How Much Food is Appropriate for a Turtle? A Must-Read for Beginner Turtle Keepers on Mastering the Correct Feeding Amount and Frequency.

Whether it’s a small turtle or a large one, feeding once a day is most appropriate. Large turtles can be fed once every 2 or 3 days. Try to feed at a fixed time and in a fixed quantity. Turtles have limited digestive capacity; the food they last ate can only be completely expelled after at least 2 days (under normal circumstances), while some turtles may only defecate once every 4 or 5 days, or even once a week.

Feeding Mistakes and Health Principles

Turtles are actually very smart; they will naturally stop eating when they are full. The phenomenon of ‘dying from being overstuffed’ hardly ever occurs.

Unless you don’t feed it for a long time and then suddenly provide an excessive amount of indigestible food, which is highly likely to cause the turtle to die suddenly. The turtle is one of the most ‘hunger-resistant’ (able to endure long periods of hunger) animals on Earth. As long as there is water, it can go without food for more than half a year, so you have absolutely no need to worry about your turtle starving.

Turtles are always killed by feeding. The feeding amount should not exceed the size of the turtle’s head; a turtle only eats that much. Exceeding this amount is harming it. Remember: A turtle kept in a state of hunger is the healthiest turtle. Control your ‘little hands,’ and your turtle will not only be active but also get sick less often.

Experience Raising a Red-Eared Slider

To be honest, I have raised this red-eared slider for 8 years. It has never had the chance to eat its fill, and it has never been sick once.

Although the red-eared slider is a ‘street stall good,’ its intelligence ranks among the top 3 of all turtle species. It is very smart and aware, making it particularly suitable for beginners to raise. If you decide to keep one, don’t abandon it, and it will surely add a lot of joy to your life.