Feeding and Nutrition :: PLEASE CLOSE: mealworm or rosy reds?

[francinemarie]

i have an adult female RES. i know adults mainly eat veggies, but they also need some protein in their diet. so which do you think are better.... mealworms OR rosy red minnows?

[LeslieMW]

well i prefer meal worms, but only because a bunch of my rosy reds had parasites, so i just trust meal worms more...especially if you freeze them.

[francinemarie]

well i prefer meal worms, but only because a bunch of my rosy reds had parasites, so i just trust meal worms more...especially if you freeze them.

oh i see. i wasn't sure which one was better. i was at petsmart today & i couldn't figure out which one to buy. so i bought the rosy reds because they're cheaper . the rosy reds haven't given my turtle any parasites so far yet (i hope not). thank you for your input

[spaceapple]

There's always the risk of parasites when feeding live foods. I would have suggested rosies just because they're more fun to have around the tank. I've had one for over a month that just swims around frantically cleaning up after my turtles. ^_^

[LeslieMW]

yea i bought some to clean up the tank, but i find they poop more than they clean hahaha

[francinemarie]

There's always the risk of parasites when feeding live foods. I would have suggested rosies just because they're more fun to have around the tank. I've had one for over a month that just swims around frantically cleaning up after my turtles. ^_^

haha i never noticed that. i only put in 2 rosies every other day for my turtle. she's an adult, so she doesn't need that much protein.

[francinemarie]

yea i bought some to clean up the tank, but i find they poop more than they clean hahaha

haha i never put all the rosies in the tank because my turtle just eats them all whenever she gets the chance & that's not good for her . i put the rosies in a separate container & just feed her 2 every other day

[imderanged]

I personally like Rosies better, because Mealworms are mostly Chitin (shell)

[francinemarie]

I personally like Rosies better, because Mealworms are mostly Chitin (shell)

mmk, thank you

[Lantic]

I find it that when they eat meal worms its the worst mess i have ever seen.

[marisa]

Mealworms really have minimal nutrititional value and they're difficult to digest. I'd give them only rarely and only a few at a time. Of the two, the minnows would be better for your turtle.

[francinemarie]

I find it that when they eat meal worms its the worst mess i have ever seen.

haha really? i've never fed it to my RES yet. i think she gets more of an exercise from chasing the fish around her tank

[francinemarie]

Mealworms really have minimal nutrititional value and they're difficult to digest. I'd give them only rarely and only a few at a time. Of the two, the minnows would be better for your turtle.

mmmk, thank you for the info . i think i'm going to stick to rosies

[TheComputerGremlin]

Really, fish are a once per month treat. The main protein source for your turtle should be the pellets. They are more well balanced and fortified with vitamins and minerals that the turtle needs and won't get by eating fish.

[francinemarie]

Really, fish are a once per month treat. The main protein source for your turtle should be the pellets. They are more well balanced and fortified with vitamins and minerals that the turtle needs and won't get by eating fish.

ooh ok, i don't feed her fish too often. she loves her pellets though . thank you for the info.