What are good feeder fish for Water Turtles?

[promisetolove]

Hi there,

So I've been reading that minnows aren't very good fish to feed your water turtles. I'm just wondering what kind are safe and okay to feed them?

Originally the odd time I did give my turtles rose red minnows and feeder guppies .. I stopped giving them rosey reds and they have feeder guppies in the tank..

Cichlids and mollies and platys aren't exactly affordable feeder fish?? 3.00$ each for the Molly/Platy and cichlids are at least $6.00 and up each???

Are any types of minnows or guppies okay to feed my turtles? Or any cheaper fish?? Everywhere I go it's kind of expensive :/

Any advise is appreciated thanks and happy new year !!

Momma of 2 RES and 1 Missi Map

 

[Saleama]

Bait minnows are good. Gold fish are not. That is all I know. We catch minnows out of the canals and ditches or buy them from bait stores. They will also eat worms and any insect you toss into the water. They LOVE june bugs in the summer.
Research what type of fish inhabit the areas where your turtles are from. Also, in season, tadpoles are great food for the little guys and the ones they miss turn into toads or frogs for your further enjoyment!

 

[mike taylor]

I go to the store and get fish from the butcher . I also get minnows from the bait shop and worms . I also get crawl fish when it rains out of the yard . I feed greens mazuri turtle food shimp .

 

[WillTort2]

Try crickets or grasshoppers.

 

[Len B]

What is wrong with feeding rosie reds? I have a bunch in my pond that reproduce on a regular bases, and have produced many little ones since I put them in a few years ago. Some of them are brown and some are pinkish in color. I like them because they survive our sometimes harsh winter weather and I don't need to keep buying feeders for the turtles all the time. From what I understand almost every live fish sold (even bait fish) have chemicals of some kind in their water to help keep them alive so why is one better than another.

 

[promisetolove]

What is wrong with feeding rosie reds? I have a bunch in my pond that reproduce on a regular bases, and have produced many little ones since I put them in a few years ago. Some of them are brown and some are pinkish in color. I like them because they survive our sometimes harsh winter weather and I don't need to keep buying feeders for the turtles all the time. From what I understand almost every live fish sold (even bait fish) have chemicals of some kind in their water to help keep them alive so why is one better than another.

I don't know I read a post on this forum that feeding rosey reds could be bad for them and that they are fatty etc.

That is why I wanted to post to find out whether or not that was true.
Thanks.

 

[crice]

Technically any fish isn't all too we'll to feed to your turtles, fish carry *** sorts of types of parasites. A wild caught turtle has the obvious stronger immune system and is adapted to parasites, unlike captive born. I have 9 turtles many different species and sub species, I've felt with turtles for about 13 years now adults hatchling juveniles, best thing to feed your guys are insects like crickets and any type of feeder worm, greens like romaine lettuce or actually water Lillie's. And the typical processes food I find reptomin to be the best, but people have different preference. I have tiger barbs gold fish and minnows all in my turtle tank and they don't bother one another, my fish clean my tank by picking up excess food dropped by the turtles!!

 

[kathyth]

Guppies are good!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Where in the world are you?

I go to my local Petsmart and ask for the live fry. The guppies for sale have babies while in the store and they can't sell them. But they will give them away
They gave me 18 tiny babies...in no time at all I had over 200 total! It was crazy!

If you can get some from a Petsmart and build your own little breeding colony of guppies, you'll be set. Then you can add the occasional "other" type of fish and variety of other good foods..