Here is a quick list of fish species that contain thiamine: On the other hand, here are some fish that do not contain thiamine and are completely safe to feed your turtles: But, there is one more reason why feeder fish can be problematic for your turtles, and it actually doesn’t have much to do with your turtles at all. As discussed above, there are many reasons why pet owners should not invest in feeder fish for their turtles. dixieee Despite the mental stimulation that turtles gain when chasing them down in their tank, cheap feeder fish have been found to negatively impact the health of turtles by infecting them with parasites and other infections that could potentially result in health risks or even death. Feeding fish really isn't necessary on a regular basis. It’s simply much, much more difficult for a turtle to catch and eat a wild fish than it is within the limited confines of an indoor aquarium. Similarly, one large female mosquito fish can consume hundreds of mosquito larvae daily. This is important because your turtle needs a water heater. Live food such as worms, snails, and shrimp should be used sparingly, but you can feed most turtle species crickets and grasshoppers more often. Instead, they tear them apart, usually quite sloppily. Similarly, goldfish are rich in fat content. When a turtle has vitamin E deficiency, it means that they possess weak bones and shell, as well as a slow healing process. They seem to like to pick the skin of the turtle, clean it. At the very least, you should quarantine them for several days, and use the time to feed them more nutritious foods (which then get passed on to your turtle). You can feed it occasionally as a snack, but it won’t be enough to live off of. Turtles can enjoy eating this fish species as it does not contain thiaminase and is quite nutritious. Just wanted to let people know, if you didn\'t already, that feeders are great simbiotic pets for turtles. According to the form of the tank, you can choose two methods to install the auto fish feeder. It’s simply going to be a lot easier for your turtles to catch and eat the fish (if that, as opposed to letting them chase the fish around, is your goal). They will help in cleaning your tank by eating any residue food materials and algae in your aquarium; thus, assisting in maintaining clean water. Overfed mosquito fish may not eat mosquito larvae, and too much food for the fish may also cause bacterial bloom, which is harmful. Unfortunately, the majority of turtle owners are completely unaware of what a thiamine deficiency is, and moreover, how to prevent it from happening. There is a black ear flap behind their ears, has a small mouth, and two dorsal fins. Other Factors: What Do Baby Turtles Eat? Feed them as much as they can eat in five minutes, twice a day. They do not contain thiaminase and are a healthy and nutritious treat for your shelled pet. They are well-defined, and their beautiful body layout is a lovely and attractive sight. However, that usually means you will need to clean the food waste from the tank more often to prevent algae and mold growth. If you opt to feed your pet turtle with such fish, you must ensure they are: Since you cannot determine how healthy a specific type of fish is to your pet turtle, it is best if you feed them live fish every once in a while. Similarly, fish like goldfish are not to … Some of them include; These are small and brightly-colored tank pets that possess a well-arranged body pattern on their lithe bodies. Goldfish can be fatty This also explains why your turtle goes crazy at the mere sight of an edible fish. http://www.turtleexpert.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Easily digestible without causing internal damage. For this reason, it would a good idea to have a bottom feeder fish in your tank to ensure that your tank is clean of algae and of excess food that can collect in the substrate. Since turtles consume small fishes by sloppily tearing them apart, they are likely to have random bones stick to throats and their insides, potentially causing harm. The Baby Turtles have grown into adult Turtles! And an adult turtle will probably end up eating a whole small bottle of them daily. You see, typically turtles simply do not get very good opportunities to catch and eat wild fish. You can buy the trap nets for less than $10 if you have the time to go fishing. It isn’t the best option. Often, they host a variety of parasites and bacteria on their slippery bodies that could lead to several infections and diseases for your turtle. Specializing in this field made learning so much about such reptiles. Eventually the ones that do not get eaten grow bigger and become tank mates. If turtles are fed foods that are too high