General Care Discussion :: Leaving Turtles for Vacation

[MVB]

Hi all,

I'm taking a 9-day vacation in August and finding temporary care for my two young turtles (both are approx 1.5 - 2 inches) is proving somewhat difficult. A friend of mine recommended using a timed turtle feeder that would feed them daily whilst I'm out. Would any of you recommend this? And if not, can anybody recommend another method?

Best,
-MVB

[ataraxiamb]

That sounds like a good plan. Do you have lights with timers as well? It'd be nice if they could get some veggies in during this time... Is there anyone who could stop by even a couple of times while you are gone?

[MVB]

I could get light timers too, and yeah I might be able to swing that - get a friend to stop over... although to be honest, these little guys won't eat veggies. I've tried a range of different leafy greens and they tend to give it a few nips, but never swallow any.

[steve]

It think most importantly have someone to check on them.

[Into_the_Mystic]

keep putting lettuce in the tank.. they will eventually start nibbling on it.

[CactusJohn5]

They are still too young to be left alone for that long of a span. Adult turtles can go weeks without food, so normally experienced handlers just let them be when they go on vacation. Yours are not there yet.

Like others have said, you will need someone to visit once or twice to check on them and feed them.

An auto-feeder will work for food, but a person would be best.

[Into_the_Mystic]

I went on vacay last year for a week and had a friend just go twice to check the water level and to give him a leaf of lettuce and some pellets which I had pre-measured out in baggies. I still worried the whole time I was gone