Feeding and Nutrition :: Tough Love?

[Hatchling71]

Well my turts aren't veggie eaters so I've been making them the jello and before I would just use what I had in the fridge and put some krill in there so they'd eat it.

Well I just made a new batch and they aren't eating it. I'm really disappointed because I went grocery shopping especially for them and spent all day making them a perfectly healthy jello and they don't like it! (little stinkers)

So. I'm thinking of just not letting them eat anything else, maybe some pellets if I see they haven't eaten in a couple days. How does that sound?

And yes, I put tuna and tuna juice in there. No krill this time. Man do they love krill!

[Caphits]

maybe put krill in like you did before? it wouldnt be TOO hard to thaw and remix with some krill in it.

About the tough love. Yeah, some people have done that, I have never needed to. All I can say is good luck with it. I would hate to see them begging and begging.

[Hatchling71]

Oh they'll beg and beg even if they've just finished eating. There is no way I'm even going to attempt to put krill in there... I don't have krill anymore anyway.

[Caphits]

Why not? Its not like its poison. It doesn't have to be 50% krill. Just throw some in for flavor.

[Hatchling71]

Because that's way too much work... it's jello, not much you can do with it now.

[Caphits]

eh...good point. Maybe you could try to gently reheat, to remelt the gelatin. I think it would be better than just throwing it all away.

[megcornell]

I say go for the tough love. It sounds like your turtles have more than enough to eat regularly so if it takes them a few days to accept the jello they'll survive.
Taking a stand against poor nutrition habits now even if it's via "tough love" is much healthier for your turtles than a lifetime of krill addiction. In the long run it will serve them much better to like vegetables.

[robind]

The tough love approach has worked for me. I was in the same situation a few weeks ago and I just kept offering one little cube everyday and nothing else. Eventually she ate it and then I gave her a few more. Now she accepts them regularly.

[yan]

If my turt refuses to eat veggies, which she does every now and then, I'd chopped up the veggies finely and throw them in together with the pellets. That way, when she eats the pellets, she has no choice but to eat some of the chopped veggies as well.

[Hatchling71]

That's a pretty good idea, yan.