Have you ever watched a turtle swim? There’s just something so amazing about these reptiles, including the way that they glide effortlessly through the water. Only someone who owns one (or more!) of these animals truly understands how much of a pleasure they can be to watch for hours.
If you are lucky enough to have a turtle for a pet or are planning to get one in the future, chances are that you want to know what to feed a reptile that carries their house everywhere that they go. We created this reviews list of turtle foods so you know the best options to feed your scaly friend.
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A Glance at the Winners of 2025
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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Tetra ReptoMin Floating Sticks Turtle Food |
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Best Value
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Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food |
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Premium Choice
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Zilla Reptile Munchies River Shrimp Turtle Food |
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Fluker’s Buffet Blend Aquatic Turtle Food |
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Zoo Med Canned Box Turtle Food |
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The 10 Best Turtle Foods
1. Tetra ReptoMin Floating Sticks Turtle Food — Best Overall
Since a lot of pet owners have dogs and cats, those who own reptiles often feel like they get lost in the shuffle. So, if you want the best overall turtle food, our pick is Tetra ReptoMin Floating Sticks Turtle Food. Full of vitamin C and calcium, these sticks provide the nutrients necessary for a strong shell and skeletal development. They are not just for turtles either; they work for newts and frogs too.
These scientifically formulated sticks are packed with shrimp and fish meal protein. Along with the nutrients that these contain, we love that they float, so you get to have some interaction with your reptile friend!
- Vitamin C and calcium-fortified
- Floats so you can interact with your pet
- Rich in protein to give your turtle proper nutrition
- Promotes strong skeletal and shell development
- Not all turtles will like them
2. Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food — Best Value
As turtle owners, we want to get food that is healthy for them to eat, but we also want to stay within budget. Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food is the best turtle food for the money, and it comes in two sizes. This way, if you aren’t sure if your turtle will like it, you can still give it a try.
This natural food is free of artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and contains 25% protein, so adult turtles with shells of 6 inches or longer can have their dietary needs met. It also floats, so it’s easy for aquatic turtles to find their food. These pellets are recommended by vets, professional breeders, and zoos.
- Two sizes
- Meets dietary requirements of adult turtles 6 inches or longer
- Floating pellets
- No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
- Recommended by vets, professional breeders, and zoos
- May turn water brown
- Some turtles don’t like them
3. Zilla Reptile Munchies River Shrimp Turtle Food — Premium Choice
Do you want to give your turtle a special treat? We recommend Zilla Reptile Munchies River Shrimp Turtle Food! It’s a great protein source for fish and reptiles and mimics the type of food that they prefer to eat in the wild. These shrimp are delicious, and you can add them to your pet’s pellets or leafy greens, or you can serve them as treats. They make great food for salamanders, axolotls, turtles, and even larger species of tropical fish to naturally enhance their colors. We also love that they come in a resealable pouch.
This food is a great choice, but it’s a bit expensive.
- All-natural ingredients
- Packed with protein
- Great for salamanders, larger tropical fish, axolotls, and turtles
- Can be used as treats or as part of everyday diet
- Comes in a resealable pouch
- Doesn’t require refrigeration
- Expensive
4. Fluker’s Buffet Blend Aquatic Turtle Food
If you are looking for high-quality food for your turtle, we recommend Fluker’s Buffet Blend Aquatic Turtle Food. Packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, it combines mealworms and river shrimp, both of which have been freeze-dried, along with vitamin-enriched pellets. The result is a balanced and complete meal with a delicious and nutritious variety that you can feel good about giving your turtle.
This food ensures that your pet will receive the right balance of minerals, fat, protein, and vitamins.
- Includes freeze-dried mealworms and river shrimp
- Pellets enriched with vitamins
- Full of essential nutrients
- A balanced and complete meal
- Can make water dirty
- Some turtles don’t care for it
- Contains fillers
5. Zoo Med Canned Box Turtle Food
If you are looking for new food to give to your box turtle, we highly recommend Zoo Med Canned Box Turtle Food. This food contains apples and whole corn, two foods that these turtles love. It includes many minerals and vitamins to provide your pet with a meal that is nutritionally complete. This appetizing food also reseals to keep fresh and to help you when you’re dealing with a picky eater.
This is the ideal food for box turtles and comes in a convenient and handy package. This soft, moist food also includes natural flavoring instead of excess binders and preservatives to encourage your turtle to eat.
- Contains apples and whole corn
- Nutritionally complete
- Reseals to ensure freshness
- Natural flavoring
- Soft and moist
- Some turtles don’t care for it
6. Zoo Med Gourmet Aquatic Turtle Food
When you are looking for food for your turtle, we recommend Zoo Med Gourmet Aquatic Turtle Food. This high-protein food is a nice way to add a treat to your turtle’s diet, with pellets, dried shrimp, and savory mealworms. Your turtle will also love that it includes whole cranberries, which they love eating in the wild.
This food has been formulated to meet the needs of your growing turtle with a 2- to 6-inch shell length. It’s packed with minerals and vitamins and does not contain artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors.
