NOTE: The dietary requirements for the eastern long-neck turtles is different to the RES as they require far more live fish, snail, insects etc and dont eat pellets, veggies/greens. Check out the Australian freshwater Turtles website/forum for information on the care of your long-neck turtle..
Here is selection of some of the foods you can feed a RES turtle.
Live worms, water snails, woodlice and other insects are also a valuable food source. When the cuttle bone gets a bit yukky, scrub it back to white with a scrubbing brush. Don't leave it turning green or brown :)
Think green!
RES Turtles need 50% vegies/aquatic plants and 50% protein.
Have plants/greens in tank at all times. An all fish/pellet diet leads to shell deformities and organ damage. Apply 'tough love' to get turtle eating greens (Feed greens freely)
Feeding is one of the most important functions of a turtle owner!
A turtle requires an amount of food equal to the size of it's empty head.
Hatchlings - feed daily.
Adults- feed every 2nd day
Feed your turtle an amount of food equal to the size of its empty head. Freely feed greens as often as you like. If it's not hungry, it's probably being over-fed so cut back a little.
Greens
O2 weed, watercress, duckweed, waterlily leaves and other Aquatic plants are best. Puha (sow thistle) and dandelion leaves. Fancy lettuce varieties,(NOT iceberg), mesculin salad, carrot sticks , Kumara peelings and flesh.
Protein
Water-snails, worms, insects, pellets, fresh and dried fish, feeder fish, whitebait, commercially prepared food e.g. 'Hot-House'frozen turtle food. Turtles need a varied diet. DON"T feed the frozen "turtle dinners". They are full of fat and other things turtles can't digest...they will eventually lead to illness or death.
DON'T feed any red meat, cabbage, spinach, silverbeet, rhubarb, beets, celery, broccoli, mince, dog/cat food, raw chicken, salty fish, brussel sprouts or avacado.
These lead to vitamin deficiency, an inability to absorb calcium,(essential for bone strength and health), and even death.
