Have you ever watched a turtle swimming? There’s just something so amazing about these amphibians. The way they glide effortlessly through the water. Only someone who owns a turtle knows how much of a pleasure they can be to watch for hours.
If you are one of the lucky few who have a turtle for your pet, or you are planning to get one in the future, chances are that you want to know what to feed your friend who carries his house everywhere he goes. That’s why we have created this list of turtle foods, to help you know what to feed your friend and what foods to avoid.
A Glance at the Winners of 2024
The 10 Best Turtle Foods
1. Tetra ReptoMin Floating Sticks Turtle Food – Best Overall
Since a lot of pet owners have dogs and cats, those of us who own reptiles often feel like we get lost in the shuffle. But that is why we have done our best to find the best turtle food possible, and our pick is Tetra ReptoMin Floating Sticks Turtle Food. These sticks are not just for turtles but work for newts and frogs as well. Full of Vitamin C and calcium, these sticks provide the nutrients necessary for a strong shell and skeletal development.
These sticks are packed with shrimp and fish meal protein and scientifically formulated. Along with the nutrients that these contain, we love that they float, so you get to have some interaction with your amphibian friends. That’s a huge bonus in our book!
Pros
- Vitamin C and calcium-fortified
- Floats so you can interact with your pet
- Rich in protein to give your turtle proper nutrition
- Promotes strong skeletal and shell development
2. Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food – Best Value
As turtle owners, we want to get food that is healthy for them to eat, but we also want to get value for our money. Based on our research, Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food is the best turtle food for the money. One thing that we love about this is that it comes in your choice of two sizes. This way, if you aren’t sure if your turtle will like them, you can give them a try.
This natural food is free of artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and contains 25% protein so that adult turtles with shells of 6 inches or longer have their dietary needs met. They also float, so it’s easy for aquatic turtles to find their food. These pellets are also recommended by vets, professional breeders, and zoos.
Pros
- Comes in two sizes
- Will meet dietary requirements for adult turtles of 6 inches or longer
- Pellets float so they are easy for turtles to find
- Does not contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
- Recommended by vets, professional breeders, and zoos
Cons
- Is said to turn water brown
- Some turtles don’t like them
3. Zilla Reptile Munchies River Shrimp Turtle Food – Premium Choice
Do you want to give your turtle a special treat? Then we recommend Zilla Reptile Munchies River Shrimp Turtle Food. We love this food because it’s a great protein source both for fish and reptiles and because it mimics the type of food that they prefer to eat when not in captivity. These shrimp are delicious and you can add them to their pellets or leafy greens, or you can give them to your pet as a treat. They make great food for salamanders, axolotls, turtles, and even the larger species of tropical fish to naturally enhance their colors. We also love that they come in a resealable pouch.
This food is a great choice, but it’s a bit more expensive, so that is why it’s not in the top two spots.
Pros
- All-natural ingredients
- Packed with protein
- Great for salamanders, larger tropical fish, axolotls, and turtles
- Can be used as treats or as part of their everyday diet
- Comes in a resealable pouch and doesn’t require refrigeration
Cons
- Is a bit on the expensive side
4. Fluker’s Buffet Blend Aquatic Turtle Food
if you are looking for high-quality food for your turtle, Fluker’s Buffet Blend Aquatic Turtle Food is the one we recommend. Packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, this food combines mealworms and river shrimp, both of which have been freeze-dried, along with vitamin-enriched pellets. The result is a balanced and complete meal with a delicious and nutritious variety that you can feel good about giving your turtle. This food ensures that your turtle will receive the right balance of minerals, fat, protein, and vitamins.
Pros
- Includes a mixture of mealworms and river shrimp, both of which are freeze-dried
- Pellets enriched with vitamins ensure that your turtle is vital and healthy
- Full of essential vitamins and nutrients
- Gives turtles a balanced and complete meal
- Gives your pet the right balance of fat, minerals, vitamins, and essential protein
Cons
- Can make water dirty
- Some turtles don’t care for it
- Contains fillers
5. Zoo Med Canned Box Turtle Food
If you are looking for new food to give to your box turtle, we highly recommend Zoo Med Canned Box Turtle Food. This food contains apples and whole corn, two foods that box turtles love. It includes many minerals and vitamins to provide your box turtle with a meal that is nutritionally complete. This appetizing food also will reseal to keep it fresh and to help you when dealing with picky eaters.
This is the ideal food for box turtles and comes in a convenient and handy package. This soft, moist turtle food also includes natural flavoring to encourage your turtle to eat without a lot of binders and preservatives.
Pros
- Contains apples and whole corn, which box turtles love
- Nutritionally complete with minerals and vitamins
- Reseals to ensure freshness
- Natural flavoring encourages turtles to eat
- Soft and moist diet without a lot of binders and preservatives
Cons
- Some turtles didn’t care for it
6. Zoo Med Gourmet Aquatic Turtle Food
When you are looking for food for your turtle, we recommend Zoo Med Gourmet Aquatic Turtle Food. This high-protein food is a nice way to add a treat to the diet of your turtle with pellets, dried shrimp, and savory mealworms. Your turtle will also love that it includes whole cranberries, which they love eating in the wild.
This food has been formulated to meet your growing turtle’s needs with a 2 to 6-inch shell length. It’s packed with minerals and vitamins and does not contain artificial flavors, preservatives or colors.
