Feeding and Nutrition :: Emotionally scarred by worms?

[Vinny]

Hi all,

My first post here...thanks for reading and hopefully replying. I got 2 RES around 2 months ago. Both are less than 2 inches. They are in a 20 gal tank (yes, i know its small, but I will get a bigger one when they grow). I also have them in a brightly sunlit room next to a window as well as have heating and UVB lamps, a basking dock, and 2 filters in the tank, one internal and one hang-on-tank. I clean the water every week. Ok..now the question...
I use a tank separator to feed them, because one is a hog and knows human = food, and the other wont eat when I'm around. I recently started feeding them mealworms and earthworms too. I feed them around 6 reptomin sticks +1 meal worm once a day, and leave lettuce, collard leaves in the tank when I'm not home so that they can munch whenever they feel like it. Until 2 days ago, they used to go crazy over worms, they used to grab the 2 ends of a meal worm and drag each other around the tank like crazy until one of them won (and I fed the loser another one just to make sure they eat equally). Now suddenly, one of them doesnt want worms any more. Not even earthworms. For a day I thought that either the water was cold and he wasnt hungry or maybe he ate some gravel or is otherwise unwell. But he does eat the reptomin sticks....just not worms. I dont think he is ill, because he is quite active all day, basks quite a lot and still tries to bite the worms through the tank glass if I hold it there.

Any ideas whats goin on in his head?

[Raphulk]

first off, you are over feeding your turtles, especially since they are hatchlings. it is also highly recommended that you separate the turtles asap if you can, one will eventually die because of aggresiveness. adopting one out now will be easier than later for many reasons.

about the feeding. you do about 3 regimens of feeding, that is way too much.
either do pellets or the veggies each day, not both. and for the lettuce just do a shell size for each which isnt much. try not to feed the mealworms too much maybe as a treat but not even then, ive heard they are high in fat and are mostly shell. i know ive seen petsmart and other places recommend them but i forget where i heard they arent so nutritous.

[Vinny]

Thanks for the tips Raphulk. I will reduce their food right away. I may have given the wrong impression about aggressive though. They seem to get along fine and I have never seen them fight or snap. Its just that one is afraid of me and the other isnt. So during feeding time the shy one hides and the other eats everything...hence the separator during feeding.

[Daniel3507]

well be sure and keep an eye out for any aggression. alot of people have had cases where they havent seen any aggression but one of their turtles ends up seriously injured or dead

[Raphulk]

haha no problem.

about your story, i wasnt saying they are agressive from the story. its just a natural characteristic of RES turtles. no matter what gender, they will eventually become aggresive towards each other.

hatchlings really dont show much toward each other.
a lot of people who do have RES turtles try and test the limits of their turtle's aggresiveness, arguing that the turtles are nice and what not. Although it may seem so it most definately will not be forever.

It will always be up to you, they are your pets, but it is highly recommended.