Food for Red Eared Sliders Turtles

Native to the United States, the red-eared slier turtle inhabits streams, slow-moving rivers, and lakes or ponds with sandy bottoms and thick vegetation. Popular pets, thousands suffer or die because of improper diet.

  1. Wild Red-Eared Slider Food

    • Wild red-eared sliders are omnivores, eating a diet of small fish, snails, and water plants with an adequate balance of protein, calcium from fish bones and snail shells and vitamins.

    Pet Red Eared Slider Food

    • A healthy red-eared slider diet, says Melissa Kaplan of Anaspid.org., has 25 percent commercial food, 25 percent live fish or feeder earthworms from a pet store or chopped raw beef or beef heart or cooked chicken, and 50 percent plant matter, including fresh dark leafy greens and raw fruit.

    Feeding Schedule

    • Juvenile turtles need more protein than adults. Feed them daily. Adults need to eat every two or three days. Excessive feeding contaminates the turtles' water with uneaten food.

    Benefits

    • A diet of varied foods benefits your pet red-eared slider by providing the same nutrients he would get in the wild. Wild turtles eat whatever is in season, and they are usually healthier than captive ones.

    Considerations

    • Turtles getting a good variety of foods won't need extra calcium. Providing crushed oyster shells or cuttlebone can compensate for calcium shortage in a pet turtle's diet. Calcium strengthens the turtles' bones and shell.