More Turtle Tips:

[Marshall]

If you read any of my articles about recommended feeding patterns and what exactly to feed the aquatic turtles then you know about the fresh food cubes that I feed mine that come frozen. If you can afford a 100 dollar or so luxury get you a small wine chiller that goes down to 42 -47 degrees and then buy your frozen food in 1 - 2 month amounts and pull a weeks worth from the freezer at a time and put in the chiller at around 45 degrees. This will ensure the cubes are almost completely thawed when they hit the water and therefore they will sink qucikly and the turtles don't have to keep striking them while waiting for thawing out (this is not good for them). Good luck and as always feel free to ask any turtle related questions you want

 

[Mmathis]

I haven't read your articles, but this reminds me of what I've done with my boxies' food -- can't do it now because I have to leave it out for them, and if I do that now, the ants take over.....

I use unflavored gelatin and mix in a variety of foods, including herp vitamins & minerals and cod liver oil, garlic, etc.. Then put it in ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen, I put all the cubes in zip-locks. I can whip up several weeks worth at a time and they really seem go like it. This way I can choose the ingredients. But, not doing it right now as stated above.

 

[Marshall]

I haven't read your articles, but this reminds me of what I've done with my boxies' food -- can't do it now because I have to leave it out for them, and if I do that now, the ants take over.....

I use unflavored gelatin and mix in a variety of foods, including herp vitamins & minerals and cod liver oil, garlic, etc.. Then put it in ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen, I put all the cubes in zip-locks. I can whip up several weeks worth at a time and they really seem go like it. This way I can choose the ingredients. But, not doing it right now as stated above.

Sounds like a really healthy diet for your box turtles. They are a little harder to feed than aquatics in some ways due to the fact they take their food on land and therefore may have competition and in my experience the eastern box turtles I have rescued are very picky eaters. The only thing that really makes the sliders and painted turtles complicated is how precise the temp needs to be for them to eat at all. usually at about 66 degrees the sliders will lose the ability to metabolize food and will become lethargic and eventually will die if not remedied. Also at around 92-94 degrees they will become lethargic and will start to refuse to eat a full meal.