How Long Can Tropical Fish Go Without Feeding?

[philak]

I'm currently setting up a tank at my girlfriends and going through the fishless cycle there, which is now going nicely. I've enjoyed the process of setting up, planting and chosing potential community fish and i'm now thinking of getting a tank for my own place.

My question is this. Since i spend most weekends away at her place, can any fish in my potential new tank survive without feeding from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon on a regular basis? I've seen in quite a few threads where people don't feed their fish for one day a week but this is 2 or 3 times longer than that.

I've also read that so called "holiday" food blocks aren't good and i don't want to burden someone else with such a regular chore of feeding them so if there is no alternative and it's really not good for the fish then i would rather go without the tank. In my minds eye i've already set up a Lake Malawi tank though........

Cheers

 

[anwhyte]

I'm currently setting up a tank at my girlfriends and going through the fishless cycle there, which is now going nicely. I've enjoyed the process of setting up, planting and chosing potential community fish and i'm now thinking of getting a tank for my own place.

My question is this. Since i spend most weekends away at her place, can any fish in my potential new tank survive without feeding from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon on a regular basis? I've seen in quite a few threads where people don't feed their fish for one day a week but this is 2 or 3 times longer than that.

I've also read that so called "holiday" food blocks aren't good and i don't want to burden someone else with such a regular chore of feeding them so if there is no alternative and it's really not good for the fish then i would rather go without the tank. In my minds eye i've already set up a Lake Malawi tank though........

Cheers

i wouldn't worry, i'm away every weekend at my girlfriends, feed them friday morning & when i get home on sunday, never had a problem with my 2 tanks.

 

[philak]

i wouldn't worry, i'm away every weekend at my girlfriends, feed them friday morning & when i get home on sunday, never had a problem with my 2 tanks.
[/quote]

Thanks for the quick reply. Sounds good to me, especially as i may not leave until friday afternoons on some occasions.

 

[mystus]

fish certainly don't get fed everyday in the wild, so they should be fine. If you really wanna feed them you can get an automatic feeder but use it a few times before to check if it works and doesn't over feed your fish. Don't make the automatic feeder usual, feed them yourself once in a awhile so once so you don't depend on it. In other words don't make the automatic feeder a habit.

 

[fishnovice]

I'm currently setting up a tank at my girlfriends and going through the fishless cycle there, which is now going nicely. I've enjoyed the process of setting up, planting and chosing potential community fish and i'm now thinking of getting a tank for my own place.

My question is this. Since i spend most weekends away at her place, can any fish in my potential new tank survive without feeding from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon on a regular basis? I've seen in quite a few threads where people don't feed their fish for one day a week but this is 2 or 3 times longer than that.

I've also read that so called "holiday" food blocks aren't good and i don't want to burden someone else with such a regular chore of feeding them so if there is no alternative and it's really not good for the fish then i would rather go without the tank. In my minds eye i've already set up a Lake Malawi tank though........

Cheers

They wiil be OK if you feed them before you leave on Fri and when you get back on Sun. Fish can manage with no food for 36hrs as others have said. I've done it a couple of times.
RE holiday blocks. In my expereince they're great, better than relying on inexperienced friends. Flatmate seriously overfed and almost killed all my fish in 4 days.
Had to go away suddenly for 2 weeks last month and used tblocks for all my tanks with mollies, swordtails, cichlids and even pond rudd. Came back to find clear water and healthy well fed fish -with fry! A block feeds 12 average fish for 2 weeks but you can cut them up for smaller tanks. I can give you the seller's name if you want, cheaper than lfs. It's an Ebay powerseller, no personal connection with shop except as customer.

 

[waterdrop]

A lot of the very experienced aquarists on TFF have mentioned leaving their fish totally unfed for two week vacations with no problems and some of then talking about experimenting with going 3 weeks.

When I think about it technically I'm fine with the idea that they're ok for long periods like this. In terms of my personal feelings about my fish though I find it hard psychologically to maybe ever try even the two week gap in feeding like that, perhaps I would try a one week type time frame, but for me on vacations I just find it too easy to pay one of the neighborhood kids to feed my fish and plants. I know its just me and not the fish but I find it hard to think about them getting quite hungry while being under my overall responsibility and care.

Of course for the 2 or 3 day weekend question you're asking, I agree with the others, absolutely no problem!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mickspark81]

you can leave your fish for that time period with no problems at all. In fact...Alot of people suggest this as part of the fishes diet in general.

I personally dont feed my fish on monday and thursday every week and can report nothing but success.

good luck

 

[philak]

Thanks for all the replies. Certainly one less thing to worry about, although i'll certainly check out the blocks. Leaving them totally unfed for 2 to 3 days on a regular basis still deosn't sit quite right even if i know i'ts ok.

Novice, pls let me know the name of that seller.

Cheers all.

 

[crazychris]

Thanks for all the replies. Certainly one less thing to worry about, although i'll certainly check out the blocks. Leaving them totally unfed for 2 to 3 days on a regular basis still deosn't sit quite right even if i know i'ts ok.

Novice, pls let me know the name of that seller.

Cheers all.

I've left my community tanks 8 days with no food at all and they've been fine. Clearest water I've ever had when I returned but some very hungry fish! The weekend/holiday blocks are frankly a waste of money.

 

[zoetetra]

i did not feed my fish for about 10 days and they were fine,it was an emergency though as my tank cracked and had to put them in emergency tanks with no filter just airline until i got tank repaired,then fed only every 3rd day and all was fine

 

[rdd1952]

They will be fine for that time period. Quite a few members her have a "fast" day for their fish each week when they don't feed them. I have left mine unfed over a week's vacation on numerous occasions. There was even a very old thread on here from a teacher who returned to school after the summer holidays to find that the person that should have taken the fish in the school aquarium home for the summer didn't and they had gone the entire summer without being fed. They were apparently thin and the tank was a mess from no water changes but the fish all survived.

 

[OldMan47]

I have left my fish for 2 weeks at a time and not had much problem but that does not mean that it is a good idea to do it as a normal practice. I am forever seeing people say that fish don't get fed every day in the wild. That is perhaps a half truth at best. Many of our fish eat either plant material like algae or bugs. Although bugs can be hard to find near the water at some times of year in a temperate climate, they are never rare near water in a tropical setting. The same goes for algae. Algae may not coat every surface in a creek but is never really missing in a natural setting. Another common food source is decaying plant matter which can always be found to some degree in even the most fertile of growing areas. All of this adds up to an easy statement. Fish don't skip days at all in the wild, I doubt they skip very many hours really. Fish, other than obligate predators, graze almost constantly, even though they can survive long periods without food. Healthy people can go a week or two without food too, but is it really a good practice?