- No artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors
- Added minerals and vitamins
- Includes whole cranberries, dried mealworms, pellets, and dried shrimp
- Full of protein
- Made to meet growing turtles’ dietary needs
- Some turtles don’t care for it
7. Omega One Adult Turtle Floating Sticks Food
Give your turtle a treat that they will love with this Omega One Adult Turtle Floating Sticks Food. These sticks contain a lot of different types of seafood, including whole herring, halibut, and whole salmon. They’re also fortified with essential minerals and vitamins to help your turtle have a long and healthy life.
The floating sticks encourage your reptile to come to the surface to feed so you can interact with them and have some bonding time. These not only taste good but also help maintain the vitality and health of your frog, newt, or turtle. They also includes the right ratio of calcium and phosphorous for strong and healthy shell growth.
- Ideal for maintaining the vitality and health of frogs, newts, and turtles
- Made with fresh, whole ingredients
- Fortified using essential minerals and vitamins
- Contains whole herring, halibut, and whole salmon
- Full of calcium and the right amount of phosphorous
- More expensive than some other options
8. Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Food
If you are looking for healthy food for your turtle, we recommend Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Food. It’s nutrient-rich and packed with lots of animal and fish protein. Made to satisfy your turtle’s carnivorous needs, these pellets float on top of the water so you can interact and watch your shelled buddy while they eat.
You also don’t need to give them extra mineral and vitamin supplements, since this food offers total nutrition. Free of artificial flavors and colors, it’s a food that you can feel good about feeding your pet and that they’re going to love eating.
- Provides complete nutrition
- Food floats
- No artificial flavors or colors
- Contains high amounts of animal and fish protein
- Contains fillers
9. Rep-Cal Box Turtle Food
Rep-Cal Box Turtle Food provides turtles with great levels of minerals and vitamins, including calcium and vitamin D3, so there’s no need for supplements. It can be given to your turtle on its own, but you can add mealworms, fruit, and earthworms occasionally.
It’s been formulated by U.S. veterinarians and made with natural ingredients from plants and animal protein. However, there are filler ingredients like ground wheat, animal by-products, and corn gluten meal.
- Gives box turtles 100% daily nutrition
- Contains lots of minerals and vitamins
- No extra supplements needed
- Contains fillers like corn gluten meal and ground wheat
- Has animal byproducts
- Contains artificial colors
10. Zilla Turtle Chasers Floating Shrimp Turtle Treats
Many turtles enjoy Zilla Turtle Chasers Floating Shrimp Turtle Treats, particularly when they get to chase a treat around before eating it. These treats are made from real shrimp, which means they have a lot of protein.
However, these treats have an awful smell and crumble easily, so they’re messy and the water can quickly get dirty. They are also expensive for what you get. But many turtles adore shrimp, so this product is still worth trying, at least as an occasional treat.
- Full of protein
- Fun for turtles to chase around
- Horrible smell
- Crumble easily
- Overpriced
- Dirties water and tank
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Turtle Food
Now that we have gone over a few of the foods on the market that you can purchase for your turtle, we’re going to look at some of the other things that turtles love to eat, so you can include them in their diet.

Proteins
- Canned tuna
- Dried shrimp
- Mealworms
- Small crickets
- Tiny feeder fish
Leafy Greens
- Cabbage
- Dandelion greens
- Kale
- Mustard greens
Fruit
Whenever you are feeding your turtle fruit, cut it into little pieces.
- Apples (soften by steaming)
- Berries (blueberries, strawberries, etc.)
- Melons
- Pears
Vegetables
- Green beans
- Carrots (boiled or steamed)
- Pumpkin
- Sweet potato (cooked)
- Squash
Water Plants
You can purchase these at a nursery. Beisdes providing your turtle with food, they can pull waste from the water, which can help with keeping down the growth of algae.
- Water lettuce
- Water hyacinth
- Related Topic: Can Turtles Eat Fish Food?
Our Best Turtle Foods Selection Process
The turtle foods we reviewed in this article were chosen by PangoVet’s writers and editors, in collaboration with our experienced veterinary team, based on personal experience with the product, knowledge and expertise about the pet’s care needs, brand reputation, and reviews across multiple retail outlets from other customers that have purchased and used the product. The combination of these factors allows us to gather a wide range of information to help you choose only the best turtle foods and ensure you have the most accurate information about these products to promote proper care, health, and well-being of your beloved pets.
Why Trust PangoVet?
PangoVet’s licensed and experienced veterinarians have a knowledge base that extends to all kinds of pets—furry, scaly, and feathered—and want only the best for pets of all shapes and sizes. We also have experienced writers and editors who are pet owners with a variety of different pets, and we love our pets as much as you do. We recognize pets as part of our family. We make sure to only choose products from reputable brands highly rated by customers as well as products that we have personal experience with, to ensure that every turtle foods featured in this review is high-quality and safe for your pets.
Conclusion
We hope that you now have a better idea of what to feed your turtle and what they will enjoy the most. We know that it can be hard to wade through all the different options!
Among these reviews, our pick for the best overall turtle food is Tetra ReptoMin Floating Sticks Turtle Food. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly choice, we recommend the Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food.
Featured Image Credit: Colin Behrens, Pixabay