in fat, too often, it can lead to vitamin E deficiency. Consumed for a long enough time and a chronic thiamine deficiency develops in your turtles, in which case your turtle will become more susceptible to disease and infection, more lethargic and develop a reduced appetite, have a reduced metabolism, as well as potential muscular disorders and even death. Avoid feeder fish that contain thiamine and instead use fish such as killifish. However, is it safe for turtles to feed on feeder fish? Similar to waxworms, but will morph into flies within a few days. A warm tank full of crystal-clear, filtered water is the perfect habitat for goldfish breeding. They are omnivorous fish who enjoy both plant and animal matter. Think how jealous you’re friends will be when you tell them you got your feeder fish for turtles on AliExpress. However, it should be noted that you don’t need to put your turtles in a separate tub for feeding. However, several species of fish, and two species in particular that are often used as feeder fish, goldfish and Rosy Red minnows, contain something known as thiaminase. Adult ones can eat feeder fish or tadpoles. While they are visually appealing, they are reported to have spiny bones that may damage your pet turtle’s throat and intestinal system. This is especially true for semi-aquatic species that need lots of water. Make sure that the water level is appropriate, ie; don’t fill in too much water so that the turtle cannot easily access air. Be careful with the kind of worms you feed your red eared slider. It also contains whisker-like protrusions around its mouth and small black spots all around its body. This fish can grow to about four feet in length and weighs more than 50 pounds. They are easy to catch and maintain. More so, wild fish are not advisable to keep as feeder fish in your tank, alongside your pet turtle. Free of any bacteria, parasites or disease. In the winter, when larvae are scarce or if the water source does not possess any plant life, feed these fish dry cat or dog food or tropical fish flakes. Also known as a copper nose, sunfish, or bream, these fish feed on microscopic animals while in the wild. But, the easiest way to feed an aquatic turtle is to just drop the food into the water in their habitat. Years ago when I got my first turtle, I made a ton of mistakes. They ate 32 of the feeder fish in less then 15 minutes. Certain species reproduce too fast or grow too quickly if not eaten soon. They more often munch on vegetation, plants, flowers, and various insects, which are far, far easier to catch. Now, when it comes to how to set up a separate eating tub or tank, it’s quite straightforward. A good filter will help with that though, so make sure you are confident in your filter before feeding in the tank. One should never feed the baby turtles with mealworms and large fishes. Giving your turtles feeder fish can be problematic and dangerous, for several reasons: Here is a brief overview of each of these points in further detail. rosy reds are fine and the max number of fish depends on how much water you are dealing with. Small and fast fish can survive in turtle tanks. just make sure that you're feeding them other stuff like turtle food from your local pet store so they will get the proper nutrients. I got three in my tank now, ones that my guys just couldn\'t catch. You can avoid this pitfall by not giving your turtles feeder fish that are high in fat, such as goldfish. Once these fish are eaten for a long time, a chronic thiamine deficiency develops in your turtle, making it more susceptible to infections and diseases, have a reduced appetite and metabolism, develop potential muscular disorders, become more lethargic, and even death in extreme cases. My turtle quickly ate the 4 gold ones but has not touched the brown one. Buying feeder goldfish in bulk has never been easier! One should avoid some baby turtle food available in the market such as feeder fish. If you simply want to avoid feeder fish altogether, you still have some really good options for live treats for your turtles. Prey Items: Earthworms, crickets, waxworms, silkworms, aquatic snails, bloodworms, daphnia, shrimp, krill, and mealworms.For very small turtles, prey may have to be cut into smaller pieces. Yet another reason why goldfish are a terrible choice to use as feeder fish for your turtles is due to how exceedingly fast they can reproduce. Hi, I'm J and I'm the chelonian-obsessed creator of this website. Depending on where caught, the fish may contain harmful bacteria, diseases or parasites. Although often used as feeder fish, goldfish, in particular, can be quite dangerous for your turtles to consume, as they have spiny bones which can cause damage to your turtle’s