Aquatic turtles, including popular pets like red-eared sliders and other pond sliders, require a carefully planned diet to thrive in captivity. Understanding their dietary needs, which change with age and species, is crucial for responsible turtle ownership. This guide provides comprehensive information on crafting a balanced diet for your aquatic turtle, covering everything from food choices to feeding schedules.
Understanding the Omnivorous Nature of Aquatic Turtles
Most semiaquatic and aquatic turtles, such as red-eared sliders, painted turtles, and pond turtles, are omnivores. This means they eat a combination of animal protein and vegetables. Some species, such as the spiny soft-shell turtle, are considered carnivorous and eat primarily animal protein. Typically, aquatic turtles eat more animal protein when they are young and more veggies as they get older.
Red-eared sliders and other pond sliders are opportunistic omnivores, which means that they can eat a variety of animal- and plant-based foods, depending on what’s most abundant in their area.
Dietary Needs Based on Age
The dietary needs of aquatic turtles vary significantly depending on their age. Younger turtles require a higher proportion of protein to support their rapid growth, while adult turtles need a more plant-based diet.
Red-eared sliders younger than 1 year:
- 50% protein / 50% vegetables
- Protein food daily
- Vegetable food daily
- Turtle pellets every other day
It is not unusual for young turtles to be reluctant to eat vegetables, but you will still need to offer them.
Read also: Feeding Aquatic Frogs
Red-eared sliders older than 1 year:
- 25% protein / 75% vegetables
- Protein food 1-2x/week
- Vegetable food daily
- Turtle pellets 2-3x/week
Recommended Food Items
A varied diet is essential for providing your turtle with all the necessary nutrients. Here's a breakdown of suitable food options:
Animal-Based Foods
When selecting protein foods for aquatic turtles, think about the kinds of protein sources they would have access to in their natural habitats, such as lakes and streams. Live food is an important source of protein for both carnivorous and omnivorous turtles. It is best to provide whole feeders rather than pieces of meat, as animal parts are not nutritionally complete. Here is a good list of appropriate animal-based foods to reference for pet pond sliders:
- Chicks (frozen) (treat only) (very messy)
- Crayfish (pre-killed only)
- Crickets
- Earthworms
- Discoid roaches
- Dubia roaches
- Freeze-dried shrimp or krill
- Fresh shrimp
- Frogs (captive bred only)
- Frozen bloodworms
- Mealworms
- Nightcrawlers
- Pinky or hopper mice (frozen) (treat only)
- Quail (frozen) (treat only) (very messy)
- Silkworms
- Snails (canned or captive-bred only)
- Superworms
- Tadpoles (captive bred only)
- Tubifex worms
Good places to purchase high-quality feeders for your turtle include Dubia.com, Ovipost, Layne Labs, Reptilinks, and Anderson Minnow Farm.
Safe Feeder Fish:
- Endlers
- Guppies
- Mollies
- Mosquito fish
- Platies
- Swordtail
Generally speaking, livebearing types of fish are going to be a safe bet. Avoid offering pieces of fish rather than the whole fish, as pieces are not nutritionally complete.
Unsafe Feeder Fish:
- Goldfish
- Spottail shiner
- Rosy red minnow
- Emerald shiner
- White suckers
These fish contain thiaminase, which breaks down and inactivates vitamin B1. If fed in large doses or over a prolonged period of time, it can cause severe vitamin B1 deficiency, which can be fatal if untreated.
Read also: Is Mazuri Good for Turtles?
Plant-Based Foods
Vegetables should make up the majority of your turtle’s diet. A turtle should never eat the same vegetables their entire life. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies or other diseases. As pets, you probably don’t want them mowing down the live plants in your tank, so here are some alternatives to keep them satisfied. Make sure to bookmark this page on your phone or screenshot so you can reference it while at the grocery store. The key to balanced nutrition is VARIETY, so make sure not to use the same old thing every time! Offer a wide variety of dark, leafy greens in addition to other vegetables.
- Chickweed
- Cilantro
- Collard greens (“spring greens” in the UK)
- Dandelion greens + flowers
- Endive
- Escarole/frisée
- Green beans
- Green leaf lettuce
- Hibiscus greens + flowers
- Kale
- Red leaf lettuce
- Romaine lettuce
- Spinach
- Spotted deadnettle
- Swiss chard
- Turnip greens
- White clover
Fruits (as occasional treats)
Fruit can be safely given to your pet, and it’s a good way to provide additional nutrients. But fruits are not a primary part of a turtle’s natural diet. They don’t need all the sugar from fruit. Give small pieces as treats, and don’t feed citrus fruit to turtles. Cut or shred any fruits to help with swallowing and prevent choking. Fruit should be offered raw.
