Water Turtle??

Question

I have a water turtle...I don't know what kind but he eats the little pellet thingys and I tryed feeding him fish (the pet store told me I should) and he wouldn't eat it.
Now the pet store is telling me it is because I needed to get the bigger fish because they can't catch the small ones...
Does any of this sound like they know what they are talking about? Or should I keep feeding him pellets?

Answer 1

1. You really need to find out the species. I'll bet it is a Red-ear slider. You can find pictures of this species here: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/world_of_turtles/ If it has a red blotch behind the eye it is probably a Red-ear slider.

2. The typical food for the Red-ear slider and many related turtles is a combination of good quality pellets and 'real foods'- small fish, bugs, worms, shrimp, etc. (live or frozen/thawed).

3. Turtles love space, warmth, and the sun and will not eat if they are not happy.
- Space should allow at least 10 gallons per inch of shell length.
- Warmth should be about 75-80F in the water, and about 90F on the basking sites
- Sun should be a good bulb that offers what is called UV-B rays, usually a specialty reptile bulb.

4. Turtles also need clean water- either filtered 2-3 times better than a fish tank, or FREQUENT water changes.


I think the REAL problem here is that your pet shop has almost no clue what is going on- especially if they cannot even tell you the species.

Two helpful sites are
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com
http://www.redearslider.com

Answer 2

I would not feed him live fish if I were you. The feeder fisher that are found in pet stores usually contain parasites and are many times sick. I worked in the pet industry for over 8 years and always suggest to feed them pellets along with vegetables and frozen food. This is much more healthy and will not harm your turtle in any way.

Answer 3

i'm unsure yet i do no longer think of turtles swim around in purified water. bypass away a bucket outdoors and seize some rain water and attempt making use of that. once you're close to a circulation or pond i might get some from there. it is probable very nicely to apply some faucet water blended with different water. probable could be perfect to seek the internet for education on turtle care and habitat upkeep.

Answer 4

They don't know what the're talking about! You should feed your turtle pellets, vegetables, fruits, and other things. On the back of the pellet container it should tell you what is in it, you should feed your turtle some of those things if you think it is healthy.

Answer 5

Keep him eating the pellets. Give him vegetables too. I have heard boiled lettuce is good for them. Fish do carry parasites and things like that, that can get the turtle sick.

I hope that you didn't take the turtle out of the wild though, beacause it is very stressful to them.

Answer 6

Never feed turtles fish because feeder fish live in such horriable conditions they often may have an illness. You are better off just giving it pellets and vegetables.

Answer 7

some times people that work at the pet store dont know what there talking about (im not saying all of them but they just want u to spend more money, been there done that ) i have a turtle u dont have to feed it live fish all u have to do is get raw chicken breast and cut it up in to small peices and then feed it
please E-mail me if this works
thanks

Answer 8

I feed mine a combination of the pellets and dried miniature shrimp. They prefer the shrimp but need the pellets for more nutrition.

Answer 9

I feed mine the pellets and I also buy him crickets that are already dead in a jar that you keep in the fridge. Just spoon a few in every couple days. They love them!!