throat and intestinal system when eaten. With their unique body shapes that enable them to propel faster in the water, these fish are perfect companions and feeder fish for your turtle. When this happens, it’s sometimes possible for random bones to stick against their throat and insides and potentially cause damage. They are relatively agile swimmers who prefer staying at the bottom of the tank. Try to use a separate feeding tub to feed your turtles, maintain your home tank’s … Essentially, the water needs to be above 20 degrees or so for a certain period before breeding can take place. This might not be apparent at first, but it can certainly lead to problems. Wild fish often have a host of creepy parasites and dangerous bacteria running through their slippery bodies. When they consume feeder fish, they leave pieces of its body floating on the water surface. 4.2 out of 5 stars 122. Top. Mosquito fish usually do not need to be fed during the warm months. Guppies have an average lifespan of two years and can grow up to 2.4-inches in length. These fish have an oval shape with bars that run vertically across their sides. I have a red-eared slider that loves to chomp on leafy greens such as kale and romaine lettuce. Turtles do not need to consume lots of foods that are high in fat. But you may have to act fast as this top feeder fish for turtles is set to become one of the most sought-after best-sellers in no time. Except that she also enjoys shredding the kale into dozens and dozens of very small pieces that then float around the tank, waiting to get sucked into the filter. Yellow Belly and my 2 1in. However, just because your turtle can swallow your feeder fish whole doesn’t mean it’s totally safe. While they are visually appealing, they are reported to have spiny bones that may damage your pet turtle’s throat and intestinal system. My love for turtles is what inspired me to pursue marine science when I got to college. Basically, ensure that it’s a rare, but special, treat. If you choose to feed your turtle feeder fish, it is essential to invest in some pet-quality fish. However, catching your own mosquito fish is risky as it may introduce some bacteria, pathogens, and parasites to your pet turtle, which is harmful to their health. Most killifish measure about four inches in length while others can measure up to ten inches in size, depending on the type. I have always found this creature quite fascinating, and at a young age, I asked my parents to get me one as a pet. 17 posts • Page 1 of 1. Thiamine is also known as vitamin B1 and is essential to regulate your turtle’s metabolism. More so, they are excellent swimmers as they can change their direction quite fast, confusing any predator. They weigh less than a pound and are dark green. My goal with TurtleHolic is simple: educate others to not make the same mistakes I did! A good rule of thumb is to, if you really want to, let your turtles have some feeder fish once or twice a month. $18.99$18.99. If you are feeding a small red-eared slider, ensure the prey food is cut into tiny pieces. Turtles enjoy eating fish as they provide them with lots of essential nutrients that aid in their growth and development. These fish are omnivorous and feed on small invertebrates, including mosquitoes and algae. The Exo Terra turtle feeder is a great unit to have if you either have more than one turtle or if you need to leave for long periods of time. But, goldfish that isn’t the only thing you need to avoid. Try to use a separate feeding tub to feed your turtles, maintain your home tank’s cleanliness and make it easier for your turtle to eat the feeder fish. Goldfish, again, are a good example of this, as they are high in fat content. Letting your turtle chase around some fish serves as a great source of stimulation and excitement for a turtle. Letting your turtle chase around, catch and munch on smaller, thiamine-free fish once or twice a month is most likely not going to cause any problems. Most pet turtles’ dietary needs are somewhere in the range of 30-40% protein, with the rest coming from leafy greens and vegetables. Introducing feeder fish in your tank is a fun way to add variety to it while offering your turtles an additional source of food. But do you know the shocking truth behind feeder fish? Hi, I'm J and I'm the turtle-obsessed creator of this website. its actually great that you have the feeders in there, it mimics their natural environment and its great exercise for the turtles. Feeder fish are also significantly low in nutrition, which makes it more likely that turtles will become malnourished if they rely on feeder fish for nutrition. The best feeder fish for turtles are killifish, guppies, mosquitofish, platies, bluegills, bass