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...this may be long. I find myself not able to sleep and snooping around here!

I have been looking in the thread where everyone posted their 'meal plans' and was trying to come up with something to follow so my daughter can help with Izzy.

I do have a few questions and would also like any advice on what I came up with.

1. anacharis - anchor or let float? how many at a time? Safe to always have available?

2. She gets a leafy something everyday, between mustard leaves, romaine and red leaf. Is it OK to just 'clip' one in the tank in the morning and let her eat on it through the day? I usually put the whole red leaf in... too much?

3. When is a good time to introduce live prey? The vet told me a few weeks back not to yet.... but, I dunno.

I was also trying to kind of go by what people were feeding based on the same size/age as Izzy. She is right at 4" and guessing about a year.

Here is kind of what I came up with. I have a question mark on Tuesday
as I am not sure if she should have them yet.

Monday – assorted veggies
Red leaf lettuce


Tuesday – earthworm , guppy, rosy red (?)


Wednesday – pellets and assorted veggies
Mustard leaves


Thursday – assorted veggies
Romaine lettuce and red bell pepper


Friday – pellets and assorted veggies
red leaf lettuce and turnip bites


Saturday - assorted veggies
mustard leaves and sweet potato


Sunday – pellets and assorted veggies
Romaine lettuce and a few carrot slices



Cuttlebone chunks every 3-4 days
Fruit/treat once a month
Live prey – not introduced yet
Krill treats, once a week

1. I never had any luck trying to anchor the anacharis. Spot would rip it up within minutes. I'd say let it float. It's ok to have it available all the time but you may not want to if your turtle is the type that cuts it up into into little pieces and makes a mess in the tank.

2. Green leafies every day is fine. As long as your turtle isn't have a diarrhea problem you can let him have as much as he wants. When a turtle eats to much plant material he gets the runs, then you'll know it's time to cut back. My turtle regulates his green leafy intake pretty well so I just leave a whole leaf in there most days for him to nibble on.

3. Some people let little bitty turtles have live prey. Some turtles like to chase and eat minnows. Personally I don't like to see my turtle catch a minnow so I don't put them in his tank. There's one very old minnow that's been in his tank for a couple of years and when he goes I probably won't replace him.

On the diet plan, it sounds like you're giving your turtle a lot of variety of good wholesome food. It's hard to say if it's just right without knowing the quantities. Personally, I like to make good quality pellets a larger part of my turtle's diet because I feel I can be confident his diet is well balanced that way.

whats anacharis?

Anacharis is just an aquatic plant. It's very good for turtles and provides variety. They can be found at a pet store or an aquatic nursery.

Izzy makes a HUGE mess with her plants and the lettuce. I see her munching on her lettuce a lot and wonder just how there are still so many pieces floating around.

I know she loves the anacharis, but so many of the leaves get sucked against the filter intake.

I'm just wondering how come my RES can be so "hungry" until he can finish all the vegies I've always given to him? He leaves nothing behind at all..Am i underfeeding him?

Turtles can be master beggars and sometimes make it seem like they need more when they actually don't.

What's their diet like now? Pellet frequency and quantity, veggies, and treats?

I give my turtle who is 2.25' two full leaves every morning. He's been able to eat a whole rosie too.

Crush makes a mess with his plants as well, today I got a brine shrimp net and it works really well getting the little bits since the mesh is so small.

Basically my RES doesn't make a mess out of anything he eats. He just finishes everything unless the vegies is something he doesnt like. Usually I give him vegies in the morning and pellets at night.

Vegies: usually carrots, leafs of xiao bai chye, lettuce and local vegies found in singapore
Pellets: usually less than his head size

Btw, my RES is > 1 year old.. =]