Turtles spend most of their lives in the water, but they do enjoy regular access to sunshine.
DIET
- Turtles feed on aquatic animals and plants.
- Turtles need a good variety of vegetables eg: carrot, capsicum, bok choy, spinach and other green leafy vegetables.
- Whole fish, like whitebait (not fish fillet) is ideal food.
- Once a week replace the fish with a meal of preferably bloodworms.
- Short neck turtles also enjoy occasional crustaceans (prawns or yabbies), or insects (crickets & woodies).
- Feed turtles in the water, they will eat while submerged.
- Young small turtles (10-50 cent piece size) feed every day.
- Older turtles (1-2 years of age) feed every second day.
- Larger turtles (butter plate to a dinner plate size) should be fed 2-3 times a week.
HOUSING
- Water temperature for your turtle should be kept at 24-26 degrees.
- A UVB light source should be used (helps with calcium absorption).
- Rocks and timber should be provided for the turtle to rest out of the water.
- Regular water change.
NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS
- Overfeeding will lead to dirty water, liver problems and severe skin and shell problems.
- Failure to feed veggies and whole fish will lead to severe nutritional deficiencies, and soft shell from lack of calcium.
- Turtle dinners and pellets are not a whole diet, and if fed as a major source of food, will lead to nutritional deficiencies.