and crappies. If you have a powerful enough filter, this is often less of a problem, but it can still be incredibly annoying. This doesn’t even solely apply to live food such as feeder fish, crickets and ghost shrimp. The channel catfish is a large and smooth-skinned fish with a greenish-gray or bluish body. However, you have to exercise care when it comes to the type of feeder fish as experts say some of them carry parasites. Other types of fish species that contain thiamine include Gizzard Shad, Fathead minnows, Bullhead and channel catfish, carps, and Spottail and Buckeye shiners, among many others. Now, you might be wondering, but don’t turtles eat wild fish in their native environment? These tropical freshwater fish are also quite peaceful, easy to maintain, and relatively cheap to purchase. There is a variety of healthy feeder fish you can use to feed your turtle. Here is how to do it the right way. However, the associated health risks, in the long run, are fatal for our shelled pets. Used too often, feeder fish can lead to your turtles developing a thiamine deficiency. In addition to the nutritional risks, turtles are messy eaters. This is not something that happens frequently, but it is a potential issue you should be at least aware of. “As with pellets, these should make up 25 percent of a turtle’s diet,” says Dr. Starkey. Feel free to leave a comment below, as unlike a snapping turtle, I promise I won't bite! As such, you need to provide them with a combination of commercial foods as well as natural and live foods and treats to ensure they live a long and happy life. As you know, turtles don’t often swallow fish, particularly larger ones, whole. Fishface , Feb 11, 2011 Can feeder fish kill a turtle? If your talking about fish in general buy some small frozen fish from your local supermarket for humans and defrost it and feed to your turtle, as for live fish I think rosie red minnows and small guppies would be best. The Turtles grow fast and need a lot of nutrients. Turtles are lovely and adorable pets. Basically, you want to avoid feeding your turtles any fish that contain thiaminase, as not only will they destroy any thiamine in the fish itself, but block and destroy and thiamine that is already in your turtle’s system. SunSun – HW – 302 Canister Filter Product Review. However, you have to make sure that you purchase pet-quality fish and avoid cheaper ones as they could cause long-term health risks in your turtle. Get it as soon as Tue, Nov 10. ShinePick Automatic Fish Feeder Moisture-Proof Fish Food Dispenser Battery-Operated Intelligent Ti… Yes, feeder fish are inexpensive and easy to cultivate, but these fishes can sometimes be lethal for your pet! The best feeder fish for turtles are killifish, guppies, mosquitofish, platies, bluegills, bass and crappies. More so, they do not contain thiaminase, which is harmful to your pet turtle. ShelldonandSquirt ... 2005 4:51 am. With many experts advising against feeding turtles with feeder fish, there are certain feeder fish that offer your turtle with the necessary nutritional dietary needs for living a long and happy life. And when consumed, sometimes these parasites, bacteria, and diseases can infect your turtle. Your turtle KNOWS that this an uncommon event, a chance to eat a fish! So with that said, this problem is easy enough to avoid, simply refrain from giving your turtles any fish that you caught, or that you know where caught outdoors. It’s Probably This. My turtle won’t eat a feeder fish So about 5 weeks ago I gave my turtle about 5 feeder goldfish from petco, 4 of the fish were gold and the other 1 was brown. Buy the best and latest feeder fish for turtles on banggood.com offer the quality feeder fish for turtles on sale with worldwide free shipping. My Turtle’s Shell Looks Dry – What You Need To Know. Another good feature about the bottom-feeder fish is that a majority of these fish feed on the algae and leftovers in your tank, especially near the bottom of the tank. Not too great. These proteins consist of Small fish, crickets, spiders, snails, and crayfish. The food in the form of fishes often develops parasites within the pen. In this case, it’s still better to keep trying to acclimate them. Since turtles are known to eat a large number of feeder fish at once, turtle owners often buy cheap feeder fish for them as it is more economical. The usual piece of advice given to turtle owners is to feed your turtles in a separate tank or tub. Feeder fish is the common name for certain types of inexpensive fish commonly fed as live prey to captive animals, such as sharks, turtles and some other predatory fishes that inhabit fresh, brackish or salt water, such as oscars, Gar, and Rays. Next thing you know, the 2 fish