- Apple (skinned)
- Berries
- Figs
- Grapes
- Mango
- Melon
- Papaya
- Pear
Plants
Aquatic plants (algae, watercress, water hyacinth, spirogyres) should be made available to the turtles. Plants like elodea are not only natural but also provide a familiar food source for pond turtles.
Foods to Avoid
- Avocado:
- Bean sprouts:
- Citrus:
- Currants:
- Eggplant:
- Hot peppers:
- Gooseberries:
- Mushrooms:
- Onion:
- Parsnip:
- Pomegranate:
- Rhubarb:
- Tomatoes:
- Bread, Dairy, Sweets: These foods are not suitable for pond turtles.
- Raw meats: Feeding raw meats can expose turtles to harmful bacteria and parasites.
- Spinach and beet greens: Foods high in oxalate, like spinach and beet greens, can interfere with calcium absorption.
- Wild insects: Avoid feeding wild insects to your turtle, unless they were caught in a chemical-free area and you know exactly what it is and whether it is safe to feed. DO NOT FEED processed meats or fireflies to your turtle!
- Treated plants: Any plants or vegetables treated with pesticides or herbicides should be strictly avoided.
If you want to feed your turtle plants gathered from outside, wash them and make sure they weren’t exposed to herbicide or pesticide. For more information about safe plants, vegetables, and fruits for your turtle, refer to The Tortoise Table and Beautiful Dragons for information about safe plants.
If you are unsure about the identity of a potentially edible plant from outside, DON’T give it to your turtle - it could be poisonous!
Read also: Carnivorous Turtles in Florida
Feeding Schedule and Portion Sizes
How often should you feed your turtle? This is a great question because feeding your turtle the right amount at the right frequency is crucial to their health.
Baby and hatchling turtles (less than 6 months old) are growing rapidly, which means they need more food and more frequent meals to fuel their growth. It’s recommended to feed them twice a day. Since they’re still in the rapid growth phase, you’ll want to give them a balanced diet consisting of both protein-rich food and some plant matter. Each feeding should consist of a small portion-enough for the turtle to finish in about 5 minutes.
Juvenile turtles (6 months to 2 years), need to adjust the feeding schedule to suit their developing nutritional needs. Feed them once a day. You can gradually begin to introduce a wider variety of foods, including high-quality turtle pellets and vegetables. Make sure you are offering a balanced mix to promote overall health and development. As with baby turtles, portion control is essential.
Adult turtles (around 3 years and older), the feeding schedule will change again. Adult turtles do not need to eat as frequently as babies or juveniles, as they have a slower metabolism. Adult turtles should have a more vegetable-focused diet compared to younger turtles. They can still be offered protein from sources like shrimp and insects but at a reduced frequency. Most of their diet should consist of high-quality vegetables like dandelion greens, collard greens, and romaine lettuce.
Pond sliders don’t have salivary glands, so they can only eat in the water, not on land. So, you will need to sprinkle or drop the food into the water when it’s mealtime.
- A single portion of protein should be as much as your turtle can eat in 5-10 minutes, depending on how quickly they eat.
- A single portion of vegetables should be roughly the same size as the turtle’s shell.
- A single portion of pellets should be about the same size as your turtle’s head.
Determining Portion Size
One of the easiest ways to determine how much to feed your turtle is to use the 5-minute rule. Simply place a portion of food in your turtle's tank, and let them eat it for about 5 minutes. Once your turtle is done, remove any uneaten food. This rule works for all turtles, from babies to adults.
Feeding Environment and Hygiene
Aquatic turtles will only eat when submerged. Uneaten food left in the aquarium will contribute to bacterial and algae growth and lower water quality.
Some people recommend feeding red-eared sliders in a separate container full of water to reduce mess, but as with other reptiles, moving to feed is stressful for the turtle and generally not a good idea. Just because it’s convenient for the human doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for the turtle.
Many people recommend using a separate, designated feeding container as a method of keeping their turtles’ water cleaner. But is this actually good practice? Answer: it depends on your turtle.
If your turtle doesn’t seem bothered by it, this can be a good way to keep your turtle’s water a bit cleaner, clearer, and less likely to accumulate waste. It is more labor-intensive, though, and completely optional.
However, if your turtle is significantly stressed by handling, it’s best to simply feed them inside their “home” enclosure.
How to feed your turtle outside of its enclosure: You will need to a plastic tub (preferably opaque), fill it with enough water to cover your turtle’s back, then add your turtle to feed. Water is required - red-eared sliders can’t swallow properly without it! When your turtle is done eating, place your turtle back in its enclosure, empty the feeding tub, and disinfect it with F10SC, Rescue, or Clean Break veterinary disinfectant.
PRO TIP! Use an aquarium fish net to remove debris from the water after feeding time is over. This helps keep your tank clean and helps keep your turtle healthy.
