Did you figure out what kind of a turtle you have yet? Whether it's an aquatic turtle or a land turtle? These things are important to determine what kind of food they will need to eat. Also, note that the average life span of a turtle is 50 years - these pets are not to be taken lightly!
I have two Red Eared Sliders, which are aquatic turtles. Their needs include:
1) an aquatic tank that is at least 20 gallon capacity (10 gallons of water, 10 "gallons" of air). They say you should have 1 gallon of water for every inch of turtle, but they're not that big yet. We've only had them for 6 months. So for now, that size is ok.
2) a thermometer in the tank. You want to make sure the temperature in the tank is mid 70's at all times. They love that temperature.
3) a sun lamp. An important part of regulating their temperature occurs when they come out of the water and bask on a floating log. The lamp needs to be on for around 12 hours of the day, regulating their "day and night".
4) water. Duh! LOL
5) a good water filter. They poop a lot! We haven't had to change the water in a while, and as long as it stays clean and clear, you're ok.
6) plants (real or fake). They love to hide in the foliage in the water!
7) we used to have Apple Snails in there, but they died. And they promptly became turtle food.
Also note, anything that is smaller than them will likely become turtle food. If you go on vacation, you can get them feeder fish and they will chow down all week. You will also more than likely come home to a disgusting tank, though, so it's not the best option.
They like to eat in the water as well. If you have aquatic turtles and they're not eating, you can try to move them to a smaller area to feed, just make sure it's a water area. I.E. when the turtles were babies, we'd feed them in a little plastic container. Put around 1/2 inch of water in there and drop the food in. Let it soften a little and add turtles. They'll chow down when they're hungry.
******Most of the above info only applies if you have aquatic turtles. Please check what kind of turtles you have before applying any of the above to your situation.
Most pet stores do sell aquatic habitat starter kits. That's where we purchased ours (Petsmart). And we added to it as needed.
Maybe they're just pigs, but they sure do act hungry when they're gobbling up their pellets every morning. Maybe it depends on if they're aquatic or land turtles?