that escaped the clutches of your painted turtle’s jaw have spawned 8 more, which turn into 20 more, and now you’ve got a tank full of them. Expert turtle owners recommend breeding your own feeder fish to prevent infecting your turtles with parasites, bacteria, and other infections. Why Is My Turtle Losing Color? It requires you to know and understand how to create a suitable home for them as well as what foods ensure they are strong and healthy throughout their life. Turtles often rip apart their food, spit chunks of it back out and sometimes tear off pieces and then wander off to somewhere else. Discussions about turtles. That is not to say that occasionally giving your turtle a few feeder fish doesn’t warrant any merit. RES and 1in. As one of the most popular fish in aquariums, guppies are fantastic feeder fish for your pet turtle. They jump quite high and may fall out if the aquarium is left open. Non-aggressive types of cichlids are also potentially good mates. One of the greatest controversial topics is whether you should put feeder fish in an aquarium with turtles or not. Feeder Fish. You can avoid this problem by choosing to only use feeder fish that are very small, and can be eaten in one or two gulps. In this article, we shall find out the answer to all these questions and, if so, the best feeder fish for turtles. It is much easier for your aquarium to stay clean and crystal-clear when food particles aren’t floating everywhere, needing to be filtered. Some like to keep feeder fish in their tank so their turtle can get a snack sometimes. Additionally, turtleexpert.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links. These fish feed on a wide variety of foods, including crustaceans, mollusks, insects, fish, snails, small birds, and snakes. I had the feeder fish in the tank for at least 2 weeks. do no longer feed too lots feeder fish. Do not feed frozen fish to your red-eared slider as this type of fish lacks thiamine. The Best Automatic Turtle Feeder The only automatic turtle feeder that I would recommend is: Eheim Turtle Feeder (click here for the current price on Amazon) – This is the only automatic turtle feeder so far that has been designed specifically with turtles in mind. Instead, feed your turtle with live feeder fish, and earthworms as a source of protein. It’s certainly not a bad thing, and definitely “livens” up your environment a bit. They are not picky eaters and will eat almost any human scraps, including corn, crackers, and bread. ShinePick Automatic Fish Feeder Moisture-Proof Fish Food Dispenser Battery-Operated Intelligent Timer Auto Feeder for Turtle Pond Aquarium and Fish Tank. Being raised along the beach gave me the chance to interact with all kinds of reptiles, including turtles. Since I was young, I have always had a thing for sea creatures. … Wild turtles do not often get to feed on live fish, nor is fish a staple in a turtle’s diet. Some owners have suggested that once a week is fine, but that is still far more often than any turtle would eat in the wild. You are better off using feeder fish sparingly. I never feed goldfish to turtles because they are actually quite unhealthy. Often times, especially with new turtles, they are not accustomed to a separate feeding tub. The live food for baby turtles includes mealworms and crickets. Yes, if you feed them too often. Supplement their fish flakes by feeding them frozen or live foods such as bloodworms or shrimp. The spiny bones of certain species of fish can cause throat and internal damage to your turtle when it’s eaten. Why Is My Turtle Aggressive? Hydor 450 Professional Canister Filter vs Fluval 406 Canister Filter – What choice is better for your aquarium? Some fish species, like the goldfish and Rosy Red minnows, contain thiaminase, which is an enzyme that blocks the absorption of vitamin B1 (thiamine). A Review of the Zoo Med Maintenance Formula Natural Aquatic Turtle Food, Review for the Fluval 106 Canister External Filter, Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Food – 5M87 Review: Why it is a good source of nutrition for your turtles, Zoo Med Turtle Clean 318 Submersible Filter – Review, The Marineland Magniflow C-220 Canister Filter Review, Free of any parasites, bacteria or infections, Easy to digest without causing any throat or intestinal issues. As such, turtle keepers have a more difficult job to clean their tanks since fish bodies decompose quickly and contaminate the water with nitrites and ammonia, which is harmful to the wellbeing of the turtle. With all of that out of the way, that begs the question, what fish can you feed your turtles? One has to remember to feed freshwater turtles proteins in water. Fish meant to be feeder aren't kept in the best conditions, and may possibly be infected by parasites, or bacterial or fungal diseases. 