So I got these tiny red-eared slider hatchlings last month, and let me tell ya, that first feeding was a total mess. Stared at those little dudes swimming around, realized I had zero clue what to feed ’em besides cheap turtle pellets my cousin threw at me. They weren’t touchin’ it. Panic mode activated.
The Research Phase
Hit up the pet store first thing. Clerk mumbled something about “protein” and shoved expensive baby turtle food at me. Bought it, rushed home excited… still no bites. Felt like the world’s worst turtle dad. Time to actually figure it out.
Dove deep online that night. Found a reptile forum where this lady named Brenda schooled me. Realized hatchlings need way more than just pellets:
- Live protein is king: Tiny bloodworms, baby brine shrimp – basically anything wiggly and bite-sized.
- Super soft greens: Not iceberg lettuce! Think tiny bits of duckweed or torn-up spinach leaves, mushy.
- Supplements matter: Gotta dust that food with calcium powder like twice a week. Who knew?
Operation “Feed The Babies”
Right, time to test Brenda’s wisdom. Here’s exactly what I did:
- Prep work: Rinsed a tiny glass dish for their tank. Got the tweezers ready – no way my fingers were fitting near those little chompers.
- Thawed the goods: Used frozen bloodworms ’cause live ones creep me out. Let ’em thaw in tank water for like 10 minutes. Squeezed out the stinky juice.
- The dusting: Dropped a few worms in a little bottle cap, sprinkled calcium powder like magic dust. Shook ’em gently.
- Showtime: Lowered one worm down near Fatty (yes, named already) using the tweezers. He eyed it… stared… then SNAP! Gone in half a second. Fist pump moment! His buddy, Skinny, needed coaxing – wiggled the worm right under his nose. Success!
What Actually Works (After Weeks of Messing Up)
Okay, after weeks of trial, error, and one incident involving a blender trying to make greens too mushy (don’t ask), here’s the real deal for tiny turtles:
- Main Dish Daily: Frozen bloodworms or baby brine shrimp (thawed!), or those fancy hatchling pellets soaked first until super soft. Alternate.
- Veggie Tries Twice a Week: Finely chopped duckweed, teeny bits of romaine lettuce leaf, soft green algae scraped from tank decorations. Just offer it – takes time.
- Calcium Boost Twice a Week: Dust the meaty stuff. Makes their shells happy.
- Feed Small & Often: Tiny stomachs! What fits in their head size is a meal. I feed mine morning and evening, tiny bits each time.
Biggest surprise? How fast they learn! Fatty now swims to the corner where I drop the tweezers. The cleanup is still a chore – gotta suck out uneaten bits pronto with a turkey baster before they foul the water. Annoying, but seeing them zoom over at feeding time? Worth every stinky second.
