Maximum time without feeding

[Snuffleupagus]

I know this has been discussed before, but typically what is said is that fish can easily go for a week without being fed. I would like to know peoples' opinions on how long that week can be stretched out to, because I'm leaving for 10-11 days for the holidays, and don't know who I would ask to feed the little critters (a lot of my friends will be gone, too).

If I feed them really well for a few days prior to leaving, and then drop in a cucumber slice or two and a mess of bloodworms, do you think they'll be able to make it? I've got clown loaches, tiger barbs, zebra danios, a golden wonder killifish, a bamboo shrimp, and apple snails in my community tank, and a smaller tank with a dwarf puffer in it (no cucumber for him).

 

[poppab02]

Well, I think your community tank might have been allright with that plan but I don't think the dwarf puffer will make it that long without steady meals. Being carnivorous he needs more regular feedings. I might buy one of those cheapo feeders and put some bloodworms or brine shrimp in it. Might be best to do that with flakes for the community too. 10-11 days is really stretching it. Just make sure you clean out the tanks before you go in case the feeders overfeed to prevent a nitrate spike.

 

[FishFingers]

Any chance you could get someone to feed once only. That way no need for over feed. Less chance of coming back to gluppy tank because the person feeding cant over feed. They should survive if the week is broken up.

A cheap feeder might not work right. I'd ask here for a recommended one try the hardware section.

Just keep it simple for the person feeding and when you come back your fish will jump with joy

 

[jrp1588]

I just told the person I left my fish to give them rouchly 1tsp of food per day. Makes me wonder if they actually measured it out...lol. anyway, seemed to work ok.

 

[FishFingers]

Some people have bigger spoons

 

[DepotFish]

In my opinion, I'd get an auto feeder or at the very least a 10 day vitamin shell feeder that will dissolve. If you get somebody to come over, you could ration the food into a large pill holder with seperate days. A dog can go a week without food and still live, so can a human, but does that make it ok? In my personal opinion its just as bad if I leave my dog for a week as it is for the fish.

 

[TankGirl]

I'd advise against loading the tank with food before you go - they will eat only as much as they can, which might be too much for one feeding and cause digestive problems, and whatever they don't eat will decay. Unless the fish normally consume every last bit of fresh veggies (my plecos do) I would not leave that in there because the rind would sit and decay, and you might come back to a tank crash.

I am also concerned about the puffer going that long without eating. The best thing to do for him would be to get a mess - like 30 - tiny baby snails and let them cruise around his tank and he can eat them as desired. Sometimes the LFS will let you harvest the pest baby snails out of their tanks for free.

The best thing would be a reliable auto feeder (don't know if your puffer will accept freeze dried - mine never would) or have someone come by at least twice during the time you are gone. Good luck!

 

[Snuffleupagus]

Yeah, I wasn't planning on loading it with any flake or freeze-dried food, just dumping in a bunch of live bloodworms that I hoped would live in the substrate for a bit until devoured. I assumed a cucumber or two couldn't hurt much, because between the loaches, snails, and shrimp, veggies really are COMPLETELY devoured within a couple days.

My dwarf puffer, like yours, turns up his little nose at freeze-dried foods, so an auto-feeder isn't going to work for him (though someone suggested one with bloodworms or brineshrimp -- how would they live in a feeder? The only ones I've seen have been little chintzy plastic boxes that look like they probably are intended to shake out dry flakes) I kind of like the snail idea.

I've heard nothing but bad things from most people that seem knowledgeable about those ten-day dissolving feeders. Has anyone had a positive experience with one?

Maybe I can find someone to feed my fish once. Then the fish would only have to go 5 days or so, a couple times. Though I feel kind of sorry for them, just thinking about it. The problem is that pretty much everyone I know lives quite a ways away, and many of them will be gone at the same time as I. I hate to ask someone to come more than maybe once. I'll think further over the list of possibilities, though, because I don't want my aquatic friends to suffer needlessly. If only they could ration themselves, I could definitely rely on snails and bloodworms, but they're far too greedy!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The disolvable feeders are nothing but trouble. I've never had a good experience with them. We tried one and I came back 5 days later to a tank full of dead fish and cloudy water.

 

[bosk1]

A dog can go a week without food and still live, so can a human, but does that make it ok? In my personal opinion its just as bad if I leave my dog for a week as it is for the fish.

To us, it may seem the same emotionally. However, fish are cold blooded, and have much slower metabolisms than warm-blooded mammals. Although any of a human, a dog, or a fish can easily survive a week without food, the human and the dog would not be very happy, and would start to show signs of being underfed. The fish in the same circumstances would suffer far less.

 

[poppab02]

I'd never thought of the snail idea, that's a really good idea TG. Definitely go that way to keep the puffer fed.

 

[ChileRelleno]

I too strongly advise against feeding blocks, just another product designed for the ignorant or ill-advised general public.
If you ever do invest in a auto-feeder, test it thoroughly before trusting it for a extended period unattended. Even the name brand reputable makes-n-models can have glitches that need tuning.
If you have a sitter feed'em once or twice, I urge you to pre-package the feedings and include strict instructions.

 

[caribou]

If you have someone that can feed your fish, I've found it helpful to have the food premeasured and dated. You can recycle yogurt/jello cups etc. for this use. I was gone recently for two weeks and had my fish fed four or five times and they did well. If food is not pre-measured you might have trouble with over feeding. The biggest problem can be with lights out feeders such as plecos. I adjust my timer so the other fish can be fed shortly before lights go off and waffers can be thrown in at the same time. My tank is in a basement so a have a little more control over lighting for convenience sake.

 

[whodini]

i got a friends 8 yr old daughter (ofcourse suprvised by mom) used "post-it's"on each tank with all instructions, had pre measured foods post-it's on everything lol when i came home i laughed at myself! i think i went too crazy on the post-its !!!
but everyone/tests was all good 15 days i was gone
Kristen loved feeding the fish and heather loved doing something with her daughter
SO i have fish feeders for life now, still come over every couple days or so to feed my fish

 

[Thaiboxer]

I usually measure out the amount of food that my tanks need in shot glasses before I go. Then I have a friend come in every other day or so (timing worked out in advance) and just dump the shot glasses in their respective tanks.

I made the mistake one time of saying "feed them about this much". I got home and there was food floating in the tank... with an answer of "they looked so hungry though!".

Never again!