Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi - please, no criticisms, as I am being honest and just trying to set it right. My RES has been fed Reptomin his whole life - I've had him for a little over 13 years. I was too young at the time (and remember, no internet back then so had to rely on the ever-wrong pet store info) to know that the pellets should not make up the majority of the diet. I am very much wanting to correct this. He is alert and active and basks and swims around regularly, at least.

I have several questions:

1) Would it be harmful to start introducing new foods? I am wondering if his digestive system has become so accustomed to the pellets that there might be an adverse reaction to new kinds of food. Would it be best to just start slow?

2) Can anyone recommend a good diet to follow, including proper proportions?

3) How much should I feed, and how often? I hate guessing - I have no idea if I am giving too much or not enough, since it seems RES would never stop eating if its available to them.

Thanks very much for the help!
-----
~ Vamppire
Queens, New York City

Well your here now and it's a start.
I was like you in the begining, only feeding pellets. When i introduced veggies and greens, i didn't notice any change in their behaviour, or the poop. I would say grab some greens and toss them in. You can feed them ALMOST anything they'll eat in the veggy department, except, broccolli, spinich, kale, and iceburg lettus. The first three have calcium blocking agents and the last has no nutrional value at all. Some good ones are dandylion greens, collard greens, mine like green pepper, you could even feed red and yellow peppers, good for vitamins. Variety is the word of the day. Switch it up and find out what your turtle likes best. Apples, carrots, I tried banana once, mine didn't dig it too much and it got really soggy and gross. There is no set diet, and it depends on what your turtle likes. Mine won't eat carrots, but other's here feed carrots. If you offer a variety and switch it up, they should get the vitamins and nurtients they need.
Greens and veggies should be available at all times. Turtles are grazers like you noticed, they'll eat it it's there. Turtle pellets should be offered every few days to make sure they get their protein. You could even switch that up by offering crickets and meal worms. My guys love both of those. When feeding pellets, they should only get enough to make up the size of their head.

so, greens all the time,and pellets or bugs every few days
hope this helps
-----
- Melanie

2.0.0 cats
0.0.3 crested geckos
1.2.2 leopard geckos
1.0.0 Bernese mountain dog
1.1.1 red ear sliders
0.0.1 emperor scorpion
0.0.1 chilean rose tarantula
1 south american cichlid tank
2 planted tanks with dwarf cichlids and platies

nt
-----
~ Vamppire
Queens, New York City

No judgements here. While it's not the perfect diet I have gotten animals into the rescue that have spent more than 13 years being fed nothing but cold cuts meat scraps from dinner and whole host of other horrible things. Reptomin is NOT the worst thing in the world to have kept him on but yes he does need some variation. To answer you questions:
1) Would it be harmful to start introducing new foods? I am wondering if his digestive system has become so accustomed to the pellets that there might be an adverse reaction to new kinds of food. Would it be best to just start slow?

Gradually introduce foods along with the reptomin and see how he takes to it. I would get a nice shrimp and stuff the reptomin sticks into it then feed it to him. I am sure he will go for that. Also you can leave leaves of chicory, escarole and dandelion greens in the water and watch to see if he takes a chunk out of that. Try superworms (jumbo mealworms), crickets and earthworms. Live food is stimulating to them as well.

2) Can anyone recommend a good diet to follow, including proper proportions?

Just feed him the variety mentioned above 3 times a week. They will stuff them selves but if allow them feed freely for around ten minutes or so. You can leave the greens in the water for them all day though so he can munch on them freely.

3) How much should I feed, and how often? I hate guessing - I have no idea if I am giving too much or not enough, since it seems RES would never stop eating if its available to them.

Again see above

Thanks very much for the help!
-----

NT
-----
~ Vamppire
Queens, New York City