How to feed aquatic turtles?

How to feed aquatic turtles? If you have or plan to adopt one or more aquatic turtles, you are probably wondering which food is best suited to its diet. How to choose food for aquatic turtles? What does a water turtle eat?

If so, you do well to find out because this is not a subject to be taken lightly, because not all turtles eat the same way.

In this guide, we will deal with aquatic turtles found in ponds or large aqua-terrariums. It is common to make them evolve in a terrarium-aquarium and then have to place them in a basin given their size.

First of all, you should know that turtles are very greedy animals and that even when they are fed they may still seem hungry to you, but don't get me wrong, this is pure greed: they will ask you for more food. than they need to live.

And on the contrary, if your turtle is no longer eating, this can be a sign of poor health, so you should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. Here, don't worry, we present recommended foods to you.

Which diet to choose?

The first thing to do is to clearly identify the species of turtle in order to know its diet: indeed, depending on the species it is, it can be a carnivorous, herbivorous or omnivorous species.

Depending on the pet stores, the species available for sale are diverse and varied, if you have picked up your turtle from someone or from the wild, it is best to find out from a veterinarian or someone able to find out about the species you have and the intricacies related to the species in question.

It is indeed better to find out about the species you have because some species are more complex than other levels of care and feeding. Each individual (even of the same species) will also be different in terms of quantity and food preference.

The different needs of turtles according to their diet:

• Carnivorous : A large majority of Proteins (about 40-50% of the diet), more or less the same amount of lipids and the rest comes from various nutrients, including carbohydrates among others.
  
  
• Herbivorous : About 60-65% Carbohydrates, +- 25% Proteins, and the rest distributed among other nutrients including Lipids.
  
  
• Omnivorous : A majority of Carbohydrates approximately 40-50%, and a balanced quantity of Proteins and Lipids (approximately 25-30%). Then the rest. This is the most balanced diet.

The different types of food:

Each range of food has its own composition and therefore is more or less adapted to the diet of each turtle. Some ranges are more useful as "treats", they should not be used as daily food but rather occasionally (once a week for example).

They do not all come in the same form either, some in the form of dried fish and shellfish, others in the form of granules or even sticks.

There are also many fruits and vegetables that can be given as food, but care must be taken not to overdose the quantities, because some foods that are very beneficial in small quantities can become toxic in large quantities. (Citric foods, such as lemon are to be banned). Remember to adapt the size of the food to the size of the turtles, a large turtle or a small turtle cannot ingest food of the same size.

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Power frequency:

For the feeding frequency , it will depend on the age of the turtle as well as its size. For very young turtles, it is advisable to feed them every day for an amount equivalent to about 10% of its weight. While for adults, feeding twice a week may be sufficient, for a variable quantity between 3% and 5% of its weight.

The frequency and the food/weight ratio can obviously vary between different species according to their diets, habits and morphologies. If your turtle is in poor health the quantity can also vary, if this is the case or you have any doubts about the state of health of your turtle, take advice from your veterinarian.

During the winter it is not necessary to feed the turtles , because they generally enter a period of hibernation: that is to say that it reduces as much as possible the energy expenditure that it makes on a daily basis, this passes by a decrease in internal temperature, respiratory rate, more movement, and finally more food.

Before winter, turtles therefore eat more and will therefore need larger quantities of food to be able to store energy and therefore begin the hibernation period in complete safety. Again, if your turtle shows weight loss or does not gain weight the few weeks before winter, it is better to consult a specialist rather than leave things as they are.

Feeding is usually done in the water or on the edge of the pool, usually the turtles will come to you on their own when feeding. Hand-feeding is also possible, but care should be taken that the turtle does not lose the habit of fending for itself, as it would in the wild.

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The different brands of food:

We sell several ranges of different foods from different brands such as:

• Hikari turtle stick available in sachets of 120 grams or 1 kg.
• SERA: The different SERA Raffy or Reptil
• JBL, Agil or Tortil

If you have the slightest doubt about your aquatic turtle's diet or its state of health, do not hesitate to contact a veterinarian near you, it is always better to ask a specialist than to leave his condition worsen. Prevention is better than cure.