Feeding

Terrapins/Turtles need a varied diet. You can research and discuss different diets with your reptile vet. 

A quality dried Terrapin food should be used alongside thoroughly defrosted freshwater fish; make sure the fish is completely thawed and at room temperature, otherwise it can make your Slider/Turtle very ill. Terrapins/Turtles should not be kept with live fish because they will kill or chase the fish, causing them stress.

Terrapins will also eat live plants – make sure that the plants that you offer are safe, such as pond weed – and live invertebrate foods including river shrimps, blood worms and locusts.

The Slider should be fed every two days and should only be offered as much as they can eat in five minutes, then use a net to remove uneaten food from the water. Terrapins/Turtles are opportunistic feeders and will overfeed if allowed to, which can cause obesity or too rapid growth which can cause disease. It’s a good idea to keep check of the weight regularly to make sure of this.

Supplements provide the vitamins and minerals that aren’t available in captivity – lightly sprinkle them onto the food source before feeding. Speak to your hervet about the best supplements to use. It’s possible to over-provide supplements so always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. For example, with a well-set UV system you won’t need to provide high dietary vitamin D3 levels. 

You should also provide natural cuttlefish bone pieces for the Slider/Turtle to chomp on as a source of calcium.