How to Make a Turtle Food Mix

Turtles need protein and vegetables.

Instead of feeding your pet turtle the typical diet of pellet food, you can create your own concoction in a blender before serving it to your animal. Turtles are omnivores, so you must feed them both meat and vegetables. Many turtles prefer homemade food over that bought in a store. Turtles can be fun and social, and when you feed them what they want, they can be that much more loving.

Things You'll Need

• Beefheart
• Gelatin
• Blender
• Vegetables
• Vitamins

Instructions

Protein

1. Mix one beef heart in a blender along with reptile gelatin, which is vitamin D and calcium. Dissolve the gelatin in water according to the package directions. The typical mix is two parts water for each part gelatin. Gelatin is a thickening agent, so add the ingredient according to your desired thickness.

2. Freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray overnight.

3. Thaw the mixture before you serve it to your turtle.

Vegetables

1. Combine in a food processor equal portions of romaine lettuce, squash, zucchini, yam, redleaf lettuce, mustard green, collard, carrots, kale, water hyacinth, pesticide-free Bermuda grass, duckweed, water lily and anachris. The idea is to utilize as many of these ingredients as possible for a full nutritional complement, though not all the ingredients are necessary.

2. Add a powdered vitamin to the mix. A half teaspoon per day is enough for a regular-size house turtle, so add as much as is needed for your batch size.

3. Freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray overnight.

4. Thaw the mixture before you serve it to your turtle.

Tips & Warnings

• Supplement the protein portion of your turtle's diet by adding dead or live tadpoles, crickets, guppies, mealworms and aquatic snails.

• Meat or another type of protein should total around 70 percent of the turtle's diet, with vegetables and fruits making up the balance.

• You can also feed your turtle chopped apples, strawberries, grapes, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, peas, leafy greens and green beans.

• A warm environment will build a healthy appetite.

• Offer your turtle a wide variety of food.

• You can dust any food with calcium powder.

References

• Chelonia: Chrysemys Picta
• Turtle Puddle: Box Turtle Care