My musk hatchling will only eat frozen bloodworm blocks

[reptire]

I am able to provide this diet for him for the time being, but I'm not sure how healthy it is in the long run.
Even when I offer 'turtle blocks', containing anything from crayfrish to turkey heart, he still only scrambles it apart for those few bloodworms it can find in it and leaves the rest.

How should I change his diet to the healthier turtle blocks which contain several important vitamins and eventually to frozen small fish? Can it be changed at all while it's a hatchling without any danger of starving?

 

[Saleama]

Have you tried live food? Drop a red wiggler on him and see what he does. I couldn't get mine to eat blood worms at first but they tore up some meal worms and red wigglers. After about a week, they went for almost anything.

 

[reptire]

I can only get small frozen fishes (still twice the size of the turtle so I'd have to chop them up too), special frozen turtle blocks and these frozen bloodworm blocks... I guess I just don't want to risk starving him for days in hope that he will eat other things as well... Maybe when he gets bigger I'll do that? I don't know. Any input is appreciated.

 

[Saleama]

Musk turtles are little monsters! You would be surprised by what they will eat. Try dropping the entire fish in with him. He may surprise you and attack it. They like their food to wiggle though so live is always the best option. They are wonderful little guys to have and can be so much fun! Remember, turtles have vastly different metabolisms from mamals. A healthy turtle will not starve itself to death but they can and will make you nervous and worry you to death thinking they will. Keep the tank clean and remove any food that they haven't eaten in a while.
Where do you live that you can't get live worms? They sell them at Wal-Mart and I have seen several European members that find them over in Europe, maybe at Tesco?

 

[reptire]

Oh, you mean earthworms! Sure I can get those. But for now, he finally seems to be eating the turtle vitamin and meat mix block, even though I dropped in both a block of that and a block of bloodworms. Seems like his taste's changing daily.

 

[ashbelys]

What is your water temp? I had the same problem with my hatchling and someone told me it was the water temp. I thought they were nuts but I gave it a try anyway and it worked. He went from eating only tuna to eating anything I give him, including the turtle pellets I was sure he'd never eat. I only raised the temp about 5 degrees but it made a world of difference. Also, if the tank is too small, it can affect eating habits as well.

 

[reptire]

The water temp on average is 28C°, sometimes 30C°. He is kept in a 60x30x30, it will be big enough for him when he is full grown too.