5.0 Or 10.0 UVB for turtles – Which of these is the best? Do not give your turtles feeder fish more than a few times a month (to be safe). There are some discussions on the Australian Freshwater Turtles forum about places to catch your own feeder fish. Pick something that is going to be durable but easy to clean. Giant gourami and cichlids might also be suitable fish in a turtle tank. Must have feeders for turtles, newts, salamanders, frogs, and toads. For instance, if your tank is quite large (more than 55 gallons) and you have a single semi-aquatic turtle, as well as lots of little nooks and crannies for your feeder fish to hide in, it might be better to just place the turtle in a separate tub of (similarly-warmed) water. Did you know that offering feeder fish for turtles can be not only problematic but even dangerous? Another health risk associated with feeder fish for turtles is that they can lead to a thiamine deficiency. Female bluegill is yellow, while the belly of a breeding male has a rusty red color. These issues can be avoided by replacing the feeder fish with a reliable staple diet that addresses the specific nutritional concerns of the turtle. You have to make sure that the aquarium is clean at all times for their survival as they can easily contract diseases in contaminated water. Use feeder fish that are smaller and easier for your turtles to eat. There are several feeder fish available in the market for your pet turtle. It’s simply a lot easier to place her into a smaller tub for a few hours and let her eat there. The best feeder fish to feed your turtles should be: Thus, some good choices for feeder fish are the following (all should be small): Now, oftentimes you cannot be certain that any particular small batch of fish that you have bought from a store is completely free of any parasites, bacteria, and disease. Often, they are used to control mosquito larvae breeding in unmaintained or unused swimming pools, birdbaths, private ponds, water troughs, and aquariums. FREE Shipping on your first order shipped by Amazon. Mosquito fish are freshwater fish that eat mosquito larvae for sustenance. Some feeder fish are excellent sources of food as well as fantastic helpers when it comes to cleaning a tank. The nutritional requirements of turtles suggest that they require about 30-40% protein, and the rest of the nutrition should come from green and leafy vegetables as they provide essential minerals and vitamins. Now that you know what types of feeder fish and live food is safe (and not safe) to give to your pet turtles, the next logical question is, what’s the best way to feed them? They can survive in a 5-gallon tank or bigger due to their fast rate of reproduction. The Startling Truth! One of the most dangerous and potentially harmful things you can do to your turtles is to give them feeder fish that you have caught or were caught by others outdoors. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Yes, it’s rare but if you give them the wrong type of fish, and too often, it can happen. Crickets (these are great sources of live food and you can feed them these more often). For instance, one of the most popular feeder fish you will find in tanks with turtles is the goldfish. Another common issue that many turtle owners are unaware of, is just how unhealthy the fish that they are giving their pets really are. Of course, if your turtle is simply unwilling to eat at all inside of the feeding tank, you’ll just have to make do and feed them where they are most comfortable, in their home tank. For some of these, it’s better to feed them as treats instead of as a staple food. A turtle that has a chronic vitamin E deficiency can have a lot of things wrong with it, for instance; weaker bones and shell, a slower healing process, etc. Feeder Rosy Red Half Box (275-225 Count) $ 117.54 Feeder Rosy Red Box (350-400 Count) $ 144.54 Feeder Livebearer Half Box (150-225 Count) $ 119.54 Giant gourami are large enough that they might not be considered turtle food. They also consume vegetables such as cucumber, lettuce, and peas, which are an ideal source of vitamins and minerals for them. If you would like to get a pet turtle at your home, this guide will be of great help. Popular in North America, Bluegill is a freshwater fish that measure about six inches in length but can grow up to twelve inches in size. Thiaminase is an enzyme that blocks the absorption of thiamine (vitamin B1). The number of times that they can breed is nearly entirely due to the temperature of the water. Chasing down fish for a turtle provides great mental stimulation and excitement, and it also ‘livens’ up your tank’s environment.