Holiday Tips For Safely Leaving My Fish

[jimboshrimp]

Hi everyone
I am going on holiday next Tuesday 06/05/2014 for 11 days , I have a son who lives at home and will be feeding the dogs and fish (5 neon tetras) I am worried he might over feed and then I will have water problems which I wont be able to do anything about and I am worried about leaving the tank with no water change for 11 days also.
I was considering a holiday feeder to put in the tank but not sure best type or if I put something in like that will ammonia spike as there will be food left in obviously ?
I will be doing a water change Tuesday morning as I don't fly till afternoon should I do 50% or what do you advise ?
I have no plants in tank just the 5 neons and gravel substrate and a submarine for them to hide in etc , as I had the massive ich problem and high ammonia when all my other fish snail and shrimps died I haven't added anything until I come back when I can keep a close eye on things.
My water parameters are ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0 ph 6.8 so all ok and neons are happily swimming away and healthy
Thanks for any advise
Angie

 

[the_lock_man]

Definitely don't use a holiday feeder, they are horrendous things, and you are likely to have an ammonia spike.
 
If you've got time to do a 50-75% water change before you go, then that's a good idea.
 
I only usually go on holiday for a week, but I don't get anyone to feed my fish when I'm away. They survive fine. Yours will be fine for 11 days, however if you are worried then put the amount of food you would normally feed into a small container, or into some clingfilm, and just tell your son to feed that, on day 9 or 10, something like that, of day 6 if you would prefer to have them fed in the middle of your holiday.
 
In the wild, they can go for a week or two without feeding quite easily.

 

[fluttermoth]

Buy some plants; cheap bunched pond plants would be ideal.

I would measure out some food for your son to give, but just one or two feeds. They'll do fine being fed once a week while you're away. Do a big water change before you go and feed them as normal; don't be tempted to give them too much extra. Put your lights on a timer.

 

[jimboshrimp]

Thanks very much for replies. I did think the feeder would be a problem so glad I asked about that.
My neons are quite large now so probably mid hol feed and last day will be fine will definitely be doing large water change , I had considered plants but after my horror a few weeks ago I daren't add anything at all do you suggest washing them first in the dirty water or de chlorinated water before I put them in , I forgot to say I do have 2 air stones working in there as well .
Thanks again
Angie

 

[fluttermoth]

It's always a good idea to rinse plants; you don't really need to use old tank or dechlorinted water though; just plain tap water is fine; not too cold though!

What disaster did you go through with your previous plants?

 

[jimboshrimp]

it wasn't the plants that had the disaster I had high ammonia high nitrite cycled with with poor fish in and thanks to you all on here got everything sorted out I then bought 3 endler guppies who must've carried ich with them ( no quarantine tank)  so had massive outbreak of ich and lost most of my fish rabbit snail and both shrimps we weren't sure if the plants carried any of the ich spores so got rid of them all when we basically boiled the gravel scrubbed ornaments completely did 100% water change without changing filter so lost no bacteria now my little tetras are all fine I just daren't add anything again

 

[fluttermoth]

It is extremely unlikely that plants would carry ich. The plants you buy from your LFS won't be grown in fish tanks, so there's no risk of disease from them. You might get pest snails, but a short soak in very strong salt water should get rid of nearly all of them.

 

[jimboshrimp]

Oh thanks very much I'll buy a couple of plants tomorrow I'll soak them first though coz we did have a few stowaways on the last ones lol . I'm going to get a couple of shrimps when I come back then maybe a week later a few danios I really liked the ones I lost  
Take care and thanks to you both 
Angie 

 

[fluttermoth]

You're welcome; have a nice time away

 

[blueboy1]

do a big water change and i actually used a pill box and left small amounts of food in the correct days for my mum to feed while i was away.

 

[Freedom]

 i actually used a pill box and left small amounts of food in the correct days for my mum to feed while i was away.

What a great idea!  A pill box! 

 

[jimboshrimp]

that's what I thought to do but for my poor little 5 neons its really just a pinch lol , but I have 21 tablets a day so I suppose it will have to come with me im going to leave it in an egg cup covered with cling film so he gives exact amount