If you have a turtle as a pet, you need to make sure that you are providing it with the right nutrients and the correct diet.
Turtles can enjoy quite a variety of food and treats, but you still need to be careful with what you feed them, and do your research before introducing any new items into their diet. One item that you might want to include in your turtle’s diet is shrimp.
Can turtles eat shrimp? Yes, turtles can eat shrimp. Shrimp contains important fats that might not be found in your turtle’s regular food. Shrimp also provides a different texture for your turtle to explore and can be fed to them in a variety of ways.
Understanding how to include shrimp into your turtle’s diet will help you provide them with just the right amount and in the best way possible.
What Kind Of Shrimp Do Turtles Eat?
Turtles can eat shrimp in a few different ways. They can enjoy raw shrimp, cooked shrimp, and dried shrimp. There are even dried shrimp pellets available to feed your turtle.
However, this does not mean you can just throw some shrimp into your turtle’s cage without thought. You need to make sure the shrimp is safe for your turtle to eat, and that it has been prepared properly for them.
You also need to include the shrimp in a balanced diet, it cannot be their only source of food. Shrimp can form up to 25% of their diet, but the rest should consist of a variety of food items, and mainly made up of special turtle pellets.
Can Turtles Eat Raw Shrimp?
Turtles can eat raw shrimp, and they often love the taste and texture. You might find that your turtle prefers dried shrimp to raw shrimp, but you should not have a problem getting them to munch down on raw shrimp.
When feeding your turtle raw shrimp, it is best to keep the shrimp frozen until you are ready to feed it to your turtle. Leave it to thaw in the fridge for a few hours before offering it up in their enclosure. Keeping the shrimp frozen means that there is little chance of the shrimp spoiling.
You also need to make sure that the raw shrimp is the right size to be fed to your turtle. If the shrimp is too big, they might have a hard time eating. You can cut up larger shrimp into smaller chunks for them to enjoy.
Raw shrimp can form up to 25% of your turtle’s diet, but it is so important to remember to give them food made specifically for them, and to vary their diet a bit as well.
Can Turtles Eat Cooked Shrimp?
You can feed cooked shrimp to your turtle, but it should only be fed once in a while as a treat. Some pet turtle owners prefer cooking the shrimp before feeding it to their turtle, to ensure that any bacteria and nasty bits are boiled off.
Whether you peel and devein the shrimp before feeding it to your turtle isn’t too important, as these can contain nutrients that are beneficial to your turtle.
Just be sure that your turtle is big enough to handle eating through the shell, and that it won’t pose a choking hazard.
Can Turtles Eat Dried Shrimp?
Turtles love dried shrimp, and will happily munch away on dried shrimp whenever it is offered. Dried shrimp contains important fats for your turtle, which often are not found in their normal food.
The dried shrimp also give a different texture for your turtle to explore, and they will love the intensity of flavor as well.
It is best to feed your turtle the smaller dried shrimp option, as the larger ones might be too difficult for them to eat. You can however always break down larger dried shrimp pieces for your turtle to enjoy.
Can Turtles Eat Shrimp Pellets?
Shrimp pellets are primarily made for other aquatic animals, but they are fine to offer to your turtles as a treat once in a while. Offer a few pellets to your turtle a couple of times a week, but avoid feeding it to your turtle daily.
Most of the time, turtles love shrimp pellets, which is why they work so well as a treat.
The shrimp pellets are not necessarily bad for your turtle, but they will not provide them with all the correct nutrients that would need, and therefore should not form part of their daily diet.
