Feeding and Nutrition :: my turtle won't eat anything other than pellets...help!

[xfueledbykatie]

i can't get my turtles to touch veggies.
i put some dandelion leaves in the tank,
they sat in there for a few days, never even
nibbled on. they won't touch lettuce or carrots.


what do i doo?

[Chrisbarnett]

I'd say to try the tough love approach. Feed nothing other than veggies for a week and the turtle will get so hungry that it will start eating the veggies.

That is only if your turtle is healthy though, too much of a risk for a turtle in questionable health.

[Take-One]

Try just feeding veggies till he accepts them.

My one turtle HATES lettuce but loves carrots but for the other one its the opposite.

[xfueledbykatie]

i'll try the tough love way.
my turtles are very healthy.

hopefully it works!

[meltedspork]

I did the "tough love" thing with Toby and it worked like a charm! It took a bit of trial and error, I tried different kinds of lettuce and greens and found out that the only one he likes is Red Leaf lettuce. Now he will eat (down to the core/stem/whatever it is called) a large piece of lettuce just about every day or two. Don't give your turtles pellets until they at least TRY the veggies. They won't like all of them, you'll just have to figure out what they prefer

[mzkitty23]

i'll try the red leaf too! what's up with our stubborn turtles..ha!

[imderanged]

Sylar nibbled on this and that (I THOUGHT he liked dandilion greens) but he really likes red leaf lettuce. He's only 2.25" and he'll eat a whole leaf in a day. One thing I've noticed is that, with Sy anyway, he will eat more veggies and cuttle bone if I put it in vegtable clips. Then he can grab a hold of it and tear pieces off.

[Nettle]

I found that my turts like romaine above all other greens, then green leaf, then red leaf, then dandelion leaves, then turnip greens. They will eat them, but much slower than their favorites.

[xfueledbykatie]

ohh i'll deffinetly have to try all of those greens and veggies:]

they're so picky.
awh gee.

[meltedspork]

One thing I've noticed is that, with Sy anyway, he will eat more veggies and cuttle bone if I put it in vegtable clips. Then he can grab a hold of it and tear pieces off.

Toby is the same way, he prefers to eat his lettuce when I put it in a veggie clip. He will eat it if it is floating but he eats it much faster when it's in the clip.

[xfueledbykatie]

One thing I've noticed is that, with Sy anyway, he will eat more veggies and cuttle bone if I put it in vegtable clips. Then he can grab a hold of it and tear pieces off.

Toby is the same way, he prefers to eat his lettuce when I put it in a veggie clip. He will eat it if it is floating but he eats it much faster when it's in the clip.

where can i get these clips?

[VanishingReality]

Crush eats more of his veggies if he gets the veggies in the morning and pellets at night.

[imderanged]

I got my veggie clips at Petco. I think they were sold as Seaweed Clips. They were over in the aquarium section.

[meltedspork]

where can i get these clips?

I got mine from Big Al's, but I'm sure they have them (or something similar) elsewhere.

They look like this:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCatalog/ctl3684/cp18334/si1380230/cl1/two_little_fishies_sea_veggie_clips?&query=veggie+clip&queryType=0&offset=

[marvonio]

I'll have to try tough love with Steve. He LOVES protein (blood worms, live minnows, turtle sticks) but when I offer him veggies (doesn't matter what) he tears it up and litters his feeding bowl with lettuce. I'm certain he's not eating any of it, just making a mess! He's VERY healthy (and a tremendous beggar!) so I'm going to try tough love with him, too...