Maintaining Hygiene
Turtles often defecate while they eat, so keeping their food in a separate container can help them avoid accidentally eating feces. Clean any uneaten food out of their tank regularly so that it doesn’t grow unwanted bacteria and algae.
Supplements
Adult turtles should also receive a vitamin and calcium supplement sprinkled on their diet two to three times a week. There are many brands of supplements available-make sure to use one labeled for turtles or reptiles. Supplemental vitamins can be provided by using some of the following products in their diet:
“Cuttlebones” aren’t actually bones at all - they’re a block of calcium carbonate made to resemble the flattened oval skeleton of a cuttlefish. Real cuttlefish bones used to be used in the hobby, but these are no longer available due to concerns about parasites.
Turtles seem to have an instinct that drives them to start biting hard objects when their bodies need calcium. Providing a cuttlebone in their enclosure fulfills that need and helps prevent calcium deficiency problems such as MBD. Chewing on cuttlebones also helps keep your turtle’s beak trimmed!
Depending on the size of your turtle, it may be best to put the cuttlebone into your turtle’s tank whole or to chop it into chunks. But don’t just toss the cuttlebone into your red-eared slider’s enclosure without properly preparing it first:
Storebought cuttlebones have a hard plastic backing that can make your turtle very sick if it gets accidentally ingested. So you need to remove that plastic. You can do this by sawing it off with a serrated knife (be careful!), prying it off with a butter knife, or peeling it off with a vegetable peeler after soaking it in hot water.
Potential Issues and Solutions
Overfeeding
Turtles can become obese just like humans and many other animals. Overfeeding your turtle can make them gain excess fat, causing them trouble when pulling their arms and legs into their shell. To avoid overfeeding, make sure your turtle lives in a big enough space to move freely. At minimum, tanks should be 30 gallons for turtles up to 6 inches long, and up to 125 gallons for turtles over 8 inches long. Feeding your turtle live prey also lets them hunt and get exercise.
Overfeeding can lead to health issues, including obesity and poor water quality in the tank, which can affect your turtle’s overall well-being. If your turtle is constantly overeating, it can lead to obesity, which can cause joint problems and affect their mobility. In addition to health issues, overfeeding can lead to water quality problems. As uneaten food decays in the tank, it can cause a build-up of harmful bacteria, making the water dirty and potentially harmful to your turtle.
Vitamin Deficiency
Turtles are prone to vitamin A deficiency if their diet isn’t right. Symptoms of too little vitamin A in turtles include a decrease in appetite, eyelid and ear swelling, kidney failure, and lung infections.
Turtles need lots of foods with vitamin A, so choose plants like carrots, squash, bell peppers, and other red, orange, and yellow vegetables. Avoid vegetables with low nutritional value like lettuce and celery. To treat Vitamin A deficiency, a veterinarian may recommend Vitamin A treatments injected or taken by mouth.
Lack of Appetite
If your turtle isn’t eating enough, it could be a sign of illness, but other factors might be at play. Make sure your tank’s temperature and water temperature, lighting, and size are ideal for your turtle’s species. Hibernation and stress can also lead to lack of appetite in turtles. Check with a veterinarian about any symptoms and behaviors, and make a visit if symptoms don’t improve after you make changes.
Begging vs. Hunger
Turtles can sometimes be a little too eager when it comes to food, and it’s important to differentiate between true hunger and begging. Turtles may beg for food by swimming around the tank, following your movements, or even pacing at the tank’s edge. If your turtle is consistently asking for food but isn’t finishing their meals, they might just be begging out of routine. Stick to the feeding schedule and avoid giving them extra meals unless they’re truly hungry.
Turtles’ appetites and metabolism can fluctuate depending on the time of year and the water temperature. During colder months, especially if your turtle is kept indoors with limited UVB exposure, their metabolism may slow down, causing them to eat less.
Key Considerations for a Balanced Diet
- Variety is Key: Most pet aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles are omnivorous, and their diet should ideally be composed of fresh vegetal products and fresh animal protein sources.
- Species-Specific Needs: Different species of turtles have varying dietary requirements. Research the nutritional needs of your turtle’s species, and contact your veterinarian with any questions or concerns.
- Regular Feeding Routine: Turtles thrive on consistency, so creating a regular feeding routine is important for their overall well-being. Whether you feed your turtle every day or every other day, try to keep the feeding time consistent.
- Monitor and Adjust: Remember to monitor your turtle’s growth and adjust the feeding schedule accordingly.
The Importance of Professional Guidance
It is difficult to provide a well-balanced diet for pet aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles. Although there are species-specific dietary needs that need to be respected, there are general guidelines that can be applied to all omnivorous species.
If you notice any signs of poor diet, such as soft shell, lethargy, weight loss, and shell deformities, it's essential to adjust their diet and consult with a veterinarian if necessary to address any underlying nutritional issues.