Feeding and Nutrition :: I don't know what to do...

[judemiller1]

My RES Lucille, is 2 months old--or I have had her for that long.
She WILL NOT eat the veggie pellets nor the little log thingies. She only wants dried shrimp. I tried a tiny bit of romaine lettuce and a tiny bit of carrot and she literally stuck up her nose at them. I am worried she is getting way to much protein and had a talk with her about being on the Atkins Diet and she needs her veggies, but she won't eat a thing--except those little dried shrimp.

What should I do?

Thanks--so glad I found this site!

[oobie58]

what you need to do is stuff a couple of pellets in the dried shrimp and every time you feed her, stuff more and more pellets inside and less shrimp and soon u will be feeding her pellets and no shrimp.

[megcornell]

You're going to need to bribe her to eat healthier food. There are a few methods to try. One is tough love, only offer her the pellets. Eventually she'll be hungry enough to eat it, she won't starve herself. A more favorable method ( I used this on my hatchling when I first got her) is to mask the pellets by dipping them in tuna juice or moistening them and putting them in with the shrimp to give them a shrimp smell. In a few days Lucille should be eating just the pellets, without the odor.
You're right to be concerned about that diet, she needs a more balanced diet. Once you get her on the pellets take a look at the feeding and nutrition section to see what veggies are good to offer her. She may be hesitant at first to try them as well, but most things look good to a RES in tuna juice

[Safdar]

I agree with everything that was said
The tuna juice worked magics for me when my little one didnt eat pellets

[judemiller1]

I tried putting the pellets in tuna juice--then I let them dry so they hardened a bit and would float. I put her in her exercise/feeding tub this morning while I cleaned her tank and gave her a shell brushing.
She not only wouldn't eat the pellets, she no longer will eat the shrimp.
It seems to me over the last few days, she is not eating at all!
She also doesn't seem to be swimming as much as she used too and just wants to bask all day. She doesn't appear to be sick.

[oobie58]

I had my baby for i think 2-3 weeks and all he ate was live crickets. every day i would put some pellets in there till finally he started eating them. Now he goes nuts when i even walk near the bottle of food.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Get some pond plants like anacharis & put that in the tank. The babies love to shred & eat them. Anacharis is very easy to find & available at any aquarium store.

Feeding a turtle shrimp everyday is like feeding a human kid McDonald's food every day. It should only be a treat.

Try putting food in there & leaving it in there for a while. Be tough. Turtles have a very slow metabolism & they won't starve if they refuse to eat for a few days. Turtles love to eat and eventually they will go for the good food. You just have to be the tough momma & not let the begging get to you!

[judemiller1]

Thank you so much--I wondered what kind of plants to put in her new aquarium. Thanks--today she ate 2 pellets (which I had soaked in tuna water)--hahah--I tricked her real good.

[judemiller1]

Kristen, I have a question.
How big is Sheba and where do you keep her--what kind of container?
Thanks, Judy

[industrial_girl_2000]

Kristen, I have a question.
How big is Sheba and where do you keep her--what kind of container?
Thanks, Judy

Sheba's shell is 9 inches long and she lives in a 90-gallon glass aquarium.