Feeding and Nutrition :: Baby RES Feeding

[Kazari24]

I know that you feed turtles once a day. Does anyone know a set time? I try to offer my turtle the pellets in the morning..I sort of have to trick him with pieces of tuna because he refuses to eat the pellets. But I have to work every day from 8-430 then in the evening I try to feed him around 7. He won't touch lettuce, but he does eat krill and tuna. Do you know a set time a turtle may be hungry and how often I have to feed him when he's a baby? My turtle is probably about 6m onths old.

[turtledudee]

mine eat at about 5:30- 6 in the morning

[marisa]

For a hatchling/up to a year, feed once a day. For pellets, this would be an amount equal to the size of his head (not including the neck). What pellets are you using? If they're large/long, break them up into manageable pieces for him. If he likes tuna, you could soak the pellets in the water from the tuna to get the scent of the tuna on them. The krill and tuna are high-protein and are not good as regular foods in the diet (as an occasional treat, OK). Look at the list of foods to feed for other alternatives.

I try to feed my turtles in the morning, because they then have the day to digest the food(when they bask) and to exercise off calories.

[Kazari24]

Hmm okay I may have to do that. It's hard to get him to eat good in the morning. I have baby pellets. I tried soaking them in tuna water, he refuses to eat them but sometimes I trick him and crush the pellets into pieces of tuna. I tried to feed him boiled egg whites, he didn't like that.

[industrial_girl_2000]

I just got a hatchling 2 days ago and already he has been eating like a pig! Here's how I did it: I did not just put the food in the tank & wait for him to eat it. I actually soaked a reptomin foodstick in water for a minute, then took it out with my fingers & held it down to his face so he could see it. Once he saw it, he took it readily (gobbled it down) & I didn't need to break it up or anything.

Keep in mind that it takes patience & you may have to gently follow him around for a few minutes with the foodstick until he calms down & maybe comes up for air. So don't think he will just eat in 2 minutes....make sure you allow about 15 minutes of your time so you aren't rushed & have time to be a bit patient. More than likely you won't need 15 minutes, but just allow this amount of time so you don't rush the turtle.