Leaving for 12 days

[adeebm]

So, I'm leaving for 6 days over winter break, then coming back for two days, and leaving again for another 6. It's a family vacation, not much I can do about it. Anyways, I know fish can go a week without food, but is 12 days too much? I'll be back half way through, so water changes shouldn't be a problem. I did order an automatic feeder to try out, I could order some more if it works(4 tanks to feed now ). Paying someone to come in requires money, and that assumes I haven't already spent the money on my fish What do you guys do on long vacations?

--Adeeb

 

[tyspot1000]

Ive heard of the auto-feeders being horrible as the dispense to much food at a time leaving a dirty tank.

I would recommend doing a water change before leaving and same when you come back for 2 days.

What I usually do (And some other people on a different forum) is that I first clean my tank (25-50% waterchange with addtional gravel vaac), and then go out and buy a couple of ghost shrimp. (The purpose of the shrimp is that when the fish get hungry, They slowly eat the existing shrimp in the tank.)

I know it sound cruel but it has worked many time with my when I went on vacation and Its the only way I have to feed my fish when gone.

Hope this helped

Tyler

 

[adeebm]

Good ideas. Yep, I usually do weekly 50%s so this will fit right in. Also, the feeder is a 14 day feeder with compartments for each day, so I should be able to control exactly how much gets fed. My biggest worry is my discus since all he eats so far is frozen bloodworms which means no food for him.

--Adeeb

 

[tyspot1000]

Im not sure what to do with the discus, Wait for more input.

 

[Jason7894561230]

You can get someone and tell them how to do it, i did that i wrote up instructions

 

[Mark Hewitt]

So, I'm leaving for 6 days over winter break, then coming back for two days, and leaving again for another 6. It's a family vacation, not much I can do about it. Anyways, I know fish can go a week without food, but is 12 days too much? I'll be back half way through, so water changes shouldn't be a problem. I did order an automatic feeder to try out, I could order some more if it works(4 tanks to feed now ). Paying someone to come in requires money, and that assumes I haven't already spent the money on my fish What do you guys do on long vacations?

--Adeeb

If you're back half way it's not 12 days it's 2 x 6 days?
If you do a water change before you leave and give your fish a good amount of food, bloodworms etc, then they should be ok. Then another water change when you are home and feed them well for the 2 days. They should be fine.

If you do get someone in to feed make sure that you put them out measured amounts of food and make sure you hide the rest. Too many stories of people thinking the poor fish are hungry and chucking in half a tonne of flakes.

 

[mgamer20o0]

no local friends that can come over 1-2 times? i think they will be fine. i have had a tank full of endlers not feed for 2 full weeks when i was gone for some reason they thought there wasnt anything in the tank. it depends on the fish species as well.

 

[uscamaro]

I have an auto fish timer that I've used for my fish for up to 2 weeks. You control how much food gets dispensed and you can have it dispense 1 or 2x a day. It never failed and was like $20.

 

[adeebm]

Thanks guys. I'll try out the feeder, it should be arriving soon. If that doesn't work out then I'll get someone to come in once or twice. It's really scary to leave my fish I always worry about them when I'm gone.

--Adeeb

 

[adeebm]

So, the feeders seem to have worked. They are alive after the first week, and I'm leaving tomorrow for another 6 days. Water changes done. Only think is I seem to have some unnaturally fat tetras :/ hopefully they just ate too much somehow and it's not the beginning of a disease... Not much I can do now.

--Adeeb