What Do Tenpin TurtleS Eat?

Question

The Tenpin Turtles In A Tropical Tank?
What Do They Eat?
How To Care For Them

In A Tropical Fish Tank

Answer 1

I'll assume you are asking about "terrapin" turtles

"The diet of most terrapins and turtles is, by contrast to land tortoises, heavily dependent upon animal protein. Most aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles and terrapins are predators and catch a wide range of fish, snails and similar small creatures. These provide not only protein but also calcium in balanced amounts (whole animals are eaten - bones included - not just the fleshy parts). In captivity it is essential not to make the all-too-common mistake of feeding only the `best' meat minus the calcium containing bones! Large bone splinters can, however, prove to be a danger in their own right if swallowed whole so many keepers prefer to provide calcium in a safer form (usually as a proprietary supplement). Most terrapins and turtles are actually omnivorous rather than exclusively carnivorous, consuming both animal prey and plant material in the wild. This pattern should be encouraged in captivity. Some are definitely more carnivorous than others, but even my voracious Common Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) has been known to take plants in preference to its more usual meaty fare on rare occasions. In all cases, however, it is certainly not adequate to feed only on commercial turtle flakes which are often of very poor nutritional value and severely lacking in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. Nor should whitebait or similar fish form the staple diet, as these are excessively rich in oil and can result in steatitis or fatty infiltration of the liver. Diets containing excessive quantities of fish can also result in induced vitamin-B deficiencies due to the presence in fish of an enzyme called thiaminase, which interferes with the take up of B-group vitamins.

The main thing to avoid with diets for any captive turtle is over-reliance upon one single item; this is a very easy mistake to make, but a balanced and varied diet is infinitely superior. Provide as wide a range of the following food items as you possibly can. It is also worth noting that the sex of certain turtles affects their preferred diet; for example, female Common Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica) have a much wider mouth than males and therefore take larger prey. Whereas the females of this species feed predominantly upon large snails and other molluscs, the males prey mainly upon aquatic insects and smaller snails.

Suggested terrapin/turtle diet

* Plant leaf material
* Fruit
* Canned dog food (low lat varieties preferred)
* Raw (whole) fish
* Rehydrated dried cat, dog or trout pellets
* Fresh meat
* Earthworms
* Snails and molluscs
* Small dead rodents such as mice

Where food is to be rehydrated, as with the dried cat or dog pellets available in pet stores, rehydrate using water plus a soluble vitamin additive. This is a highly successful way of ensuring that your turtle will obtain all of the essential vitamins and trace elements it requires.
To avoid contaminating your turtles with Salmonella organisms, it is wise not to feed raw chicken or pork - these frequently harbour the organism and if eaten by the turtle the disease will be passed on. Diets rich in meats are invariably also high in phosphates and low in calcium. This can cause serious problems for terrapins who need high levels of calcium for healthy bone and carapace development. Note that in the wild most aquatic testudines feed regularly upon snails and similar creatures which have a calcium-rich shell. In captivity, this source is rarely available and therefore additional calcium supplementation is absolutely essential. Calcium tablets can be successfully hidden in meats, and all foods heavily dusted with a general high ratio calcium-mineral supplement such as Nutrobal(r). Provision of a cuttlefish bone which can be gnawed if required is also recommended.

Finally on the topic of feeding, it is definitely the case in my experience that over-rather than under-feeding tends to be the main problem in many captive situations; in the long term this can prove just as damaging as underfeeding. Not only must the quality of the diet be maintained within safe limits, but the quantity too. This applies equally to land tortoises and aquatic turtles; in the latter case if you overfeed you will not only get fatty, obese and lethargic turtles but you will also very quickly experience serious tank hygiene problems - and an almost certain outcome of that will be a dramatic increase in the incidence of infectious disease. In most cases, feeding 3 times per week will be quite adequate. Daily feeding is hardly ever required with aquatic testudines.
"

Answer 2

1. 'Terrapin' is not a species of turtle, but a description of a lifestyle. In Europe, a terrapin is a turtle that lives in water, but needs dry places for basking, etc.

2. We would need to know the species to give you an accurate list of good foods.

3. Tropical fish tanks are usually bad places for turtles. Turtles eat fish, are very messy, and need basking sites to climb out on.

4. You can get great care info for most species at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com.

I bet you are talking about the common Red-ear Slider, which will grow to about 10 inches long. They eat fish food, small fish, live shrimp, krill, insects, worms, beef heart, etc. Austins Turtle Page talks a lot about a good diet for this species.

Answer 3

The best diet for a pet turtle is one that is fresh and varied to provide a range of nutritional sources. Just like humans, turtles have individual tastes, and offering different foods will help keep the turtle well fed and happy. Maybe you have never considered sharing your green beans with a reptile. But the truth is that many foods that humans eat are also foods that a pet turtle would find appealing. So what do pet turtles eat? Depending on the type of pet turtle, the diet may vary, but one thing for certain is that all pet turtles need water.

Answer 4

If you mean terrapins they eat raw meat and therefore need regular cleaning also they should have a rock to enable them to climb out of the water and their meat can be placed on the rock. If yours are young ones they will grow to about 6ins in width.

Answer 5

turtles are a water species. they do no longer and should no longer devour leetuce, carrots or bread! They devour prawns, mussels, squid, trout, salmon, white fish, turtle pellets, river shrimp, bloodmorm, daphnia, tubifex, brine shrimp. additionally they devour aquatic flora like densa, duckweed, water cress, fairy moss, vallis, cabomba, lily pads. attempt those.

Answer 6

i have 4 terrapin turtles they eat raw meat especially prawns they like to be fed by skewer with the prawn on the end.

Answer 7

When my brother had them he used to feed them water insects (little red worm things) i cant remember what they are called, but go to your pet shop/fish shop and they will show you a variety of water creatures for them