Vacation Feeding?

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Pipa

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 9, 2004
Messages
21
Location
USA
I will have to leave my fish (2 zebra danios, 1 rosy barb, 2 cory catfish) for 5 days next month. Will they be fine with no food? Is it better to use some sort of vacation feeding food, and if so, what kind is best?
My fish and I thank you!
 
On larger fish I would say definately, but on smaller ones like you mention I am not sure. Is there any way you could get someone to feed for you once or twice? If you do get someone to feed for you, make sure you measure out the food carefully beforehand(I like to use those 7 day pill organizers) and hide the bottle. People have a tendancy to want to overfeed the hungry fish.

Just keep in mind that you don't want to feed extra the week before you go, this will only cause more waste to be produced while you are gone.
 
there is a food designed for this. at your lfs there should be 3-5 or 7 day feeders. they slowly release the food for your tank while you are out.
 
I strongly recommend NOT using thos 3 day or so feeder cubes that slowy whither away.. I havelost fish becuase of it. they do nothing but harm. IME
 
5 days is not that long to leave your fish with out food. You could probably leave them for a week or more and they would be fine. If you are concerned about them I would see if you could get some one to check in on them a few times. " If you do get someone to feed for you, make sure you measure out the food carefully beforehand(I like to use those 7 day pill organizers) and hide the bottle. People have a tendancy to want to overfeed the hungry fish."
That is a great idea!!
 
Another option is a mechanical automatic feeder that you can buy at the lfs.
These are usually battery-operated and just clip to the top of the tank.
They have a cylinder with slotted compartments into which you put a premeasured amount of food. As the cylinder slowly rotates(like a dawn-dusk timer), the food falls through a slot and into the tank.

If you decide to use one of these gizmos, you should run it for a few days before you go to make sure it is working OK. :wink:
 
Meredith said:
5 days is not that long to leave your fish with out food. You could probably leave them for a week or more and they would be fine. If you are concerned about them I would see if you could get some one to check in on them a few times. " If you do get someone to feed for you, make sure you measure out the food carefully beforehand(I like to use those 7 day pill organizers) and hide the bottle. People have a tendancy to want to overfeed the hungry fish."
That is a great idea!!
so true! good info,I like the 7 day pill organizer, people like to overfeed fish not relizing it.
 
Menagerie has informed me that fish can go 14 days without food. 5 days should not be a problem at all. Also, many people don't feed their fish for 4-5 dfays when they are battling tank problems anyways....ie hydra. Don't worry about anyone feeding them. YOU ARE FINE :D
 
I read somewhere down there some time ago that the fish the writer's been caring for had gone 2 weeks without food and they were all fine. I have left my fish (neon tetra, white cloud, and otocinclus) without food for 5 days and they were all fine...

I read a lot of threads warning that having someone feed your fish is absolutely the worst thing to do while on leave. Greater chance to harm your fish than do good. Totally agree, thinking what I had known about fish until I started to keep them myself. nod.
 
I've left my tanks without food 4-5 days on several ocassions. Not one casualty. However, a few shrimp that are normally not bothered, have turned up missing.

IMO, stable water is far more important. None of my friends know the first thing about fish, so overfeeding is pretty certain. Amon and Nitra levels can climb quickly due to overfeeding.

One thing Ive found that works if you have a house setter is get the SMALL cube frozen fish food. Have the house setter toss one cube in every third day that your away. This keeps the fish feed and the water quality decent.

The premeasured pill box is an excellent idea. HTH
 
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