General Care Discussion :: The Ever Popular Vacation Question

[penelope]

I am more concerned about water evaporation, or her knocking over her log so she can't get up to her dock, than I am about food.
I have timers for the lights, and can feed her the morning we leave and the night we come home, leaving basically 6 unchaperoned days, and 4 days with no food.
I will feel guilty about not feeding her for 4 days, but know she will be OK.
Or I can board her at the vet for 11 bucks a day, but that might stress her out.
Any thoughts?
This is the first time when no one will be around.

[dumbork14]

I can attest to 3 days and 3 nights with no food and chaperone, she seemed fine and didn't even touch the fish that we left for her to eat, as well as the leaf of lettuce. Yeah, the log may be a problem. Can you secure it before you leave?

[steve]

Does she become aggressive if not fed?

[penelope]

I am really not sure; she always has her tummy full. But she does get persnickety when ignored and starts knocking over all her stuff.

[CactusJohn5]

most people do a large feeding right before they leave, add a couple of feeders to the tank also. A week isn't too bad w/o food or basking. Maybe find a friend that can do a check up 2x while you are gone.

[steve]

Can you set up a webcam for her? So you can peep in every few hours?

[slider_keeper]

I leave Toku for two weeks at a time during the summer. I only go back to the house for a day or two to refill the tanks and feeders. I also buy the boxes of spring mix lettuce when I go there. I get the big box and put all the pieces of lettuce in his tank. I mix the pellets with the crushed Fisk flakes and that holds him and the fish over nicely. The guppies still manage to breed babies and they survive. I was in Houston the past three weeks and he was fine, the water in the 150 gal needed about 75 gals of water when I got home and it was topped off again. Just letting you know I do it every summer without any major issues:) I lose a couple fish but that's still beter than most on here that don't leave their turtles for the summer.

[penelope]

@ Steve - at first I thought you meant set up a web cam for her so she could see us and not feel abandoned, ergo not tear up her tank for attention...lol...I am losing my marbles. Anyway, we will be far from civilization, no internet, phone, or turtle cam
@ slider-keeper...I am glad to hear that there are options. How big is Toku? If I put extra greens in her tank they would be gone in a few hours, unless I put a ton. So how much do you toss in? I found a koi pellet feeder that runs on a timer. I don't like giving her pellets only, but since it's just short of a week, I won't feel too guilty. I am more worried about a heat wave but that's another story. I just rigged up a tie so she can't knock over her log and get stuck under it, or leave her unable to get to her dock.
Man! Taking care of all her idiosyncrasies is easy when it's just part of daily life. Now that no one is available to watch her, I realize how high maintenance she is.
But I wouldn't trade it for anything!!!!! I love that gal so much

[slider_keeper]

Toku is 3 yrs. old and about 5 1/2 in. Probably more like 6 in. to be honest. He does fine for two weeks with pellets and a large box of the spring lettuce salads you can get at any grocery store. I get mine at Fry's and Albertson's. being I mix the fish flakes with the pellets in the feeder, only a couple pellets fall out at a time. You can give her less pellets now then when you leave she will get a increased amount. When you come home give her less than usual for a few days and give her plenty of greens:) I don't think you will have much problems being gone for a week only;)

[VeipaCray]

Eheim auto fish feeder. It's programable - set it for once a day and adjust how much food you want to come out. Just let her feed from pellets via the feeder for the days you are gone. You can also add a bunch of Anacharis to the tank for her to have some greens while you are away.

[penelope]

I think I'll get her a little turtle bikini too, since she will feel like she is on vacation getting pellets every day
Maybe she can soak up some fake sun rays (UVB on a timer) and get a little tan

Thanks for all the good info! I think we are good to go...

[jgreerberube]

Don't leave her a LOT of food, becausel she will not stop eating until it is all gone. Red ear sliders will eat and eat, whether they are full or not. And overfeeding her will result in fast growth, which damages the kidneys and liver, and also could result in pyrammiding.