Our RES Rescues

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Megan

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When I was down picking up our Old Man (DT), the rescue lady had just received two RES. She remembered that we have a pond, and asked if we would take them and I can't say no :p They are doing very well in the pond. They bask on the pump line, so I am going to get a floating basking area.

What do you all suggest for feeding? I really don't know much about RES so any advice or help is much appreciated.
 

Megan

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Thank you, that does help!

I would love to hear diet plans for those of you who have your RES in a pond.
 

Crazy1

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My Daughter has 4 RES about 4+ inches she feeds them guppys, minows, Duckweed, catstongue, (aquatic plants) and pelleted food or trout chow. they have been raised on this since they were the size less than a quarter. they all are happy and healthy and really like the trout chow. Oh and meal worms. I understand as they get older they focus more on aquatic plants than on meats.
 

Shelly

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Mine eat lots of water plants, as well as garden snails, left over chicken and a little dry cat food. There are a million little fish in the pond, but I don't think they eat any, unless they happen across a dead one.
 

Jacqui

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Shelly said:
There are a million little fish in the pond, but I don't think they eat any, unless they happen across a dead one.

:D :D LOL sound like my Red Eared ladies. They are much too lazy to go for the live fish, but bring in dead ones and there is a feeding frenzy. :D Nice in a way, because in their pool I can keep the nice colorful fish safely, not so in some of my other pools with other types of turtles.
 

Jentortmom

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I feed live fish once a month for exercise, reptomin every other day, greens, veggies, squashes, (fruit - sometimes) every other day, worms 2-3/week, occasionally frozen fish (once a month at most), they also like blood worms and brine shrimp (I feed when I throw in turtle sticks). Aquatic plants, keep an eye on protein amounts though. One warning becareful if you feed the three different things in one as they get hooked on the dried krill/shrimp and not on pellets and it takes a long time to get them to change.
 

YuriTort

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I love RES and rescued a pair 2 years ago - they were the size of silver dollars. A lady had purchased them from a street market where they were *being sold as food* and didn't realize they were "too complicated for her three-year-old" to take care of ... They have probably tripled in size since then. I read somewhere they are as intelligent as rats.

Mine eat Fluker's freeze dried crickets and they graze water clover. I suspect they got a Pacific Tree Frog (about an inch in length - bite size) or two in the early spring when they were all over the place and inadvertently fall into the pond :( Poor froggies.

The first year, when they were indoors, I fed them gut-loaded live crickets. Alot less poop than the prepared food - thus, the water stayed cleaner longer. Additionally, chasing the live crickets was good enrichment for them. I think I was using a filter for 60 gallons on a 20 gallon tank.

Once in a great while, I drop in a wax worm.

Last year, I moved them to their outside pond, and weaned them from live crickets to the freeze dried. So much easier.

We're setting up a bigger pond for spring 2009.

Rhishja
 

Shelly

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I don't feed mine anything but an occasional fistful of dry cat or dog food. There are plenty of water plants and fish, but I doubt they eat the fish. I've had them out in the pond for 9 years, and they are seemingly healthy and happy. Pretty big, too.
 

evin

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if you can give them turtle food most cat and dog foods can cause problems with turtles
 

Shelly

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evin said:
if you can give them turtle food most cat and dog foods can cause problems with turtles

I don't give them turtle food, so I guess it's not a problem.
 

evin

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im saying if you have the money go buy turtle food over dog/cat food, as dog/cat food can cause problems amoung turtles
 
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