# ELNs not eating fish



## tyson001 (May 13, 2012)

My 2 baby Eastern long necks aren't eating fish, they're eating pellets, frozen dinners and worms.

I just noticed this isn't a question, my question is, is this normal and how long until they will start eating fish? They are a bit larger than a 50 cent piece.


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## Wrightpython (May 13, 2012)

The frozen dinner is better for them anyway so don't worry as long as there eating they willeventually catch and eat the fish especially of night time. Just leave the fish in their and eventually they will disappear


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## oOLaurenOo (May 13, 2012)

Often baby turtles can't catch the fish, you can try pinching there tails so that they can't swim as fast, but with baby turtles they would have to be tiny fish like baby guppies or endlers. Another thing, ditch the turtle dinners. They are super bad for turtles! They are packed full of fat and although they love them it's like feeding them macdonalds all the time, not much nutritional value at all. Your best to feed them nutrafin turtle pellets, cichlid gold pellets, whole fish and crickets, I know of a great fresh water turtle forum if your interested pm me. It's a great site and has heaps of great info just for turtles!!!! Good luck with your babies!!!


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## Tsubakai (May 13, 2012)

Frozen dinners and blood worms are poor nutritional choices for turtles, especially babies. ELN are a little harder to get onto some foods than short-necks but it can be done with persistence. Your best bet is the forum that Lauren mentioned as there's not much community knowledge and experience here compared with the turtle-specific forum.


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## Ratatouile (May 13, 2012)

Agree with frozen turtle dinners, blood worms and pellets being of poor choice for turtle diet (hikari gold pellet being an exception but long neck turtles are known to not liking them). Garden worms (from your worm farm if you have one) and mosquito wriggles are also good food. If your tank is too big the baby turtle will have a hard time getting the fish. When mine were babies I put them in a small click clack with small feeder fish. One of my babies, however, got stressed when removed from the tank so I pinched a fish with tong and wriggled it in front of him in the main (big) tank and he ate well there. I also feed them crickets and woodies (same method, with tong). If they still won't take the fish in a smaller container or from tong, just don't feed them for a few days and then offer them food again. When they're hungry enough they'll take it!


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## Flaviruthless (May 13, 2012)

There's a new Turtle Dinner out that is manufactured by Ocean Nutrition - has anyone had any experience with it? From what I have been told by manufacturers and developers it is a lot better than any other turtle dinner as it has fish protein instead of beef (which is featured in a lot of other turtle foods) as its base.


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## oOLaurenOo (May 13, 2012)

Yes, that is the only commercially produced product available that offers good nutrition for turtles. But it is still recommended to be used along with plenty of fresh food (Crickets, worms, whole feeder fish, aquatic plants ect ect)

in frozen form anyway..


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## tyson001 (May 14, 2012)

ok ill try them on crickets today and im going to the store any way so ill look out for the pellets also i think the frozen food ones ive got atm are the ones with fish as it has fish shrimp and shell fish.thanks for the replys i think the tank might be too big its 4foot and it has guppies and tetras.


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## oOLaurenOo (May 14, 2012)

The tank isn't to big, its a good size for young turtles. Just make sure the water level isn't to deep, and there are lots of plants and hides to make them feel comfortable.


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## Wiganov (May 14, 2012)

MY ELNs aren't much bigger than yours, but they've been bananas for fish for a long time. I always have a few live mosquito fish in their tank - once in a while the turtles give chase and now and then they catch one. But most of the fish I catch I put in the freezer. Come feeding time I'll thaw out a couple in a glass of water and handfeed the turtles. Whole fish are great nutritional package for your little beasts: meat, organs, skin, bone and whatever goodies happen to be in the fish's gut at the time. Beats the stew out of pellets. You're better off sticking with a diet that replicates - as much as possible - what they'd eat in the wild.


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## tyson001 (May 15, 2012)

i don't have a fishing licence and don't have any gear so would white bait from a tackle store be ok. ive seen one follow a guppy around for awhile but never caught it but apart from than nothing do you know how i could get them to start chasing fish.


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## oOLaurenOo (May 15, 2012)

Not really.. they really need whole small fish. Guppies are very easy to breed, that's what I do. As for them catching fish, once you have babies (they will multiply quickly) just pop a hundred or so baby guppies in there tank. The more there are the easier it will be for them to catch them.


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## Tsubakai (May 15, 2012)

The wild long necks I've rehabbed have taken to whitebait quite quickly.


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## snakelady-viper (May 15, 2012)

My eln didnt eat fish until they were 6months old you have them eating the pellets thats great dont worry just enjoy


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## tyson001 (May 16, 2012)

im breeding guppies atm just waiting for some size on them ive got 20 atm but i want them to get a bit bigger before i put them in the tank then hopefully they might get some.


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## oOLaurenOo (May 16, 2012)

You can catch the fish, hold there tails and wave them in front of your turtles face if you want. But I really wouldn't be to worried if I was you. I have two baby ELN's at the moment, and compared to my short necks they are difficult customers when it comes to feeding. (Well, one is) The other will eat anything that crosses his path but 'simba' as Ive affectionately named his is very un-cooperative. He will eat tiny fish, if you hold them in front of his face. But he won't eat pellets, or crickets or even tiny worms! He is picky picky and growing much slower then his tank buddy. Some require more time then others, but just keep feeding them food as close to what they would eat in the wild, make sure they are getting plenty of UV and you have cal-grit in your tank and you are well on your way to healthy turtles!


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