Going On A Holiday

[Clarousel]

Hi all, I just searched this forum for posts about what to do with your fish before going on a holiday. I will be away for 2 weeks.

My tank is 5G with 3 cherry barbs. Plants are 2 java ferns, elodea, baby amazon sword and some long thin plant I'm not sure of the name. I can get my sis to help me feed my fish but I read it isn't necessary? I'll do a 50% WC before I go cause I can't trust anyone else with the WCs in those 2 weeks Would this be okay?

 

[Dan-CR4]

when we went away for 15 days they were fine. just got an auto feeder as had no one to come in and feed them. Like you the day before we left I did a water change. when I got back all fish were fine. If you got someone coming into feed your fish then have like a daily pill box with enough food for each visit they make. Some people who have not got fish tend to overfeed which could cause your ammonia levels to rise.

 

[soybean]

If your sister is coming, have her feed every few days at the most. I will happily leave my fish a week or so without a feed. The pill box is a good idea, a tiny amount every 3 days. This keeps your filter fed with ammonia, your fish hungry enough to eat all the food and prevent waste, and should negate the need for a wc.

Do your 50% wc two days before you go, so that you have the next day to ensure everything is still ok with them after doing it.

 

[Clarousel]

I used to feed them once a day and they looked hungry all the time so I started feeding twice. Will ask my sis to feed every 2-3 days. Hope there's a spare pill box around, that's a really good idea!

Thanks for the note on the WC too.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Your fish hungry enough to eat all the food and prevent waste, and should negate the need for a wc.

While in this situation the WC wil be fine, but people reading should note that food and waste are not the only reasons for water chnages and should never negated for that reason alone
Also are you tank lights on a timer for the plants?

 

[soybean]

Your fish hungry enough to eat all the food and prevent waste, and should negate the need for a wc.

While in this situation the WC wil be fine, but people reading should note that food and waste are not the only reasons for water chnages and should never negated for that reason alone
Also are you tank lights on a timer for the plants?

I never intended to suggest these were the only reasons, simply that as there won't be a wc for two weeks, care must be taken not to pollute the water in the meantime - ie by fewer feeds.

OP you don't need to feed the barbs twice a day, once daily is fine. Or split what you would normally give in one feed over two. Fish always act hungry, it's their default setting.

 

[Clarousel]

Also are you tank lights on a timer for the plants?

Oh I don't use a light for the tank. It's in a shady spot on my desk

I never intended to suggest these were the only reasons, simply that as there won't be a wc for two weeks, care must be taken not to pollute the water in the meantime - ie by fewer feeds.

OP you don't need to feed the barbs twice a day, once daily is fine. Or split what you would normally give in one feed over two. Fish always act hungry, it's their default setting.

Alright. Will return to feeding just once then! I don't really know how much to give because they usually snap up the food real quick and return for more. But it's usually a tiny pinch of flake/granules.