Feeding GF to box turtles -- a "delicate" question....

[Mmathis]

Now that I've discovered that my boxies really like sushi, I have a delicate question to throw out there.

Box turtles eat carrion -- nice, aged, stinky stuff. OK, I know it's part of the circle of life to feed smaller critters to our pets..... But my intellect is at war with my heart.

1. Does it sound weird to euthanize a "feeder-type" fish, then keep it in a baggie for a couple of days before feeding it to my turtles?
2. Would euthanizing with clove oil be an OK way to go out for the "sushi"? Don't know what effect the clove oil would have on the turtles [but will try to Google that], but I'd rinse the fish well to remove any external oil residue.

 

[Tula]

I honestly don't know if the clove oil would be safe for your turtles, I'll be interested to see what you learn. Another thought would be to frequent a pet store that sells fish and ask for their freshly dead fish....of course, then who knows what they died of and if it could be passed to your turtles.

I'll be interested to see what others say.

 

[Priscilla]

Could you maybe just add the feeder fish to the turtle pond and give everyone a fair chance? Let the turtles hunt .... ? I would feel terrible killing a fish for food, but I tend to turn the other way when one of my omnivores keeps the population down on the guppies or platies - if you know what I mean ..... LOL

 

[Mmathis]

Could you maybe just add the feeder fish to the turtle pond and give everyone a fair chance? Let the turtles hunt .... ? I would feel terrible killing a fish for food, but I tend to turn the other way when one of my omnivores keeps the population down on the guppies or platies - if you know what I mean ..... LOL

That's a good idea, but box turtles aren't water turtles, for one thing. The volume of water that's in their "turtle bog" [the water that's available for them to soak in] is only a few inches deep. I'd worry that any live fish I put in there would suffer being in such small quarters.

 

[Tula]

What about buying some fresh fish at the grocery? You might even be able to freeze it and thaw pieces for them.

 

[Mmathis]

What about buying some fresh fish at the grocery? You might even be able to freeze it and thaw pieces for them.

Hmmmm, not a bad idea and one I will definitely consider! But I was also looking for an excuse to eliminate some of my GF stock [Re-homing is a problem as I don't know anyone with a pond, and I wouldn't trust giving them to anyone without a pond, or giving them to a pet store....]

 

[max384]

This may sound grisly, but netting them and lobbing off their heads is as quick of a death as you can provide. It's not for the squeamish, though.

When I'm fishing (and not catching and releasing), this is the method that I use. It may be more difficult with smaller GF though.

 

[Mmathis]

This may sound grisly, but netting them and lobbing off their heads is as quick of a death as you can provide. It's not for the squeamish, though.

When I'm fishing (and not catching and releasing), this is the method that I use. It may be more difficult with smaller GF though.

Well, yeah, I did think about that, too.....

 

[rodsboys]

I would refrain from using goldfish as feeders. They contain thiamanise. Animals fed exclusively on fish containing thiamanise can suffer from thiamine deficiencies.
http://www.gartersnake.info/articles/2012/all-about-thiaminase.php

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Maggie are you sure the turtles will eat goldfish? I'm only saying that because I have only ever seen feeder guppies or maybe even rosy reds in turtle tanks (I don't personally have turtles so I'm not sure) I would worry that if they don't catch the goldfish while they are small enough to eat you will still end up with some big goldfish.

 

[Mmathis]

I would refrain from using goldfish as feeders. They contain thiamanise. Animals fed exclusively on fish containing thiamanise can suffer from thiamine deficiencies.
http://www.gartersnake.info/articles/2012/all-about-thiaminase.php

It would be an occasional food item only.

Maggie are you sure the turtles will eat goldfish? I'm only saying that because I have only ever seen feeder guppies or maybe even rosy reds in turtle tanks (I don't personally have turtles so I'm not sure) I would worry that if they don't catch the goldfish while they are small enough to eat you will still end up with some big goldfish.

Yes, I know they will and it's been tested by one of mine! Box turtles omnivores and are carrion-eaters, so anything that's dead and stinky is on the menu [if a dog would roll in it, a box turtle would probably eat it]. I don't know if they would go after anything living in the water -- they are land turtles and subside by foraging.

Aquatic turtles, on the other hand, only eat in the water -- they [supposedly] don't forage.