Do turtles have some pattern or act of eating ?

Question

I was given three turtles about 3 months ago. I'm sure theyre not the same kind since they all look different and are different sizes from small medium to large. Well i have this concern or question. The large turtle and the small one will not eat any of the shrimp or pebble's i give it. I've tried three different brands and i have even tried an assortment of fruits and vegetables. I'm not sure what might be wrong with them. the small one i have seen eat a few times but never the large turtle. could it be that they eat while im not watching but i doubt it most of the food just falls to the bottom. I feed them about every two days just to give them an appetite and i surely dont overfeed them when i do. Today did it though beecause i went five days without feeding them and again the only one that ate was the middle sized one. Who know's maybe they're some type of turtle that can go a long time without eating.

Answer 1

No turtle should refuse food for more than a week.

The very first and most important question here is "What species are they?" Without knowing the species, we cannot offer the proper advice.

You can find the species by looking at this gallery of images: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/world_of_turtles/ Knowing the exact species will be best, but just getting fairly close will help a lot!

Once you know the species, you can find good care info for them at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheets.htm

In general, here are some common reasons most 'pond turtles' don't eat:

- Small tank. They like roomy spaces- about 10 gallons of water per linear inch of shell.

- Cold water. They generally like warm water around 75-80F (with a big tank, you almost always need a good in-tank heater.)

- Dirty water. Turtles are messy animals and take a lot of filtration or frequent water changes. Here is a good article on water quality: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/waterquality.htm

- Wrong diet. Some turtles do OK on pellets, others are good with veggies, but you need to find the right diet for your turtles.

Answer 2

Three months is a long time to go without eating although it's not uncommon for a turtle to refuse to eat for a week or two after moving to a new home or aquarium. How are they acting, otherwise? What is your set up like?

Turtles hibernate in the winter in nature and some do slow down A LOT in the winter in captivity, as well. More info is needed.

http://www.turtletimes.com/Forums/

Above is a link to a turtle site with a lot of members and a lot of good info. You can register for free and post your question there if you want to hear from the turtle experts. Good luck!

Answer 3

Well some big turtles are kind of pickey of about what they
eat . Like some of themlike grass and some like a certain
kind of brand.
But small turtles will eat about anything are they both a boys if they are they maybe need a girl turtle in there
life.