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Foods
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Feed your softshell turtle a diet that fulfills its carnivorous cravings. Fish, cooked chicken, shrimp, crayfish, worms, insects, pink mice or dog food all are good sources of protein. You can also give your turtle commercially prepared fish or turtle food. Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection website advises softshell turtle owners to feed large turtles--longer than 8 inches--low fat, low protein dog food.
Schedule
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Offer food to immature softshell turtles more frequently than to adult softshells that have reached full size. Feed larger portions to young turtles every other day or smaller portions once a day, Darrell Senneke of the World Chelonian Trust recommends. Feed an adult softshell turtle twice a week, he advises.
Supplements
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Provide extra calcium for your softshell turtle. Sprinkle calcium powder on its food. Pick a calcium powder that includes vitamin D3 if your turtle lives indoors away from natural sunlight. A cuttlefish bone placed in the aquarium for the turtle to gnaw on will also provide a calcium source. Add a turtle or reptile multivitamin to your turtle's meals if its diet doesn't include live fish or a commercial turtle or reptile food.
Feeding Habits
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Watch your softshell turtle's food consumption. Make sure the turtle isn't leaving food uneaten. If it is, cut back on how much you feed. Rotting food can spread toxins that can harm the turtle, according to the Herp Care Collection website. The presence of feces in the turtle's aquarium indicates that it is eating.
Warning
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Be careful when handling or feeding softshell turtles, since they can be aggressive and will bite.
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What to Feed Softshell Turtles
In the wild, softshell turtles eat a variety of fish, insects and invertebrates. The larger species even snatch small waterfowl floating above them for a quick meal. Most softshell turtles kept as aquatic pets are smaller species such as the spiny, smooth or Florida softshell. They all need a balanced diet of meat, vitamins and other supplements.