Turtles can be seen in ponds and seas. Keeping a pet turtle can be expensive. You will have to spend for the aquarium, the accessories and of course, the food that you are going to feed your turtle. Most of your money is going to be spent on the food. You must always make sure that your turtle does not run out of food. If you are on a tight budget, you can always make your own turtle food by using food that you may already have at home. This way, you can save some money and spend it on other items for your turtle.
Here are some tips on how you can make your own turtle food:
- Turtle Species. First, you have to know what type of turtle you are taking care of. Different types of turtles may also have different preferences when it comes to food. There are terrestrial turtles and aquatic turtles. Under the terrestrial turtles, the two most common species that can be pets are the ornate box turtles and the mud turtles. For the aquatic turtles, there are the sliders and the painted turtles. There are also short necked turtles and long necked turtles.
- Phosphorus and Calcium. The two most basic elements in a turtle’s diet are phosphorus and calcium. For this, you can feed your turtle boiled and crushed eggshells so that they can get calcium. They also eat dirt that is full of minerals. These are the common choices for turtles that live in the wild.
- Food to Feed. There are different types of food that you can give to your pet turtle so that it can have a good diet. For greens, you can feed them lettuce, watercress, fig leaves, grape leaves, and carrot tops. For vegetables, the options you have are peas, okra, carrots, sweet potatoes and corn. You can also add fruits, such as grapes, blueberries, mango, apple, strawberry, banana and kiwi. For meat, you can feed the turtle earthworms, shrimp, slugs, boiled eggs, cooked chicken and slugs.
- Food to Avoid. You also have to avoid certain foods that may harm your turtle. Some of these are milk products, such as yogurt and cheese. You also have to avoid feeding them canned foods that are high in preservatives. Turtles also do not tolerate sugar so be sure not to give them chocolates and candies.
- Variation. If you are planning to give them food from your home, you have to give them variety. You have to give them different types of food so that the nutrients that they get will vary. You can also alternate the food of the turtle between turtle food from shops and your own homemade food. Buy turtle food from sales so that you can save money.
These are some of the tips that you can use to make your own turtle food at home. If you are not sure what to give your turtle, you can research online and see what type of food you can prepare for your pet. You can also research on how to care for your pet turtle so that your turtle can live a long life.