Feeding and Nutrition :: my 2 yr old Res Reduced Diet, concerns?

[bnnerb]

I have noticed in the past 3 days my 2yr old RES Squirt has not been eating like he normally does. He is completely healthy. I just took him to the vet for a checkup. I do not keep gravel or rocks of any kind in the tank.

I feed him and our 1yr painted slider Dao (female) together in a 65 gallon tank.

She on the other hand is a eater. She can take alot of food and sometimes steals it from the RES mouth.

But in the last 3 days I have noticed more food than usual floating on the top and at the bottom of the tank.

Is it possible he is starting to want only veggies?

I feed them Krill and shrimp bites. The only thing they'll eat. Once a week I'll throw in the food sticks but only Squirt eats those.

[chrisinva]

1st of all welcome

One concern from looking at your picture is only one light...

What type of light is it?

Also shrimp and krill should only be given once in awhile as a treat...They should have pellets and veggies as their staple

[bnnerb]

that is a basking light. It does get pretty warm.

The painted slider was rescued from the wild and will not eat commercial food. Only the krill and shrimp.

I recently just read and article in this forum about feeding veggies.
Someone said to soak in tuna juice. Well, I tried it and it worked for Squirt.
So now, I guess I gotta go buy some more vegetables and get him eating.

[untsmurf]

You also need a UVB bulb. They can be purchased at the pet store for around $15-20.

You definitely need to reduce their protein intake or you will have pyramiding soon. Even if they don't want pellets, that needs to be the staple of their diet. It's hard to tell from the picture how big your turtles are, but they need to have veggies in their diet once they reach 4''.

Why was the turtle "rescued from the wild" was there something wrong with it?

[TheComputerGremlin]

You need more than just a basking light. The basking light, which produces heat, is important for drying completely off and helping with the metabolism of their food. However, they need a UVB bulb to convert their calcium into vitamin D, which they need to keep their shells hard.

I like the clean look to your tank, but you should consider some resting places, just a few inches below the water surface, so they can easily rest and sleep during the night. Otherwise, they can actually drown. Most people use fake plants, pieces of drift wood, or suction cup pieces like those soap holders for the shower.

And your rescued turtle can be made to eat commercial food, try a few different brands. Sometimes they just don't like the brand you are feeding them! Reptomin, HBH turtle bites, and Mazuri are all highly recommended.

[marisa]

It's getting cooler where you are? Eating patterns can be affected by the change of seasons.

If you want to know if it's veggies he's wanting, try feeding some.

[bnnerb]

yes, that is a uv bulb. Special for turtles. lol.

I was interesting in hearing the resting place underwater. I will get something for them. Thanks for that tip.

[Sassamo]

Turtles need both a UVB and UVA light bulbs for shell health. The one you have looks like the uva. The uvb's look like the energy saving spiral bulbs.

[untsmurf]

yes, that is a uv bulb. Special for turtles. lol.

I was interesting in hearing the resting place underwater. I will get something for them. Thanks for that tip.

What kind of bulb is it? I only know of what bulb that offers both UVA and UVB, a that's a mercury vapor bulb and those have to be placed vertically, not at an angle. Does the package say that it offers both UVA and UVB? Or did it say full spectrum? Or reptile basking bulb? If it was either of the last two, then it doesn't offer any UVB.