5 Best Dried Shrimp For Turtles
Below are some of the best freeze-dried shrimp options available to feed to your turtle. Most have been made specifically for turtles, and are the right size to be fed to them safely.
| Rank | Recommended Dried Shrimp | Drying Process |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Zilla Reptile Food Munchies River Shrimp | Dehydrated |
| 2. | JackSuper Aquatic Shrimp Krill | Freeze dried |
| 3. | Royal Pet Supplies Sun Dried Large Red Shrimp | Sun dried |
| 4. | Fluker’s Freeze-Dried River Shrimp | Freeze dried |
| 5. | Tetra Baby Shrimp Sun Dried Treat | Sun dried |
1. Zilla Reptile Food Munchies River Shrimp
The freeze-dried shrimp from Zilla Reptile Food’s are nutritious and perfect to serve to your turtle as part of their diet, or as a special treat once in a while.
They are a quick and easy way to provide your turtle with some good protein, in a way your turtle will absolutely love, and possibly prefer to other food options.
Packed in a convenient and resealable package, the shrimp remain fresh and protected, ready to be sprinkled into your turtle’s enclosure. There is no refrigeration required, and they can be stored safely away in the pantry between uses.
The dried shrimp are the ideal size for turtles and large tropical fish and are made using only safe and natural ingredients.
2. JackSuper Aquatic Shrimp Krill
The JackSuper Aquatic Turtle Food – Floating Shrimp Krill is available in either 1200ml or 3000ml bottles, providing you with a good amount of freeze-dried krill to feed your turtle!
The krill help to provide crude protein and contain vitamin E, fiber, fat, and other important nutrients.
If stored in a cool, dry location, the freeze-dried shrimp can keep for up to a year.
The krill are prepared through a process of cleaning, sterilization, and then rapid freezing, to ensure they are as safe as possible to be fed to your turtle.
The vacuum freezing process keeps the nutrients and vitamins in place while providing your turtle with great tasting freeze-dried krill that they will love!
3. Royal Pet Supplies Sun Dried Large Red Shrimp
The Royal Pet Supplies Sun Dried Large Red Shrimp is suitable to be used for all aquatic turtles, but it is recommended for larger turtles.
The shrimp provide a high-quality, protein-rich food source for your turtle, that can form part of their diet or be used as a treat. With regular feeding, the shrimp will help increase your turtle’s weight and energy in a few days.
Use the Royal Pet Supplies Sun Dried Shrimp to give your turtle’s an additional nutrient boost to keep them as healthy and happy as possible.
4. Fluker’s Freeze-Dried River Shrimp
Fluker’s Freeze-Dried River Shrimp Pet Food offers a great source of protein and essential amino acids to your turtles.
The shrimp can also be offered up to birds, tropical fish, and monitors, and will soon be a favorite treat to quite a few of your pets!
Contained in a small bottle, the shrimp are easy to sprinkle into your turtle’s bowl as an extra little kick of flavor and nutrients!
5. Tetra Baby Shrimp Sun Dried Treat
Your turtle will absolutely love the Tetra Baby Shrimp Sun Dried Treat. The natural shrimp treat has been designed to supplement the usual diet of a turtle and is suitable for freshwater and saltwater fish as well.
The sun-dried shrimp still contain the shells, to provide a better source of roughage and to aid in digestion. Feed the shrimp to your turtle as a treat two to three times a week for a healthy source of protein and vitamins.
Related Questions
Can I put shrimp into my turtle tank?
Yes, you can place different types of crustaceans, such as shrimp, into your turtle tank. Shrimp can be beneficial to your tank as they eat the algae and food scraps from the bottom of the tank.
Your turtle might try and munch on these shrimp, so just keep an eye out for this and maybe remove the shrimp if your turtle does try to eat them.
What foods are toxic to turtles?
There are a few toxic foods that you should never feed to your turtle. These include the leaves of rhubarb, potato and tobacco plants, avocado peels, seeds, and the leaves, tomato vines and leaves as well as poison ivy.
Make sure to properly research a healthy diet for your turtle before introducing them to any new foods.
Can turtles become attached to their owners?
Yes, turtles can become fond of their owners and attached to them. They learn to recognize their owner’s voice overtime.
However, it is important to note that the bond is not as loving as one would have with a dog, but turtles can be playful and active when their owners are around.
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