How to Care for a Yellow Bellied Slider Turtle When You Go Away

When you go away from home, it's natural to worry about your pets. Yellow bellied slider turtles can easily go for a few days without attention. As long as the temperatures are kept consistent and the water is clean, they will be fine. With a few preparations, pet turtles may not even notice your absence. If you are going to be gone longer, it's best to make some arrangements for someone else to check on them occasionally.

Things You'll Need

• Heat lamp
• Timer
• Turtle food
• Edible aquatic plants (optional)
• Gravel vacuum

Instructions

1. Plug a heat lamp into a timer that is set to come on roughly at dawn and turn off at dusk. The heat lamp will allow the turtle to bask and keep the temperature up, and prevent wasting energy during times when the turtle is not active. The ideal water temperature should be approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with a basking spot temperature around 90 degrees.

2. Feed the turtle more than usual before leaving. Turtles can go long periods without food, so a few extra meals during the week before won't hurt. If the trip is more than one week, add feeder fish such as rosy reds or guppies to the tank. They will live in the tank until the turtle chases them down and eats them. Edible aquatic plants such as Anacharis can be added, too.

3. Clean the turtle's tank right before you leave. Remove any detritus with a gravel vacuum, do a partial water change and clean the filter and filter medium.

Tips & Warnings

• If you will be gone for longer than one week, have a pet sitter or someone you trust check on the turtle every couple of days. If the person is not familiar with turtle care, write out an instruction sheet with directions on how often to feed the turtle, the normal temperature range and how to service the filter. Note any possible health problems and instructions on what to do in the case of an emergency. Don't forget to leave a contact number where the person can reach you.

References

• Wet Web Media: FAQs About Turtles in General 2
• "Aquatic Turtles: Sliders, Cooters, Painted, and Map Turtles"; R. D. Bartlett and Patricia Bartlett; 2003