Can Turtles Eat Fish Food? Yes, But With Conditions

In a quest to figure out the viable food option for a pet turtle, fish food is the first thing that gives the impression — Mission Accomplished!

But can turtles eat fish food? Yes, turtles can eat fish food. However, it should not be the one and only food in their diet. Fish foods are catered towards facilitating the growth of fish. These are rich in protein (60-70%) but miss out on important minerals and vitamins required for the well-being of a turtle.

That said, in this article, I will dig deeper into the impact of fish food on turtles’ diet. So, let’s get started, shall we?

Can Turtles Eat Fish Food?

As turtles are of different species, their food is distinct to a certain degree. They can eat fish food and digest them. Not very long, though. It’s counterintuitive to their sustenance. But fish food, in general, is safe for turtles.

Aquatic turtles, those who you see in freshwater or in the sea, are omnivorous. Meaning their diet includes meat and plants. In their habitat, they devour plants under the water, small fish, insects, and other creatures found in water. They also go for high-protein fish to maintain the necessary nutrients.

On the other hand, land or terrestrial turtles, which are also known as tortoises, have a strict herbivorous diet. They consume grass, vegetables, plants, and fruits.

On special occasions, however, tortoises may hunt small or baby birds. So, this shows that they literally have zero interest in fish food.

Now, regarding pets or captive turtles, this is a question to consider seriously. You can feed them fish food, they may eat, but you should not do it for long. Because if you continue to feed your turtles fish food, they will eventually develop health issues. I’ll discuss more about this later in this article.

In pet stores, you’ll find special food for turtles, which ensures they get the necessary nourishment. Also, turtles shouldn’t eat snacks like Cheerios.

Can Baby Turtles Eat Fish Food?

Yes, baby turtles can eat fish food. At the early stage, fish food can be a great meal to feed the turtles. But you should not rely on this only. Provide other foods rich with minerals and vitamins, such as insects, worms, turtle pellets, etc. Sprinkle some calcium powder on top when serving the food.

Nutritional Value of Fish Feed

Commercially produced fish foods are targeted toward meeting the nutritional value required for a fish. This is why they contain protein, lipids, carbohydrates, etc.

But how much? Well, these ingredients maintain a particular ratio in fish food. Gaze upon the table below, which shows the nutritional value of fish feed.

Ingredients	Amount
Protein	18-50%
Lipids	10-25%
Carbohydrate	15-20%
Ash	Below 8.5%
Phosphorous	Below 1.5%
Water	Below 10%
Vitamin and Minerals	Very small amount

One thing to note is that not necessarily every fish food available in the market will contain the same amount of these ingredients.

For example, aquaculture, shrimp, catfish, tilapia, and feed have 30 to 35 and 28 to 32 percent of protein, respectively.

Effect of Fish Food on a Pet Turtle

Dwelling in the mind of a turtle owner, fish food seems to be the number one choice for the reptile. Yeah, it is a good and widely available option. But variety is required in turtles’ diet.

There are certain benefits and risks at the same time if you pick fish food as your turtle’s food. They are as follows.

Benefits of Feeding Fish Food to Turtles

Turtles can have a significant amount of protein by consuming fish food.
Fish foods are widely available. So, it’s easy for turtle owners to arrange a quick meal for their pets.
All kinds of fish food have a long shelf life. As a result, they can be stored for a long period.

Risks of Feeding Fish Food to Turtles

Fish food alone is an incomplete diet for turtles. They lack important ingredients like calcium, vitamin A, D3, and phosphorus. Also, they won’t have essential nutrients from fruits, vegetables, and insects.
Some prepacked fish food may be too hard for baby turtles, leading to digestion issues.
Often, fish foods contain artificial colors, preservatives, and other chemicals. This is a major concern for turtles down the road.
Turtles need variety in their diet. Fixating on a single type of food can bore them. Sometimes, they stop eating altogether.

How to Feed Fish Food to Your Pet Turtle?

Feeding fish food to your pet turtle isn’t a whole lot different than feeding them the usual turtle food. Just remember that fish food is a temporary solution when you are out of turtle food and can’t get any for some reason.

Now, when you decide to give fish food to your pet turtle, make sure it has 40-50% of protein. Break them apart in tiny portions, if necessary. So that your turtles can swallow easily. Especially baby turtles. This is because some fish food can come in big chunks.

Sprinkle calcium powder on the fish food. Mix them up and then give it to the turtles. This is a great trick to overcome the lackluster mineral count in fish food.

Regarding the actual feeding process, you can drop the food in the tank, which I don’t recommend under normal circumstances. Rather, make a separate feeding space. This is useful as doing this will keep the water clean.

Nevertheless, maintain a regular feeding schedule to feed fish food to your turtle. For example, baby and adult turtles require different frequencies when it comes to feeding. While baby turtles must consume food twice daily, adult turtles will live fine eating at one or two-day intervals.

How Long Is It Safe to Feed Turtles Fish Food?

As I’ve discussed earlier, fish food is not an ideal choice to feed your turtle. It’s only an interim measure. So, you should not keep feeding your turtle fish food. Get proper turtle food as soon as possible.

Yet, there is another aspect to this. While feeding turtles with regular food, you can feed them fish food once a week. Just to introduce some variation in their diet. Because turtles love variety in their meal. It’s like an occasional treat for them.

Even if you don’t give any fish food, no harm is done. It’s completely fine.

On the contrary, if you feed them fish food regularly, stop right now before they suffer from malnutrition.

Ideal Food for Turtles

Depending on turtle species, they are carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Their food must contain the optimal ratio of minerals, vitamins, protein, fat, and so on.

Research has shown that the turtle diet should include 39-46.5% crude protein, 8.8% crude fat, 5.7% calcium, and other minerals and vitamins.

But how can this be obtainable? Well, an ideal food habit will ensure this ratio.

So, what do turtles eat?

Here’s a quick look at the appropriate food for turtles:

Species	Live Food	Vegetable	Fruits	Avoid
Aquatic Turtles	Live food such as small fish, shrimp, and insects simulate a natural diet	Leafy vegetables, duckweed, romaine, swiss chard, watercress, bok choy, etc.	Apples, raspberries, papayas, strawberries	Raw meat such as chicken, dried fish, dairy products, frozen vegetables, rhubarb, potato, kale, spinach, tobacco plants, avocado peel, and seeds
Semi Aquatic Turtle	Live fish, earthworms, small frogs, baby mice, minnows, snails and insects	Water hyacinth, water lettuce, duckweed, cooked sweet potato, steamed carrots, collard green, etc.	Grapes, oranges, cantaloupe, pears, guava
Land Turtles	Tubifex worms, mealworms, small crickets, earthworms, pond snails, etc.	Green lettuce, dandelion leaves, beans, kohlrabi, red leaf lettuce	Melon, apricot, tomatoes, banana, small apples, berries

Again, commercially available turtle pellets also maintain a correct ratio of protein, minerals, fat, and vitamins. These are specially made for turtles in captivity.

Closing Thoughts

Turtles might show a knack for fish food, but boredom soon takes over them, and they refuse to eat. Moreover, it will not fulfill a turtle’s nutritional requirements.

For any turtle keeper, I suggest mixing and matching food with live fish, insects, worms, vegetables, and fruits. And you can throw some fish food in the mix as well.