Feeding and Nutrition :: romaine lettuce discussion

[AmazingAlex]

Hi!
I must tell you that i am part of many discussions about red ear sliders (and other turtles) about many different topics but most often about feeding. I've noticed that there are really many minds about feeding romaine lettuce and I want to ask you why do you consider it as good food for your RES?
I would like to know why is it in thread 'what to feed your res' because in my opinion it shouldn't.
Lettuce contains many acids and oxalates that are inappropriate for turtles. So at least there should be written not to feed it daily.
(or do it just in case of lack of other food) or simply one a month max.

I'm sorry if there was a topic like this before (im kinda new on this forum):D I write it because i want to know what you guys think and so on. Also my post doesn't mean to offense some1 who thinks lettuce is good.

and of course i hope you can get my point and sorry for my english , you must forgive me! ;D

Kind regards!

[steve]

Hi Alex, romaine (and red lear, green leaf) lettuce have good amounts of calcium and other vitamins. Older RES are mostly herbivores too, so it should be introduced into the diet as soon as the turtle shows interest. Aquatic plants can be expensive to be a regular part of the diet and for many people, not possible.

What else would you recommend be part of their diet? And your english is fine

[AmazingAlex]

I think most of foods i recommend are here in the site but I can tell you anyway:

'Riccia fluitans'
'Sagittaria sagittifolia'
'Elodea'

- I've been trying to translate those 3 from polish into english but i think i failed Perhaps those names come from another language (or they don't have any translation) you can check on google how it looks like but.. well it's good food.

Aquatic insects, snails, tadpoles, crayfish, fish, crustaceans, and molluscs.
And also water plants like water lily, hyacinth, and duckweed.
Fish: guppies and snails: gimlets and corner bays, frozen smelt (small fish) and shrimp.

And as I said previously: lettuce contains in its composition many organic acids (oxalates, etc.) that bind calcium in the food causing it not to absorb leading to rickets and kidney problems. Turtles and other herbivorous reptiles (eg iguanas green) by eating lettuce, (particularly as a mono-diet), sooner or later succumb to hypokalemia. In turtles revealed mainly the weakening and gradual loss of hardness armor .Although turtles like this worthless like sawdust food which in the case mono-diet it can be even deadly. It can also be harmful because it stores in itself harmful substances from the air and tends to be sprayed.