How Do I Feed My Red Eared Slider

Question: How Do I Feed My Red Eared Slider

In another FAQ the appropriate diet for red eared sliders was addressed. However, how you provide the food to your red eared slider or other aquatic turtle is also important and can save you time cleaning the tank.

Answer: Red eared sliders and other aquatic turtles like to eat in the water. Vegetables, fruits, and greens should be cut or shredded into bite sized pieces and placed in the water. Likewise, meat items can be cut into bite sized pieces if necessary, but many feeder insects and fish can simply placed in the water.

As you can imagine, simply placing the food in the water can get messy. A great way to avoid messing up the tank and avoiding the problem of food spoilage affecting water quality is to simply feed in a separate container. Many owners keep a simple plastic tub just for this purpose. Just put the turtle in the feeding tub, and then when it is done eating place the turtle back in its regular tank. This is a great way to monitor exactly what your turtle eats and if you have more than one turtle you can make sure each is getting a variety of items and a sufficient amount to eat. As mentioned above, feeding this way means that uneaten food particles do not decompose in the turtles tank, dirtying the water. As an added bonus, many turtles will defecate while eating, so if you feed in a separate container there will be less feces in the tank to deal with, as well.

Also See

• What Should I Feed My Red Eared Slider?
• How Much Should I Feed My Red Eared Slider?