Pros
- Contains no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors
- Has added minerals and vitamins to make it a healthy treat
- Includes whole cranberries, dried mealworms, pellets, and dried shrimp
- Full of protein
- Made to meet growing turtles’ dietary needs
Cons
- Some turtles don’t care for it
7. Omega One Adult Turtle Floating Sticks Food
Give your turtle a treat he will love with this Omega One Adult Turtle Floating Sticks Food. One thing that our turtles love about these sticks is that they contain a lot of different types of seafood, including whole herring, halibut, and whole salmon. It’s also fortified with essential minerals and vitamins to help your turtle have a long and healthy life.
These floating sticks encourage your turtle to come to the surface to feed so that you can interact with him and have some bonding time. These sticks not only taste good but help maintain the vitality and health of your frog, newt, or turtle. It also includes the right ratio of calcium and phosphorous for strong and healthy shell growth.
Pros
- Ideal for maintaining the vitality and health of frogs, newts, and turtles
- Made with fresh, whole ingredients such as whole herring, halibut, and whole salmon
- Fortified using essential minerals and vitamins
- Made with a variety and abundance of seafood
- Made with a variety of fresh seafood
- Full of calcium and the right amount of phosphorous
Cons
- More expensive than other options
8. Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Food
if you are looking for healthy food for your turtle, we recommend Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Food. This food is nutrient-rich and packed with lots of animal and fish protein. Made to satisfy your turtle’s carnivorous needs, these pellets float on top of the water, so that you can interact and watch your shelled buddy while he eats.
You also don’t need to give him extra mineral and vitamin supplements, since it offers total nutrition. Free of artificial flavors and colors, this is food that you can feel good about feeding your pet and that he is going to love eating.
Pros
- Provides complete nutrition, so no need for additional mineral and vitamin supplements
- Food floats on top so that turtles can eat the way they’d like
- Doesn’t contain artificial flavors or colors
- Contains high amounts of animal and fish protein
Cons
- Contains fillers
9. Rep-Cal Box Turtle Food
We were looking for food for our box turtle, and we came across Rep-Cal Box Turtle Food. This food provides turtles with great levels of minerals and vitamins, including calcium and Vitamin D3, so there’s no need for supplements. This food can be given to your turtle on its own, but you can add mealworms, fruit, and earthworms occasionally to their food.
It’s been formulated by United States veterinarians and made with natural ingredients from plants and animal protein. however, there are some ingredients that make it the bottom two, such as ground wheat, animal by-products, and corn gluten meal.
Pros
- Gives box turtles 100% daily nutrition
- Contains lots of minerals and vitamins
- No extra supplements needed
Cons
- Contains a lot of fillers like corn gluten meal and ground wheat
- Contains animal byproducts
- Contains artificial colors
10. Zilla Turtle Chasers Floating Shrimp Turtle Treats
The Zilla Turtle Chasers Floating Shrimp Turtle Treats was the final thing we tried, and we are putting this on the list only because we want to share our experience with them. It’s true that our turtle enjoyed chasing the treat around before he ate it, and we are happy that it’s made out of real shrimp with a lot of protein in it.
But there are a couple of things that we have to warn you about these treats. First of all, they have an awful smell to them. But since our turtle loves shrimp, we thought we’d give them a try. But they also crumble really easily, and they are very messy. The water becomes really dirty with these treats in it. They are also very expensive for what you get. We definitely won’t be purchasing these again.
Pros
- Full of protein
- Fun for turtles to chase around
Cons
- Smell horrible
- Make a mess in the water
- Crumble easily
- Overpriced
- Makes water and tank dirty
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Turtle Food
Now that we have gone over some of the foods on the market that you can purchase for your turtle, we’re going to look at some of the other things that turtles love to eat and that you can include as part of their diet. Some of these have already been mentioned, but now you have a complete guide.
Proteins
- Canned tuna
- Dried shrimp
- Mealworms
- Small crickets
- Tiny feeder fish
Leafy Greens
- Cabbage
- Dandelion Greens
- Kale
- Mustard Greens
Fruit
When you are feeding your turtle fruit, cut it into little pieces
- Apples – soften by steaming
- Berries – blueberries, strawberries, etc.
- Melons
- Pears
Vegetables
- Green beans
- Carrots (boil or steam)
- Pumpkin
- Sweet potato (cooked)
- Squash
Water Plants
You can purchase these at a nursery. Along with providing your turtle food, they also can pull waste from the water, which can help with keeping down the growth of algae.
- Water lettuce
- Water Hyacinth
Related Topic: Can Turtles Eat Fish Food
Conclusion
Wow! That was a lot of information we just threw at you, wasn’t it? Well, we hope that you found this article useful and that you have a better idea of what to feed your turtle and what he will enjoy the most. As pet owners, we know it’s hard to wade through the many different options for our pets, and that is why we do our best to help you narrow down your options.
Our pick as the best overall turtle food is Tetra ReptoMin Floating Sticks Turtle Food. But if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly choice then we recommend the Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food.
We are so glad that you came to our site and we hope you’ll come back soon because we are always adding new content.
Featured Image Credit: Colin Behrens, Pixabay
ncG1vNJzZmiokaO0sMLErWWcp51kvabAjKesraqZqbawuo6trKusnJrAcK7ErKtmrKWnwa2xjJ%2BmqJyjZA%3D%3D
Almeda Bohannan
Update: 2024-06-13
