Feeding and Nutrition :: Feeding too much, Fish, Vitamins?

[izziepop07]

We feed our turtle everyday, we were reading some of the posts here and realize that some say to only feed your turtle every other day, but everyday she is clapping the water for food! Is it bad to feed her everyday. Also, when we buy her fish we usually get 6-12 little feeder fish, but she eats most of them to all of them in the first day ! She does not save them at all! And we are looking into getting vitamins and calcium for our turtle, as these are vital for her well-being, any advice or suggestions on good/not too expensive products?

[TheComputerGremlin]

So, feeding. You should feed your turtle pellets, about as many as would fit in her head, every other day. Turtles are *terrible* beggars, don't give in! You can also feed half as many every day if you want. As for feeder fish, you should only give a couple a month, and yes, most turtles will gulp them down in a couple minutes. Fish are very high in protein, which isn't great for turtles. Your turtle should be eating a mostly vegetable diet at this point, lots and lots of lettuce, occasional carrots and fruit, everything fresh, not frozen or canned. Vitamins aren't entirely necessary, and most pellets contain the needed vitamins. Calcium, you should go to the bird section of your pet store and buy these things called cuttlebone. Break them into pieces and feed to your turtle. They are really inexpensive. Calcium is super important, as is having a UVB light. They are needed for good shell structure!

[octpusgirl8]

You can feed everyday if you like (i do) but you have to be careful not to overfeed. For an adult turtle (over 4") you should be feeding an amount of pellets about equal to the size of the turtle's head every other day. If you're feeding everyday, feed half as many pellets. Veggies should be offered everyday. If your turtle isn't eating veggies yet, hold off on the pellets for a few days to encourage her to try them. Some turtles take to vegetables better than others, but it's really important to get her eating them. The fish should only be given as an occasional treat, maybe just get her a few each month. Feeder fish aren't necessary. Make sure you're getting minnows and not goldfish as goldfish are very fatty. As for the vitamins, you should gert her some cuttlebone for a calcium supplement. If you're not familiar with it, it's sold in the bird section of the pet store, it's a white oval shaped bone. It has a hard backing on one side, when you get it break it into a few pieces and chip off the hard part (don't hurt yourself!) then just drop a piece in the water. After a while she should start eating it. Cuttlebone is super cheap, it's usually under $2 for a 2 pack.
BTW, you need to make your avatar smaller

[izziepop07]

Got it, thank you all for the help. I will definitely slow down the fish and giver her more veggies! We will not give in to her begging! LOL! And cuttlebone is on the list to get tomorrow! Sorry about the pic being so big, couldn't figure it out right away!

[compas]

my vet said that additional vitamins can be given occasionaly for turtle. especially when she is ill or if it is still baby...

but i don't think it is necessary if your food already contains complete vitamins

as for vitamins, you can put a tip of baby vitamin on her mouth...just be careful about the dosage

[industrial_girl_2000]

LOL, all turtles beg like crazy, and I have seen them eat till they throw up! As long as you follow the guidelines on this website, your turtle will get plenty of nutrition.