think I should give them more? or are they just piggies?

Well, you cant get fat off of salad, so yeah..if they dont crap too much after eating it then you can increase the greens a little bit more.

Yeah the veggies your feeding sounds fine. Just try to limit how much carrots you give them (too much isnt good) and add some more variety.

Oh, and on the dandelions, some people (if they have a safe spot that is chemical free) pick them from outside, but I dont think I have any so I buy them from a small supermarket. I feed my turtles that, kale, endives, collard greens, sometimes some cilantro or culantro, and some lettuce but not so often. I also like to give them live aquatic plants to eat - like anacharis, and horn wort. Not only do they keep the water clean but it's very nutritious for them and it offers them some safety (mine like to sleep in it)

Basicly experiment with different greens. On monday some romaine, tuesday some carrots, wednesday some more romaine and some other greens and etc, get it?

[DavidY]

I usually feed the greens and veggies to all my reptiles a couple of hours after the lights first come on. Then they get the proteins in the mid-afternoon. Plant matter usually takes longer to digest so feeding it earlier in the day gives them more time to fully digest it while the basking lights are on.

[SpotsMama]

Here's some info on veggies:

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

Notice that romaine is not on the "most recommended" list but is on the "ok to feed occasionally" list. Something in it binds with the calcium they eat so they don't absorb it like they should. Leaf lettuce - green or red - is better for them. Iceberg of course is useless.

[shelach]

Thanks Every One.
im going aquatic plant shoppin today
ill see what my local pet shop has to offer.

Do you think i should give them one type of veggie a day? or continue giving them a mix every day?

I think they will enjoy the new veggies you've sugested. Tanks again!

[DavidY]

Variety is good. How you choose to mix it up depends on you I guess.