Pet Turtle : Feeding

Food time… is fun time for both you & the turtles, and they eat as much as they throw around!
To top it all they HAVE to be fed in water!
Bottomline: your turtles are extremely messy (and fussy) eaters!

Suggested Feeding Process
To avoid the mess they create we recommend that you feed your animals in a separate plastic tub. You can also use this tub to form the DSE habitat. Feeding the turtles in a separate tub, half filled with water does not create any undue stress (unless they are NOT held properly). Seperate feeding will prevent roken up food particles from remaining in the tank and fouling up the water. Generally turtles also excrete within 30-40 minutes of feeding. So it is ideal if you feed your turtle in the separate tub, and let it stay there for 30-40 minutes, till it excretes. However, when using separate feeding container, make sure that the temperature of the water is not below that of the tank. We suggest that it may be kept 1-2oC (2-4oF) higher than the tank water.

The benefits of feeding in the DSE habitat are immense, as it reduces tank maintenance and water changing frequency significantly!

Like people, every turtle is unique, and will have its own food quirks. In their natural habitats turtles are omnivorous and eat a variety of foods thereby giving them a well-balanced diet. In captivity though they don't have access to natures varied menu! And are dependant on you to meet their requirements totally!

A common mistake (originating due to a higher familiarity with fish food habits) a lot of people commit is - feeding the turtle some commercial turtle food or the same kind of leafy scraps daily. This diet is severely limiting, and does not provide the turtle with the required amount of proteins, vitamins and other nutrients. As in humans this can lead to malnutrition and associated diseases.

The diet of a mature turtle should consist of the following:
1. Vegetarian foods: 50-70%
2. Non-vegetarian foods: 25-35%
3. Commercial reptile foods: 15-25%

WARNING: Turtle Obesity
You might feel that we should have discussed this after covering the food details, but obesity is one of the most common problems facing pet turtles. Remember, overfed turtles can become obese as easily as people, and face similar problems too!

Quite obviously, obesity is caused by too much (and too fatty) food, and too little exercise. In a few weeks, your turtle should have learnt to trust you and recognize food. Once this happens, we recommend making your turtles run around a little for their food! Dangle it right in front of their mouths using forceps/or ur fingers (but be careful!), and make them run after it before giving it to them.

For more information on Obesity, go to the section on Diseases

Frequency n Quantities
Generally speaking, smaller turtles need to eat more frequently than larger reptiles. Hatchlings can be fed daily till about 8-10 months, but adult turtles are best fed every alternate day.

A rule of thumb is to feed the turtle as much food as would fit in its head and neck. Another way is to feed them as much as they will eat in a few minutes. REMEMBER: Do not overfeed your turtles.

Types of food
Omnivorous by nature, turtles eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. Though younger turtles are distinctly more carnivorous, they tend to become more herbivorous as they grow older. Turtles need to be fed a mix of flesh, vegetables, fruits, commercial turtle feed, calcium, vitamins and live food! While that seems a lot, it is actually quite simple, once you understand their dietary requirements and create a schedule.

A suggested dietary schedule is available, click here

For convenience of discussion & diet planning, we have categorized the food types as:
• Vegetarian
• Non-Vegetarian
• Aquatic Plants
• Live Prey
• Calcium
• Vitamins