Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an eastern painted and red-eared slider in the same tank. I have noticed several differences.

It's a little difficult to tell, but I think if I fed them both til they were full, the slider would eat far more per unit weight. Plus, comparing sliders to painteds, it seems the latter is is closer to carnivore and former is closer to omnivore (the slider eats dry dog food readily, but the painted, even if I chop the bits into small pieces, since he is smaller, just doesn't seema as into the dog food), and a slider is far more likely to eat a dead minnow tossed in the tank.

Anyone else notice these differences?

I always keep Ancharis (oxygenating pond plants) in my slider tanks, and also duckweek, fairy moss, and water meal, and water hyacinth. They love them all. When the fall comes, I take as much in as I can from my koi pond, and keep the plants in sunny spots near the sliding doors, so I have some for the sliders. The E. painted's will eat them too.
I am new to box turtles, but have raised lots of water turtles for years. I never had a sick one. (my poor boxie is sick) They are much harder to take care of I think. Anyway, my sliders will eat anything you throw in there. Anything! The Eastern Painted that I have will "taste" anything, but has likes and dislikes. The Eastern hatchling, will try things, but also will snub lots of things that I put in ther. He mostly eats the reptamin, and some dried shrinp..a little, but really pickes at the Ancharis.
Terry