Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two RES (3" and 2.5". The bigger one always eats nearly all the food and the second one is sort of runty. I fear he is being slowly starved!! I want to start feeding them separately in a separate tank.
I think many people do this but any warnings since I would be "disturbing" them every day? I don't want to traumatize them.

I don't have as much time to feed them in separate tanks,etc the AM which is when I usually feed them. Any problems feeding them in the evening when I come home?

If possible you can feed them before nighttime and that would be fine. Turtles aren't that picky.. people say feed during afternoons because thats when their most active... I figure they'll eat it anytime.

As for feeding them in seperate containers, that's fine... what I do is I have 2 tanks, one's smaller and the big one they stay in. It's funny because the tanks are literally next to each other

And I still have my filter and heater on the small tank so I just put them in there and feed them. I have a big and small RES too similar to yours, I figure they both eat till their full. (I make sure they both poop!) You won't be distracting them because they'll adapt to it. In fact after 10 feeding or so my turtles "beg for food" then when I prepare the stuff they float near the top and hardly move so I can easily pick them up and put them in there!

I don't think it's a problem feeding them at different times or different locations. It seems like it's your feeding them every day, I would suggest every other day as long as they get full during feedings. This will put less strain on u

I am considering the same set up. A 20L tank where they live and my old 10 gal for feeding. Side by side. I'd have to consider if the smaller one would get a heater or not. Maybe to reduce the care of keeping that one at a good temp?

Curious how long yours are and how much and often you feed time.
I read one should feed hatchlings every day but at 2.5 - 3", unsure if they still count as hatchlings.

Also, how much is a good amount?
I read as big as their head in pellets (or equivalent). Or enough for time to eat in 20 mins? 10 mins? I'd rather do the amount vs. time. I started given them about 5 Reptomin pellets a day.
Now the 3" one eats about 12 - 15 a day and the smaller one eats about 5 - 7". 5 days a week of pellets or protein. Two days of veggies. Any tips? I don't want them to get too fat.

Yeah, they beg like crazy!

morning is best...after they have had an hour or so to warm uo
evening is not great if they will go to sleep shortly after you feed them
maybe get a timed fisg feeder and put in some live food.
i never seperate turtles for feeding unless there is a problem
if they both have an appetite i would remove the bigger dominant one after you feed both of them and while he is gone feed the smaller one a little extra in the tank
its always better to disturb the dominant one then the already fragile submissive, smaller or weaker ones.

Thanks.
I'll try feeding them in the AM with more time before resorting to evenings. The timer isn't the problem. Its feeding them, waiting until they are done and then removing one of them to feed the other that is time consuming.

Curious on your comment about dominant one. The bigger one is dominant in the sense that it eats a lot more and also tends to lie on top of the smaller one when basking. But it is very skittish and runs away at the slightest hint of me walking by.

But the smaller one is very friendly and has no fear. He also flutters at the big one and sometimes chases it.

So I am not sure which is the more dominant. I would think the friendlier one would be the one that could stand being removed.

Also, why is it bad to separate for feeding?

yeah most of the turtles that i have kept that i would call "dominant" in the sense that they get to food first chase away others seem to "score" better with the potential sex partners are also the lest "friendly" (note this applies to semi aqiatics only; i have the opposite experience with semi terrestrials and tortoises).
the meanest slider i have is nasty to people and to other turtles alike, but has grown faster than his siblings and roommates and always gets the biggest share of the food. but he is the most uneasy and quickest to leap from the basking site.
it seems reasonable to hypothesize that awary individual would last longer in the wild.

i think removing them stresses them out and then they have nothing to do all day if feeding is a "one time " event.
i prefer to leave fish and shrimp and plants in the tank for them to chase all day and feed them in ther house and not remove them unless absolutely necessary.

but if you think the more skittish one wouldn't do well with being taken out then take the other one out.
but make sure it gets enough to eat one way or another.