Feeding and Nutrition :: hes growing!

[blackforces get you]

ok my baby red eared slider is gettin in the habit of killing feeder fish. i caught him one day fighting with the female for feeder fish. the male caught it and they both wore tugging it and it wasnt very pretty. in the end i plan to cut back on the pellets, but its a concern to pull back on what i feed them. i notice his shell is growing and stretching as well. so right now when he passes by a fish he bites pieces of the tail and today i just noticed that 2 of the feeder fish are already missing their lower back fin.

[corey7144]

he doesn't eat them he just attacks thier fins?

[blackforces get you]

no actually he attacks their fins so they cant move and finishes them once their immobile

[TheComputerGremlin]

Here's a thought, cut back on the feeder fish. Each turtle should probably get no more than 3 fish a month, and if the one is eating them all, don't put so many in. It's not just growing quickly length-wise, it's potential pyramiding which can easily kill the turtle. Feeder fish are not necessary for a healthy turtle.

[blackforces get you]

yeah i know but i only fed him one and now he wants to eat them all when hes close to them. he just started eating them and plus hes about a year old

[RonnWilliams]

As long as he eats the fish, I don't see a problem. That's smart that he attacks the fins and then eat them. My RES just catches them, typically by the tail, and swallows them whole. He's a good hunter.

[mat012]

no actually he attacks their fins so they cant move and finishes them once their immobile

Ahhh brillant!!!