Longneck Turtle won't eat pellets

[Andie]

Hi. I have a 4yo longneck.

Currently, he eats:
Fish Dinner brand Turtle Dinner (babyturtle and adult turtle in a 1:3 ratio)
Feeder gudgeons (20ish each fortnight)
Feeder Prawns (the clear ones) as many as he can catch out of 20 before they run and hide.

My problem is that he won't eat pellets no matter what I do. I have tried sinking ones, floating ones, round ones, long ones. Different brands. I have tried hiding them in his frozen food but he eats the cube then spits out the pellets!

1. how important are the pellets considering what he eats?
2. is there a way to give him say repti-cal and repti-vite without it washing off his food?
3. how can i trick him into eating pellets?

 

[Fireflyshuffle]

*Pellets are of no importance, should only be given as a treat.
*Buy calcivet from vetafarms stock and soak the food for 15 mins then feed for calcium
*you dont need to "trick him" he knows whats best for him.
*Feed him on a PROPER diet like you have been with prawns. Little whitting, fish, water plants snails from aquarium shops..anything you need to research them more an fin out what they really eat in the wild and try adjust to it.
*feeding it frozen dinner it asking for an unhealthy overgrown turtle. they should be offered only as treats if anything

 

[mckellar007]

*Pellets are of no importance, should only be given as a treat.
*Buy calcivet from vetafarms stock and soak the food for 15 mins then feed for calcium
*you dont need to "trick him" he knows whats best for him.
*Feed him on a PROPER diet like you have been with prawns. Little whitting, fish, water plants snails from aquarium shops..anything you need to research them more an fin out what they really eat in the wild and try adjust to it.
*feeding it frozen dinner it asking for an unhealthy overgrown turtle. they should be offered only as treats if anything

long neck turtles are mostly carnivorous, hence wont really eat water plants, just destroy them, my turtles get fish and yabbies to their hearts content along with crickets and other bugs occasionally, and pinky mice and packet food rarely as treats.

 

[manray]

I have two short neck turtles and they will not eat the pellets either.
I feed mine, bloodworms, turtle dinners, little feeder fish, Peas and some mince once in a blue moon for a treat.
Mine are 2 1/2 years old. I think they get enough and they are healthy, i wouldnt worry about the pellets.

 

[Andie]

Thanks for your replies.
I will get him some more fish and prawns

 

[mysnakesau]

I presume you are talking about the Eastern Long-Necked turtle? The Western Australian species on longneck (Oblong Turtle) do eat water plants as part of their diet.

 

[Andie]

Oh yeah, sorry. Eastern longneck. He definitely doesn't like plant.