Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I picked up my first AST about a week ago. He seems to be adjusting well, but the only thing he'll eat is feeder fish. (Not goldfish) I've read where they will eat other prey items and even processed turtle diet. Is there a trick to this or just personal preference by the turtle? He's about 3 to 4 inches (shell length) and makes excellent use of his "lure". Also, he has some algae on his shell. Can I lightly scrub it off with a soft toothbrush or leave it alone?

Thanks in advance and I'll try to post pics when I take some!!
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Everything I know about life I learned from Nintendo!!!

Congrads on ur new pet! I just got a baby 4 days ago. So far the only thing he won't eat is feeder fish LOL. I've fed mine shrimp pellets and frozen glassworms and he eats them quickly. Maybe just keep offering new items until he gets used to the smell and taste.

In my experience, little allies will take pellets readily if they're hungry, but will ignore them if fish are available; mine take turtle pellets and koi pellets. In the wild they consume various non-mobile prey (clams, acorns, berries, etc.), so they can find the pellets easily enough. If you want to switch him, it might be best to skip a meal or two, then offer the pellets. Otherwise he might hold out for fish. Once he's taking pellets, you can change up the diet with fish.

It might be worth your while to breed guppies or convict cichlids to keep him fed.

i have a baby ally,late 07,who will eat literally everything.it prefers reptomin and freeze-dried baby shrimp/krill.i actually have'nt tried feeder fish,but live grass shrimp and tiny,tiny crawdads it finds delicious.gives it exercise,too.
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1.1 cb spotted turtles (parker(f),stinky(m))
0.0.1 cb baby red cheek mud (unnamed as of yet)
0.0.1 cb baby chiapas musk (chomper)
0.0.3 wc baby stinkpots (inky,blinky,&dot)
1.1 wc eastern mud turtles (george & jane)
1.0 cb eastern painted turtle (fred)
0.0.1 mississippi map (lil' dummy)
0.0.1 cb ally snapper (gamera)
1.0 cb albino corn (rusty)
0.0.1 wc halloween crab
0.1 irritating cat (sassy )
2.0 cb children (sidney,13 & kaelan,5)
0.1 wc wife (danae,age withheld due to fears for personal safety)

Thanks for the responses. I'll wait a couple of days and try something else. Hopefully, he'll be hungry enough to actually "move" for his food.

Thanks again!
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Everything I know about life I learned from Nintendo!!!

when i got my guy back in 2000 (8 yrs later he has a 17 inch shell length) i fed him reptomin, minnows, trout chow, crickets, meal worms, small crayfish, and earthworms. water was always in the upper 70s low 80s.