Feeding and Nutrition :: Is Speedy getting too much to eat?

[AerianaEve]

Hi! I've been reading this board for a while and I edited my Speedy Schedule. I'm not sure if the quantities are right...

Speedy is five inches long and an unknown age. (He's adopted.) He is amazing, there was no trouble getting him to eat his veggies or nibble on the cuttlebone. (He really, really likes that cuttlebone...)

Everyday he gets 1/2 his head of pellets and red leaf lettuce the size of his shell. He's also got a piece of cuttlebone floating around. (I put in about a square inch today for the first time.)

Once a week he gets grated carrots, and I was thinking once a month he gets a feeder fish. Once every two weeks I give him a bit of fruit.

I also told my dad that if he was getting really guilty about not feeding him that he could give him a little more lettuce. (My mom and I are fine with the begging, but my dad is a different story.)

So my questions are:
1. Am I feeding him too much/many pellets? I don't want him to start pyramiding.
2. Is giving him extra lettuce bad?
3. Can I give him lots of lettuce, or should I keep it as it is?
4. Am I supposed to let the cuttlebone float around all the time?
5. Is once a month good for the feeder fish?
6. The fruit? Too much too often?

Thank you so much! I want to do well by Speedy, he is extremely healthy right now but I've only had him for two weeks. I just want to make sure- I have some trouble retaining information, let alone using it- so that he stays healthy. (My friends are jealous of him because I spend more time just watching him than I do talking to them online, but Speedy eases the symptoms of anxiety a lot. We've got a symbiotic relationship.)

Edit: I do seem to talk a lot...I wish I could show this to my doctor, she would be pleased. One last note is that we do not feed him squash. I have only bought a squash once, and that was to give to my squash-playing social worker. Filipinos don't really eat squash...

[marisa]

How does Speedy look? If he looks good, then I'd say you're doing OK with his diet.

Personally, I don't count every bit of food I give my turts, but:

1. Half a head of pellets every day would be a head of pellets every other day, which is what's often suggested (unless a turtle is growing too fast). Just curious, but how many pellets fits into half his head and what brand/s of pellets is he getting?

2 and 3. If, by extra lettuce you mean more than the size of his shell, you could give a bit more, especially if he eats all of what he's getting now. If you do give too much, however, you'll notice his poop become softer and more fibrous, bits of digested lettuce will be floating in the tank. If that happens, it would be good to cut back some. Also try other leafy greens.

4. I keep several head-size pieces of cuttlebone floating in the tank and replace them as needed. My turtles don't eat it as quickly as yours appears to. Perhaps he's looking/needing some extra calcium in his diet. I'm unclear as to how much your turtle is actually getting? Do you put a cuttlebone in the tank and he eats it right up?

5. I don't feed live fish, so someone else can comment on that.

6. What kind of fruit are you offering (no citrus, please)? My turtles get a bit of fruit once a week most times; it depends on what I have on hand.

[Nettle]

My turts love grapes, blueberries, strawberries and apple. Blueberries are probably the best for them because they are low cal and sugar and have lots of antioxidants.