feeding turtles?

Question

is there any way of feeding a turtle outside of its tank? mine wont eat anything unless its been in the water first, is there any way of 'training' it to eat on a tray or something?? x

Answer 1

y whats wrong? they need it soaked so its easier to swallow, well u can give them lettuce on a plate and they luv it so they will dig in add the pellets to it, if ure turtle loves eating mine do, then it should be easy. If its due to the water u should use a filter, i use a fish filter they work GREAT no lie my tanks r clean.

Answer 2

Sorry if you have an aquatic turtle, they will only eat while immersed in water :) That is the bad part of turtle ownership...they are very messy eaters and poopers and need a very good filter to help clean the tank, not to mention very frequent water changes.

Please note that as a turtle ages, they become more vegetarian...you may also drop in a 1/2 piece of rinsed collard green/turnip green/mustard green for them to munch on and remove it after a few hours. NO LETTUCE!!!! It is simply vitamin deficient, even Romaine. Also include a 'turtle pellet' in the diet and don't let them get stale...replace them every 6 months or so. I also used to give mine a cricket or grasshopper occasionally in lieu of the pellet.

I will also tell you this...one year I bought a baby slider the size of a half dollar. In 12 months, with great care, his shell was 8 inches in diameter. Aquatic turtles grow fast and they shouldn't stay small! If yours is not growing well, it may be due to malnutrition. Please just take note :D

I would also recommend
www.anapsid.org
for you to read

:)

amanda

Answer 3

If it's a water turtle, why would you want to. They require the water to aid in digestion of the food.

You can "train" it too eat out of a shallow dish with water in it. Mine will eat small treats and such out of the water but only a very small amount. I've even got mine eating out of my hand.

If your concerned about your water quality being compromised by the food, get a 5 gallon bucket, fill partway with warm water, insert turtle, then add food. They usually eat that way, Makes them focus on the food only since they can't see out the sides.

Answer 4

Aquatic turtles MUST MUST MUST eat in the water. There are several reasons for this, and you cannot train it otherwise if you want the turtle to live.

You can learn more about the proper care of turtles at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 5

I agree with ~damaris~