Reptile & Amphibian Forums

He's a small critter, only 4 inches long. But he eats like he's a 12 inch long turtle. During this past week, I've fed him over about 6 small feeder fish, and 2 big feeder goldfish (BIG, about his shell size). This, along with weekly pellets, he still finds the appetite to eat dirt on the floor tank.

It confuses me as to why he eats so much. Those fish alone should have filled him up for a week. Is he a normal turtle?

Hi there... well RES seem to never be full and will constantly beg for food. I little warning to ya... you are definately over feeding him and goldfish are very unhealthy. I feed my RES veggies everyday (plants in tank and zucchini) and he is getting pellets about every other week now (he got pellets every other day when small, then reduced to once a week, now every other week). My guy is on a diet at the moment b/c he can just get his head tucked into his shell... hope this helps.

Hey guess why he's hungry? Your not feeding him right.

How many fish are trying to kill him with? Feed him some nutritous stuff... at least some pellets and definatley some vegetables. You can skip out on fruit since vegetables are better for him.

You say he's hungry, does that mean he's begging? If he is then just ignore him. You fed him feeder fish and you said he eats like a 12 year old RES... that doesn't say too much since older RES eat less times per week. Oh and a few feeder fish would not get a adult RES full

Just curious (sorry if I'm sounding rude, it just sounds like your not feeding him good so I get upset) but how old is he/she?

Ok sorry didn't see you do feed him pellets.. but along with lots of fish

And I say "a lot" because frankly more then a few feeder fish a week is too much. Their just made for treats, not for the main meal.

Also a RES will eat, that doesn't mean he needs to, because in nature they have to eat because they don't know when their next meal is. So if your RES is bigger then normal maybe that's because you're over feeding him. He may be begging you because he knows you'll give in.

Watching him eat feeder fish is fun but shouldn't be a regular meal. Mainly because it doesn't actually fill him up from what I have seen with my adult RESs. They can eat salmon or some other fish I pick up for them the size of their body (basically as much I can eat) if I gave them that much. Since fish aren't really nutritious for them, give them pellets first then maybe vegetables. If they crave meat maybe give them crickets