water changes and food

[Zonatedsumo]

Hi, I have just got my tank up and running. I have fluval 205 filtering 96L of water with plants and 6 zebra dinos, 10 cardinal tetras and a load of trumpet snails. At the moment I am doing 20 to 25 % water changes a week. Is this okay. Also if i am to go on holiday will this cause an issue. Also what feed can I leave for a 2 week holiday. All your help would be appreciated.

 

[Coyne]

I know they sell those time release food tabs, but I couldnt tell you how well they work. I think theyre for 1 week at most anyways.

Any friends or relatives that would be willing to pop by every day or two and feed them?

The only other option that I can think of is purchasing one of those Auto-feeders.

 

[TOMatt]

I'd try hard to find someone that can stop by for 5 minutes to feed them.
I don't know anyone who's ever used an auto-feeder, and if it was me i'd half expect to return to a dead tank if I trusted one...

 

[shellieca]

I would not trust an auto feeder nor would I use the feeder blocks. Most fish can go a week or two without eating. If you are going to be gone for one week, I'd leave them be until you get back, just do a water change before you leave & one when you get back. If you are going to be gone for 2 weeks so long as your tank is well established & healthy you should be able to go 2 weeks without a water change. As for feeding them, if you can get someone to come in maybe every 3rd day just to check on them & drop a LITTLE bit of food, I think you'd be good. You don't want to feed too much because you won't be doing a water change for two weeks.

 

[Rivercats]

If you find someone to feed them I suggest making up little ziplocks of food so they feed only the amount of food you want put in your tank daily. That way you won't come home to possibly find your tank full of uneaten and possibly moldy food because your feeder didn't know how much to feed. Learned this was the best thing to do after a vacation feeding mishap many years ago.