Instructions
Feed your turtle either in its tank or in a separate enclosure. Red ear sliders do not produce saliva, so they need to be in the water to swallow. Using a separate enclosure will keep the water in your turtle's tank cleaner and will allow you to monitor exactly how much it eats. Some turtles may refuse to eat in a separate enclosure.
Base your turtle's diet on commercially manufactured pellets. Feed as much as your turtle will consume in 15 minutes. Offer pellets every day until your red ear slider is over 1 year old, then offer pellets only every two to three days.
Offer fresh vegetables. Dandelion leaves, green or red leaf lettuce and turnip greens should be staples in your turtle's diet, fed on a daily basis. Other vegetables, including carrots, endive, green beans, kale, pumpkin, romaine lettuce, squash, sweet potatoes and zucchini, can be fed occasionally and in small quantities. Cut or shred vegetables and greens into bite-sized pieces and place them in the water.
Keep aquatic plants in your tank, including Amazon swords, anacharis, duckweed, nasturtium, pond weed, water fern, water lettuce and water lilies. Aquatic plants live in the wild red ear slider's natural habitat.
Feed fruits as a treat, in very small portions once a month or less. Remove seeds and skin before feeding. Cut fruit into bite-sized pieces and place them in the water.
Provide live prey as an occasional treat to offer variety. Place freshwater snails, pond snails, feeder guppies and rosy red minnows in the water. Offer pinhead crickets, earthworms or silkworms as well.
How to Feed a Red Ear Slider
Red ear sliders are semiaquatic, omnivorous turtles commonly sold in pet shops. Because they are omnivorous, they can be fed a variety of foods, including pellets, vegetables, aquatic plants, insects and fish. Maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet while avoiding overfeeding is important. Young red ear sliders have a greater need for protein and are generally carnivorous, while older red ear sliders need far less protein and are generally herbivorous. Young red ear sliders need to be fed every day, but adults can be fed every two to three days.