Do turtles eat duckweed? Read on to find out what can and can’t happen if your turtle eats duckweed!
Duckweed is safe for turtles because it is actually a plant. It can grow in both fresh and salt water as well as being found in landlocked areas. Theoretically, this small plant can be eaten by any reptile or amphibian that can fit the bill. In practice, however, you should not feed duckweed to turtles.
Duckweed is high in protein but low in calcium which can lead to problems with shell structure. It also grows like a weed and can easily overpopulate an aquarium quickly leading to other problems.
If you want to feed your turtle duckweed, you should only do so occasionally and in very small amounts. They can also eat it if they can’t find a better option but it is not an ideal food source for them.
If you can understand that duckweed is a plant, can grow anywhere and can be eaten by many reptiles and amphibians but can also lead to health problems if not fed properly, you see that it can’t be considered safe food for your turtle.
It is important to find out how your pet turtle can eat the correct diet without having to rely on non-preferred foods like duckweed. If they can have live plants and flowers in their habitat, they will receive all the necessary vitamins through natural means. This way they get to enjoy real food while receiving all the nutrients that come with it.
If you can offer other living plants like water hyacinth or just clean aquarium decorations where the turtles can graze on algae, you can let them feed that way too.
Duckweed can be fed to turtles, but never in large amounts. If you can’t provide them with other food options, it is better to feed a small amount of duckweed than nothing at all. It can also help your turtle if he can graze on the plant itself or any leftovers from it in the aquarium water. But only treat duckweed as a temporary solution and not an option for their main diet!
You can find many sources online describing how much duckweed can be eaten by different types of reptiles or amphibians but make sure they are written by people who actually know what they’re talking about before making any changes to your pet’s standard diet. If you do this, you can ensure that both your turtle and the duckweed can grow and live happily together!
I have a big soft spot for turtles. I grew up near a pond that was full of snapping turtles. Now and then I’d see them crawling across our front yard, which was always exciting.
Now I write about turtles for this website as a fun side hobby. Glad you stopped by!