Hi Curtis,

I kept and bred Spotteds years ago. I don't keep them now...wish I could.



If that is a recent picture, the turtle looks very alert and healthy.



I would make certain that the turtle has a nice, warm basking spot. This spot should approach nearly 90 degrees. This is necessary for digestion of food. Also, full spectrum lighting in the appropriate amounts can't hurt. Keep the water fairly cool, and a cooler land area is also a good idea at any age. It doesn't have to be large.



I would offer food every day if I were you, at least until the turtle begins to grow. Please allow me to be frank with you, mealworms are virtually useless. They have a very high chitin to "meat" ratio. They are difficult to digest, and aren't very nutritious even when they do get digested. Crickets, also, are not very "rich", even though they are better than mealworms.

A great staple diet is appropriately sized superworms (gut loaded with veggies), earthworms (not euro redworms), nightcrawlers, whole feeder fish, and prepared foods like reptomin and mazuri. Other things like crickets and mealworms can be offered occasionally. It is also a good idea to keep live aquatic plants in the tank in case the turtle wants to nibble on some veggies.



Superworms were recommended to me about 5 years ago by Marc Cantos from Florida (one of the premier turtle breeders in the country). I can't tell you how much they have improved the growth of all of my young turtles. It has really been amazing. They are higher in fat, though, and shouldn't be offered every day.



Hope this helps! Good luck. It looks like you have a nice, healthy, young female. Some turtles do tend to grow more slowly than others, for whatever reasons.

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