Vacationing Without Geckos... need ideas

[Revasius]

Hi!

So in about a month, I'm going to be in another state for about a week. I am currently making plans for somebody to come take care of my cresties 1x per day, but I want to have a backup plan incase it doesn't go through.

I do not have a misting system.

Considering my cresteds eat once every 3 days right now, what are my options on puttting food in their cages? Would it be safe to leave them with a single serving of food and just wait until I come back to feed them?

As for humidity, I have 2 tanks where I could set up a dripper (one of the big ones), but I'm at a loss for keeping the humidity up. As well, I'll probably turn their lights off while I'm gone, given the tempeatures are right. Will leaving large dishes or bowls filled with water be enough?

Please, please don't give me the whole talk about being irresponsible or a bad pet owner. I am just looking for advice and ideas for a situation that I may not have any control in. Thank you!

 

[JessJohnson87]

I was lucky when I went away for a week, I left my gecko in the care of man children and they did not kill him!

You can always leave a big dish of water in there, put some rocks in it so no one drowns, they should be fine with that and see if that person can come over twice a week, if once a day is too much, to check on them and refresh the food. I made up some CGD for the week I was gone that way all they had to do was put some in his bowl on the nights I wrote down on the care sheet.

Another option is getting a humidifier for that room and set it up on a timer for 30 minutes on and an hour off or something. One tank of water should last a week if you do that.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

Ideally, if you could have someone at least stop by once a day to spray, you'll be fine.
If not, I'd set up a water dish in each and cover your screens most of the way with a heavy towel. Don't cover the screens completely as there still needs to be ventilation and air circulation. I'd spray/mist heavily just before you leave as well.
As far as food, I'd mix up a slightly larger batch for each the day you leave and put it in just before you leave. They won't starve. They'll probably eat real well for you when you come back though. I'd put down food again as soon as you get back.

 

[Revasius]

Would this work?

Leaving a large bowl of water (not so big that they could drown), in each cage.

Covering the screen witb towels to keep in humidity, and turning off the lights to help with the water not evaporating.

Spraying really heavily before I go.

Leaving CGD in ice-cube form in their bowls. (It might last longer?)

Getting a humidifier.

Setting up drippers on some cages.

Having somebody stop by 2x that week just to check on them.

 

[JessJohnson87]

That should work. Humidifiers are great, I use one for allergies but when I had my guy in our room for a couple of nights when it was really cold out the humidity stay up around 60% during the night after I sprayed the tub. I have a towel placed over the top of my tub and it really does help trap the humidity in.

 

[Revasius]

Do you think they would be okay with being sprayed 2x/week if they have access to water? I'm planning on leaving bowls for them anyway....

 

[Revasius]

Do you think they would be okay with being sprayed 2x/week without a humidifier if they have access to water? I'm planning on leaving bowls for them anyway....

 

[JessJohnson87]

They should be fine if they have access to clean water, they sell warm mist humidifiers for around $30 at Walmart, that's where I got both of mine.

I worried about my little dude when I was gone and contemplated on daily check up texts but I wanted my friends to think that I trusted 3 guys with no reptile experience to watch over him while we were out west.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

That all sounds fine by me.
The only thing I would recommend is that you not leave the food in there frozen. I can see it becoming a harmful idea if someone steps on one. Don't want to freeze your kids.

 

[Hypancistrus]

I leave one of mine for a week in my classroom when we have breaks. She's always done well. I leave a full bowl of water and dampen the substrate before we leave. I leave dry CGD.