We at TropicZone get asked frequently just what the proper procedure is to feeding aquatic turtles. As a manufacture of specialized diets for aquatic and terrestrial turtles, with decades of experience in feeding turtles behind us, we are uniquely suited to answering this question in ways others may not be. The question itself is an important one, for if a diet (like a medication) is not administered correctly, it cannot provide the overall benefits that are possible from the product.  So, let’s talk a bit about properly feeding Aquatic Turtles at the “hobby” level.

In developing an effective program for feeding Aquatic Turtles, some obvious observations are required, such as how many turtles are being fed and what their activity levels are. If you are feeding a properly staged (sized) pelleted formula, such as any of the TropicZone 5-stage aquatic turtle diets, then the actual size of the turtles themselves is not an issue.  It is important to make sure that the pellet size is appropriate for your sized turtles, so they are completely consumable. From here you can start to determine the proper amounts to feed at any single feeding time.

As a general rule, we have found it best (based on feeding a floating extruded pelleted product, like TropicZone) introducing in small amounts, enough product that the turtles can easily consume within a 2-3-minute time frame. This time frame can vary slightly depending on whether the turtles are quick active feeders or if they are shy feeders that may require slightly more time. The point is that the feeding interval is controlled and limited to a reasonably short time period. This is very important because aquatic turtles can consume an amazing amount of food material in a very short time period, and an over consumption of food material at any individual feeding is never good practice.

The goal of proper feeding is of course to provide at each feeding an amount of nutrition suitable to maintaining the turtle’s health and weight, and also sustain and support the growth and development in younger turtles – and nothing extra. At this point, the quality of the food product and the size of the pelleted food particle cannot be overlooked or understated.  Higher quality foods will deliver more of a complete nutrient profile, making them more able to provide for the turtle’s nutritional requirements. Some foods provide a good nutrient profile yet offer it in an inappropriately sized pellet, making it unusable for many sized turtles. The key to being successful in properly feeding aquatic turtles is to provide a good quality food that is properly sized for the turtles being fed. Here at TropicZone for example, we produce our high-quality Aquatic Turtle diets in 5 separately staged dietary platforms, so that the food partials are always appropriately sized for the turtles being fed. During the timed feeding period of 2-3 minutes, an appropriately sized diet will be completely consumable and reduce the possibility of extra food being left in the enclosure to spoil.

“So, what happens if I overfeed? and there’s food left over in the tank”- we’re asked. The obvious answer is to remove what is left uneaten and feed less next time. But to fully answer the question, if the food is left uneaten in the enclosure a few basic things can occur – none of them good. First is that the uneaten food partials can begin to block the inlet strainers of the filtration systems, reducing the effectiveness of the filter. This uneaten food will of course begin to break down into smaller partials and begin to degrade and decompose within the enclosure, creating a multiple of issues. The breakdown of food material in the aquarium water does considerable work in compromising the general water quality and health conditions for the turtles. It can also lead to a smelly, cloudly water situation. Maintaining good water quality is crucial in keeping aquatic turtles healthy, and the overfeeding of a food product is the biggest enemy of good water quality.

“So, what happens if the turtles just cram in all the extra food?” is the next question. Well, this too has bad implications. Over consumption of food, by any animal, is seldom a good thing, aquatic turtles are no exception. There are the obvious issues of over consumption of calories through fats and proteins, much of which the body must work to remove. Unnecessary nutrients not stored or used as energy are most commonly, after some degree of processing, passed out of the body in the urine and/or feces, adding pressure on the aquariums biological filter.

So, why use extruded pellets and not fresh foods? We could go on for pages on this subject, but basically, extruded -commonly referred to as “pelleted” foods- are extremely popular in aquatic turtle feeding, and for good reason. The extrusion process allows for the ability to produce excellent food products specifically designed for the nutritional requirements of Aquatic Turtles and even fine tune the size of the pellet to fit the turtle’s growth stages perfectly. TropicZone, for example, utilizes eight different sized extruded products in manufacturing our Aquatic Turtle Diets. These formulas are perfectly supplemented with vital nutrients such as vitamin A and calcium and do not require any additional vitamin/mineral additives. In contrast, feeding random products from the grocery store leaves room for choosing inappropriate food items and the imbalances and deficiencies that go along with that type of diet. Our best suggestion, based on many years of experience, is to provide the proper consistent nutrition guaranteed by a high-quality extruded product at 80% of the turtles total diet. The remaining 20% can consist of various fresh food items, such as live insects, leafy spinach, or specially prepared supplemental “treats”.

So, to review, properly feeding aquatic turtles really comes down to a few basic concepts:

One, feed a high-quality food that is properly sized for your turtles. This will provide them the nutrition they require in a form they can easily consume. We of course, would confidently suggest TropicZone Aquatic Turtle Diets. Adjust the diet as your turtle’s progress through their stages of development. Two, feed only modest amounts of the food product that the turtles can completely consume within 2-3 minutes. You can feed multiple times a day depending on the growth cycle and activity level of the turtles. Remove any uneaten food after the 3-minute mark and reduce your feeding quantity for next time. 

And lastly: Have a Wonderful time with your Turtles! Just Don’t Overfeed them.

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