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I have 3 red slider turtles. I been having them for over 6 months now and they are starting to become picky eaters. 2 of them are wild and 1 is from the per store. I tried three different brands and kinds of food and they only eat the dried shrimp. Is ok to make the dried shrimp their only food or do I need to try and incorporate more nutrition in their diet and how?

I have 3 red slider turtles. I been having them for over 6 months now and they are starting to become picky eaters. 2 of them are wild and 1 is from the per store. I tried three different brands and kinds of food and they only eat the dried shrimp. Is ok to make the dried shrimp their only food or do I need to try and incorporate more nutrition in their diet and how?

Updated On December 21st, 2017

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

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Shrimp should not be the sole source of nutrition. This may lead to deficiencies. Sliders are omnivorous and should be fed a combination of greens and proteins. Offer live prey such as crickets, minnows, nightcrawlers and superworms. Dark, leafy greens can be chopped finely and offered. A commercial pellet or stick formula should also be fed. To stimulate the appetite, you can soak pellets in some water used to rehydrate dried shrimp or krill. Fasting the turtles for a day or two will also get them hungry enough to eat pellets or prey. Be sure to provide adequate space, heat and lighting. Allow 10 gallons per inch of she'll as a guideline for tank size. Three sliders, when fully grown will need a large tank. UVB lighting will aid in calcium metabolism and heat is necessary for proper digestion and health in reptiles. Water temperature should range between 75F and 85F. A basking area should be 90F to 95F. Care should be taken when housing wild caught turtles with captive bred turtles. Parasites and disease present in wild sliders may infect a captive bred one. You should also check local wildlife laws regarding the keeping of wild turtles. You can read more about care of sliders here: www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

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