My two turtles grow unevenly

My turtles grow, but unevenly, and I don't know why. I have 2 yellow belly sliders and one is 5 inches while the other one remains at about 3.5 inches. I've had them for 6 months and he just doesn't seem to grow. They're both eating well, and the little one eats a lot more than the big one.
I have a filter, a basking dock, UV lights, and they're in a 30 gallon tank. What could be the issue?

(09-11-2013 10:55 AM)Bella W Wrote:  My turtles grow, but unevenly, and I don't know why. I have 2 yellow belly sliders and one is 5 inches while the other one remains at about 3.5 inches. I've had them for 6 months and he just doesn't seem to grow. They're both eating well, and the little one eats a lot more than the big one.
I have a filter, a basking dock, UV lights, and they're in a 30 gallon tank. What could be the issue?

Turtles don't necessarily grow quickly. If all else is well (proper lights and temps/basking, being fed properly, etc), I wouldn't worry much. YB sliders are omnivorous, but the little ones tend more towards the carnivorous side, needing the protein for growth. If you are feeding a primarily plant based diet that could have allot to do with it. In the wild they supposedly eat allot of dragonfly nymphs, mosquito larvae, etc, so other larval insects could work, black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms/Repti worms/Calci Worms), wax worms, butter worms, maybe even silkworms.

And I know it's hard, but the other thing that may be worthwhile if you are truly concerned would be a fecal test at a qualified reptile vet.

Thank you for your advice. I feed them meal worms, and once a week I'll add some celery. So maybe I should just stick to the proteins? Should I feed the smaller one separately? Maybe the bigger one is stealing her food when I'm not watching.