Understanding what do turtles eat is an important part of contributing to any turtle and their ability to thrive, but is an area in which many owners are uninformed. A great deal of turtle owners lack knowledge about the health hazards surrounding live foods as a primary source of nutrition for their aquatic turtles.
Aquatic turtles often receive live foods as a heavy portion of their diet because they seem to enjoy it, despite the fact that live foods are unhealthy at best and can be hazardous to the health of the turtle, especially if fed long-term.
The source of the live foods may be the biggest issue, although it is difficult to avoid because of the cost of keeping live fish. Most fish that are destined to be turtle food are inexpensive feeder comets, guppies or other small fish that can be purchased at very little cost. Aquatic turtles will gladly eat dozens of fish at a single meal, which makes them an expensive meal even at cents per fish.
Because they are so inexpensive, these fish receive very basic care before sale and are subjected to high-stress conditions that can lead to parasitic infection. Turtles can easily contract parasites from feeder fish, which can lead to wasting, failure to thrive and thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.
Feeder fish are not really an appropriate element in a turtle's diet. They are generally low in fiber and protein while being high in fat. Turtles eating such fish on a regular basis can get obese and suffer from mobility problems.
Almost all feeder fish species are low in nutrition, which means that turtles will suffer from malnutrition at some point if their diet is primarily comprised of feeder fish. Instead of feeder fish, turtles should have a nutritionally balanced staple pellet that is supplemented by freeze-dried seafood with high protein and low fat.
In addition to being bad for the turtle, feeding live food can make turtle keeping even messier than it already is. Turtles that eat feeder fish produce more bodily waste, which necessitates more water changes and heavier filtration.
They also may leave pieces of fish floating in the water, which can decompose and spike the ammonia and nitrite levels in the tank, causing ammonia toxicity that can cause damage to many organ systems. Feeder fish can remain an occasional treat, but owners need to recognize what do turtles eat and build a nutritionally complete diet around their needs.
Aquatic turtles often receive live foods as a heavy portion of their diet because they seem to enjoy it, despite the fact that live foods are unhealthy at best and can be hazardous to the health of the turtle, especially if fed long-term.
The source of the live foods may be the biggest issue, although it is difficult to avoid because of the cost of keeping live fish. Most fish that are destined to be turtle food are inexpensive feeder comets, guppies or other small fish that can be purchased at very little cost. Aquatic turtles will gladly eat dozens of fish at a single meal, which makes them an expensive meal even at cents per fish.
Because they are so inexpensive, these fish receive very basic care before sale and are subjected to high-stress conditions that can lead to parasitic infection. Turtles can easily contract parasites from feeder fish, which can lead to wasting, failure to thrive and thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.
Feeder fish are not really an appropriate element in a turtle's diet. They are generally low in fiber and protein while being high in fat. Turtles eating such fish on a regular basis can get obese and suffer from mobility problems.
Almost all feeder fish species are low in nutrition, which means that turtles will suffer from malnutrition at some point if their diet is primarily comprised of feeder fish. Instead of feeder fish, turtles should have a nutritionally balanced staple pellet that is supplemented by freeze-dried seafood with high protein and low fat.
In addition to being bad for the turtle, feeding live food can make turtle keeping even messier than it already is. Turtles that eat feeder fish produce more bodily waste, which necessitates more water changes and heavier filtration.
They also may leave pieces of fish floating in the water, which can decompose and spike the ammonia and nitrite levels in the tank, causing ammonia toxicity that can cause damage to many organ systems. Feeder fish can remain an occasional treat, but owners need to recognize what do turtles eat and build a nutritionally complete diet around their needs.
About the Author:
Alan Stables is fascinated with turtles. However not all turtles make good pet turtles and some turtles such as mini turtles may be illegal to buy. Check out what Alan has to say.
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