General Care Discussion :: Any food I can leave with my turtle while on vacation?

[waxenwings]

Hey there,

My family and I will be leaving for a 4 night vacation this Thursday and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to keep my turtle fed while we're away. I understand that there are automatic feeders but we're rather pressed for time and money and can't really acquire one right now. She's a Red Eared Slider who's about 4 years old. She typically eats Repto-min and lettuce but she'd devour that right away if we just left it in the tank. Is there something that'll take a few days for her to finish off?

On a side note, would it be okay to leave a red reptile lamp bulb on for her to bask under 24/7 for 4 days?

[steve]

Some people leave a few feeder fish and veggies in the tank, but otherwise 4 days should be OK for an adult RES. It would be great if someone can go check in on her too and make sure the temps and everything else is working OK.

And keep your lights on a timer. Leaving the bulb on all the time will disrupt sleep and behavior patterns.

[note: this topic has been moved]

[Listen97]

I usually get a few feeder fish and throw them in the tank before I leave and make sure to feed a little extra leading up to my vacation. I've been able to go for almost a week with no ill effect but your results may vary depending on how hardy and age of your turtles (mine are apx 8 years old). I would suggets a timer like steve mentioned. You can actually get a real cheap one at Lowes or even Walmart. They set with little pegs to turn on and off at given times. I suggest one for year round use outside of your vacation, makes life easier and also allows you to gaurantee the times the light will be on are contant (give or take daylight savings)

[devilduck]

For 4 days I think your turtle will be fine with a larger than normal feeding the day before you leave. I would also suggest putting a little more water in your tank to compensate for evaporation if you live in a dry area.

[waxenwings]

Alright, that sounds great. We have an indoor light timer already. Thanks for the advice!
I'd like to leave Zoey with some veggies before we go but we haven't fed her lettuce in a long while and I'm worried that she won't be able to take it properly. Would it be better just to not leave her with anything?

[steve]

The suggestion of a slightly larger than normal feeding sounds like a good idea.