Feeding and Nutrition :: Feeding Hours

[Pito007]

I was wondering if feeding your turtle at later hours is unhealthy
Now that my practice started again, I leave for school at 7:15 and get back around 6:30 (my Team takes the sport very seriously). After my turtle eats I turn off the basking light, or he will be getting 14+ hours of light. Plus he dosnt bask any way after like 2 or 3. Will this stunt his growth since hes not getting UV after feeding, or is it going to make him fat (kind of like if a human eats after nine excessivly). Im baffled

[Starchick]

Okay, neither of the things you've mentioned as concerns will happen. So long as he gets sufficient uvb throughout the day, he won't be stunted, and as long as you're not overfeeding, he shouldn't get fat.

What you do need to consider is that turtles digest more efficiently at higher temperatures. Many turtles prefer to eat then go up to bask while they're digesting. So the worst you're risking is a tummyache for your turtle. So long as your water temperature is warm enough, your turtle should have no problem digesting, but in general it's healthiest to feed in the morning.

[Pito007]

Ok cool, Im glad to hear that. Maybe I can get my dad to feed it on his lunch break.

[N4784N R4613]

Can't you feed them at 7:10? Or right before you leave for work?

[Vtolds]

I would feed before school and Maybe get a timer for the lights if you think it is a problem and feed when ever you get home. My RES sometimes depending what is going on has her light on from 7 in the morning till close to midnight but is is usually 7 until 10 at the latest. I turn it on when I get up turn it off usually when I go to bed.

[shannon_nicole]

If you wanted to you could get a mechanical timer for the lights, you can buy this at wal mart for like $4. This will work unless you have one of those fluorescent fixtures that has the flicker start thing to where you have to hold the button down... then the timer won't work. But you can get fluorescent fixtures that they will work with.

And if you have the timer then you could set the turtle's daytime cycle to be any time that is convenient for you. You could have it come on at 4 pm and turn off at 5 am if you wanted to. The turtle is not going to know the difference. Then you would be feeding it in the 'morning' when you get home from school. And also your turtle would be active and doing things during the time when you are actually home eating dinner or what not so you could get more enjoyment out of the turtle.

[marisa]

Why not put the lights on timers?