Feeding and Nutrition :: Question about baby turtle feeding...

[OzzsChick]

Well, I am a little concerned about my baby RES. I am not really sure how old he is...but he's about the size of a quarter.
Anyway, yesterday I fed him one stick (reptile sticks for baby turtles) and he didn't touch it! Today I tried again and nothing.
I just bought him yesterday so could he just be settling in??

[DavidY]

Yea, babies take a few days to get used to their new home. It's best to leave him alone in a quiet room during that time so as not to spook him out too much if you can. Try again in another day or two. You can also try soaking the stick in tuna juice to attract him to it.

[marisa]

You could try some bloodworms (you can buy frozen ones that are vitamin fortified) as well as some live food (a cut-up earthworm) to get him going.

[Noobie101]

The advice my friend told me is to cut them in half cause they are to big for babys until around half a year of age.
Btw i use hikari turtle bites and the are healthy apparently.

[marisa]

Never heard of Hikari Turtle Bites. HBH (I think) Turtle Bites, but not Hikari.

[camee1991]

Ozzschick: I just rescued a baby turt also and the 1st almost 4 whole days NO eating...which freaked me. But after he got used to the tank, heater, filter, dock etc...He started eating like a piglet! He wouldnt eat the pellets at 1st, now I mix them in with baby shrimp and baby krill. You can get the whole baby set up food in the same bottle at Petco.

Good luck. Im sure your baby will eat when he feels safe and gets hungry enough.

[xlgringo]

yeah, one of my turtles did the same thing. she (i think its a "she") didn't eat for a solid week after i got her. in fact i thought she had r.i. but @ 7 or 8 days after i got her she began to eat and now she is a little piggy. i thought that she might be a little weak and unable to get any of the feeder fish i got her so took one and (sorry) but i cut it up for her and she started to nibble on it until the other turle finished it for her. but i kept feeding the pellets and every two days i put a little dried krill in there. now, she's eating wonderfully. pellets, greens, they eat it all. just give it time. sometimes too much attention can stress them out.
it has been my experience with reptiles that as long as the conditions are adecuate for their needs you just have to leave them alone to acclimate and adjust. if you do that, that is all a good parent can do. i had a ball python and she didn't eat for almost a month after i got her. (got married and wife is scared to death of snakes so i gave her to a friend) but after that she would eat as often as i let her. just make sure everything is warm enough, clean and adecuate conditions and food are available then let them take care of themselves.