Feeding Hatchling Question!!

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tjones

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Ok I know most of you put your hatchlings in a smaller seperate container when feeding, but how long do you keep them in there??? Because when i put mine in a seperate container all it tries to do is to climb out, it has no interested in the food, should I just feed in its tank, and how often do you offer food??? I try mealworms, waxworms, crickets, dried and moist shrimp, earthworms, small minnows, and comerical turtle food, and it doesnt seem to want to eat any of these foods, what foods have you had luck with, when feeding hatchling turtles???
 

terryo

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Are you talking about water turtles? If you are I always started mine off with little blood worms. That usually worked for me. When I did get one that wouldn't eat at all, I would take one floating plant from my pond, and usually there were little mosquito lave' or tiny snails attached to the roots, and they would eat them. Anything that wiggles and is little...pill bugs, very small worms cut up...etc. Blood worms are the smallest and they usually ate them right away. Make sure that the container isn't too small ......and the water isn't too deep. They should be able to stand on their hind legs and stick their head out. If's it's boxie hatchlings I still would try the blood worms with a little less water.
 

Crazy1

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I too used bloodworms and small snails the snails I just placed in their tank. And greens cut up really small like duckweed or curly endive (frizee) or Escarole even dandelions just cut really really small so that one bite and they can swallow it.
 

tjones

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how long do you keep them in a seperate container, before you put them back in the tank???
 

Meg90

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Until they are done eating?
 

Yvonne G

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In my experience, they are more inclined to settle down and eat if you partially cover the container with a solid piece of something that they can't see through, then hurry up out of sight. Leave them alone in there for a half hour or so, checking every so often to be sure they aren't getting into trouble. I don't have water turtle babies, but this is how I feed my baby box turtles. I set them up to soak in semi-shallow water, place in the food and hurry out of sight. Works for me.

Yvonne
 

terryo

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I also covered about 3/4 of the top of the little tub that I was feeding them in, with a small hand towel.
 

tjones

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But i keep the baby in there for about 3 hours and he is still trying to climb out, yes the the container is not see through, it is a cat litter pan!!! I will try to cover part of the container.

Meg90 said:
Until they are done eating?
 

terryo

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Did you try the blood worms? You can get them frozen in most pet stores. They come in a package with little individual squares. I run some warm water on one liitle square, and then pop it out into the container. Most hatchlings will always go for the blood worms.
 

tjones

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Ya i got the bloodworms, but he just trys to climb out of the container, but when i got up this morning, i seen him eating some of the bloodworms that i put in his tank, so i think i just have to feed him in his tank, because he just will not calm down in a different container!!

terryo said:
Did you try the blood worms? You can get them frozen in most pet stores. They come in a package with little individual squares. I run some warm water on one liitle square, and then pop it out into the container. Most hatchlings will always go for the blood worms.
 

terryo

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Whatever works for you is fine.....as long as he eats. You just have to clean your tank more often....bloodworms can become very smelly....lol
 
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