New turtle food

[The Webmaster]

This post has been updated....

I've been doing some research on foods and such for turtles and diets...I am putting together a turtle food mix that I would like to know your oppinions.

The following ingredients are to be dried:
1 cup fresh Krill
5 cups Lettuce
5 cups Dandilion Greens
1 cup Wax Worms
I forgot to mention the first time it also has
4 tablespoons of Calcium enriched turtle vitamins as well.

they are crushed and mixed with small amounts of flour (to help bind) and raw eggs. Form them into small cracker shaped pieces and bake until just over done. Me and a friend (he's been keeping turts for 12 years) came up with this idea after looking at the increasing costs of keeping our turtles fed...Plus with all the rescues we are getting keeping them fed has become expensive. Any thoughts, ideas, or comments would be much appreciated....

This will also be posted at GTT and ATP so you can respond there as well... (Would rather it be here though LOL ;D)

[DianneLee]

[glow=blue,2,300]Hi, this is my 1st post (I learned about this place from GTT). I want to suggest you specify to people what kind of lettuce not to use (iceburg). I was also wondering which item contains vitamin A? My Vet. suggested using a liquid vitamin A and said that the powdered kind in reptivite is not effective. Something to do with 'A' being fat soluble.[/glow]

[TomC]

Hi,

Iceberg is not a terrible item to feed, unless you are using it a staple. Personally, I do not use it, but it does make for a source of fiber in the diet.

I would be wary of the liquid vitamin A. Both Vitamin A and Vitamin D3 are toxic is too much is given. I have been using the powdered additives for years and have no problems at all. The powders we use are Rep-Cal, Reptivite and Herp-Cal, in addition to floating cuttlefish bone in the tanks. Some go for it, some don't.

Thinly sliced and dices carrots make for an excellent source of Vitamin A.

Hoep that helps.

[DianneLee]

[glow=red,2,300]I have one turtle who will not eat any vegetables. I tried letting him go 5 days w/o offering anything but veggies but he is apparently more stubborn than I am. I have been dipping reptomin sticks in Reptivite along with his diet of feeder fish, worms, krill, and cuttlebone, but he continues to have a few discolered (white spots) on his shell that are not fungus. All my other turts eat veggies every other feeding (I feed every other day). How do you know how much vitamin A is the right amount and how much tomato or carrot do you feed to give them the proper amount? I think I'll have to get liquid vitamin A for the one (Edward Scizzor Hands) that won't eat veggies. [/glow]

[The Webmaster]

I would definately suggest that a reputable herp vet dose the vitamin A...Even the labeling on some packages of reptile vitamins are off based. How old or large is this turtle that won't eat any veggies?

[DianneLee]

[glow=blue,2,300]He's 1 year and 8 months old and has a 5" carapace and I appreciate any advice on how to get some proper nutrition into him.[/glow]

[The Webmaster]

I would try not feeding anything other than veggies for a week or so that should entice em into eating...Try some aquatic plants like Anacharis or Duckweed that might wet it's whistle as well. If you don't offer the meat just the plants I'm sure he will eventually start to eat them.

[DianneLee]

[glow=blue,2,300]as I mentioned in one of the above posts, I tried not offering anything but veggies for 5 days. He didn't eat at all and I started to feel pretty bad. I also tried hiding bits of vegetables inside worms, skewered on feed sticks, anything I could think of. He eats around the veggies or refuses it completely. Maybe I need to try your recipe posted here. Where do I get Wax worms? Would Night Crawlers do? I get dried Krill at Petsmart but where do I get it fresh? Would fresh shrimp substitute?[/glow]

[The Webmaster]

Fresh shrimp would work, Krill can be found frozen at most pet shops. Petsmart should have a freezer with it in it. They should also carry wax worms if not night crawlers would work I suppose, but meal worms that have been gutloaded would probably work better. Have you tried water plants like Duckweed, Salvinia, or Anacharis? Turtles tend to eat that over lettuces or any other veggies. A diet to high in protien as they get older can be dangerous to thier health...I'll try to find out any other ways to get em to eat his veggies.

[DianneLee]

[glow=blue,2,300]Thanks, I appreciate your help. I did try Anacharis but they tore it all to shreds and it clogged my filter intake. I have seen frozen Krill at Petsmart but I could feed Filet Minon cheaper (much cheaper). They want 6 or 7 bucks for what looks like 2 ounces of krill. So to make your recipe which calls for 1 cup it would cost about $24.oo. Shrimp will have to do. I can get that fresh for $3.99 lb. Is there any difference in nutritional value between Krill and shrimp or between wax worms and night crawlers?[/glow]

[The Webmaster]

Krill is expensive there...LOL back on track. Shrimp will work just as well nutritionally. Night crawlers and wax worms may be a bit of a nutritional stretch to be equal but they will work just fine either way so no need to worry.

[DianneLee]

[glow=blue,2,300]Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it. Did you ever find any help on your turtle with the broken leg? I am Dianne over at Gorda's where you posted a question about it. [/glow]

[The Webmaster]

Nothing so far, I'm just unsure how to treat it...If it were a lizard or any mammal it would be no problem but with the turtle anatomy it's a bit more difficult. She's going to the vet tomorrow to see what we can do. She is already swimming better and hopefulyl we can get it to heal right.....Thank you for asking.