Can I just feed them mealworms?

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mattgrizzlybear

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I have 2 turtles and I feed them floating food sticks and recently started feeding them live mealworms. My question is can I feed them mealworms only or should I do half and half like i was doing before? Also can I feed them crickets too?
 

Kristina

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No, you cannot "just" feed them mealworms. They need a balanced diet. What kind of water turtles are they?

Crickets are fine to feed, but most water turtles are omnivores, which means they need greens and veggies in their diet too. Feeding them just insects will cause deficiencies, deformities, organ damage and potentially death in the long run.
 

mattgrizzlybear

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Kristina said:
No, you cannot "just" feed them mealworms. They need a balanced diet. What kind of water turtles are they?

Crickets are fine to feed, but most water turtles are omnivores, which means they need greens and veggies in their diet too. Feeding them just insects will cause deficiencies, deformities, organ damage and potentially death in the long run.

They are 1 mississippi map and 1 southern painted. What kind of greens?
 

Kristina

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The same kinds of greens that you would feed a tortoise, dark leafy greens like collards, kale, turnip greens, etc. Even slices of summer squash and zucchini. You can also give them edible water plants like duckweed, water lettuce, and filligree.

Water turtles like yours start out as carnivores when they are young and small, but start eating more vegetation as they age.
 

mattgrizzlybear

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Kristina said:
The same kinds of greens that you would feed a tortoise, dark leafy greens like collards, kale, turnip greens, etc. Even slices of summer squash and zucchini. You can also give them edible water plants like duckweed, water lettuce, and filligree.

Water turtles like yours start out as carnivores when they are young and small, but start eating more vegetation as they age.

Ok now i get it. Can I cut it up into the shape of a mealworm and feed it to them to kind of trick them?
 

Itort

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Try collards. I would also suggest dried shrimp, an occasional fish such as guppies (stay away from goldfish and rosie reds as they are fatty), earthworms, snails, and bait leaches if available.
 

mattgrizzlybear

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They dont really like to eat the greens. What size should they be when they start to eat greens?
 
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