Here is my latest rescue. Red eared slider. She is a good size and looks really healthy. One question, what do they eat . I have pellets but, what else?
I used to buy "feeder" Comet goldfish. Had to nip off the end of the tail fin to slow their swimming so the turtles could catch them. Supplemented with:
Aww she's cute! You can try collard greens, kale, turnip greens, etc. Mine also enjoys insects and will occassionally eat the feeder fish in the aquarium.
She has found my fish for sure. I feed Cooter flooding pond food, and aquatic turtle trail mix. I have tried floating some greens, dandelions and plantain, but she does not seem interested. Just want to make sure she gets the right diet, she is so pretty and solid. The guy that had her must of taken good care of her. Her name is Ms Piggy
Anacharis seems to go over well with most aquatic turtles (from what I've heard). Even my three-striped mud turtle hatchlings will nibble at it, from time to time.
I haven't had a chance to try duckweed with my turtles yet (need a good source for duckweed) but I've heard that many aquatic turtles will make quick work of it, they like it that much.
Red Ears are much more carnivorous than cooters. They thrive on very high protein diets. A good turtle pellet for them is normally at least 40% protein. I like the Mazuri aquatic turtle diet. That is a staple for my turtles. My cooter also like to feed on the aquatic and marsh plants around the pond, but red-ears don't bother. They love any type meat from fish, shrimp, chicken to worms and other insects.
Your newest rescue has the look/shape of one raised in a tank that was too small. Glad she is with you now!
I would toss in a couple of handfuls of grape leaves once a week for my RES(24) & they would eat every last leaf. They are highly carnivorous though. Minnows,sea food medley, left over halibut pieces from my neighbor, turtle sticks, grasshoppers, earthworms, nightcrawlers,a baby bird (fell in).snails,half a baby possum, lots of things.