How Many Days Can You Leave Fish With No Food?

[Yoshi]

Going on hols for a week and wondering if I can leave fish after reading in my book that you can leave them for 10 days?? Worried about letting neighbour feed them as they did that last week and overfed and left me with one dead angelfish, horrendous algae bloom, high nitrite reading and food debris in heaps everywhere... But also don't want them to die if left with no food. Any thoughts?

 

[tangokitty]

AS long as they are all healthy and well fed it should be fine if they have no food for a week or two. Just feed them well a couple of days before and do a large water change before you go.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, many members report they are ok up to two weeks and one of the experienced ones reported wanting to experiment up toward 3 weeks!

The most important thing, as I've read in threads on this topic, seems to be that you should feed the fish very lightly and with long intervals once you get back in order to very gradually bring them back to your more normal feeding schedule.

(Have to admit that despite reporting this, I personally find it hard to actually do and instead still rely on neighbor kids with careful instruction.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tolak]

Two weeks is no problem with healthy adult fish. I've gone 3 weeks without feeding, an extended version of this plan; http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html

 

[Yoshi]

Two weeks is no problem with healthy adult fish. I've gone 3 weeks without feeding, an extended version of this plan; [URL="http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html"]http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html[/URL]

Thanks everyone - I think I will leave them without food as only going for a week then. I am going to put a big note on the tank saysing "Nil by mouth!" to stop my well meaning neighbours feeding them whilst in watering my flowers. They are looking very well so should be OK and did a 50% water change on Thursday after returning from last hols on Wednesday to a disasterous tank - all readings OK since. Off to sunny spain I go!

 

[waterdrop]

Sounds fun Yoshi! ..going to be enjoying some much needed similar fun myself soon

 

[dthoffsett]

Two weeks is no problem with healthy adult fish. I've gone 3 weeks without feeding, an extended version of this plan; [URL="http/"http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html""]http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html[/URL]

Thanks everyone - I think I will leave them without food as only going for a week then. I am going to put a big note on the tank saysing "Nil by mouth!" to stop my well meaning neighbours feeding them whilst in watering my flowers. They are looking very well so should be OK and did a 50% water change on Thursday after returning from last hols on Wednesday to a disasterous tank - all readings OK since. Off to sunny spain I go!

You might consider hiding their food just to make sure they aren't fed. And have fun on your holiday.

 

[Yoshi]

Two weeks is no problem with healthy adult fish. I've gone 3 weeks without feeding, an extended version of this plan; <a href="http/"http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html"" target="_blank"><a href="http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html" target="_blank">http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html</a></a>

Thanks everyone - I think I will leave them without food as only going for a week then. I am going to put a big note on the tank saysing "Nil by mouth!" to stop my well meaning neighbours feeding them whilst in watering my flowers. They are looking very well so should be OK and did a 50% water change on Thursday after returning from last hols on Wednesday to a disasterous tank - all readings OK since. Off to sunny spain I go!

You might consider hiding their food just to make sure they aren't fed. And have fun on your holiday.

Good plan - will do!

 

[Yoshi]

Two weeks is no problem with healthy adult fish. I've gone 3 weeks without feeding, an extended version of this plan; <a href="http/"http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html"" target="_blank"><a href="http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html" target="_blank">http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...%20seasons.html</a></a>

Thanks everyone - I think I will leave them without food as only going for a week then. I am going to put a big note on the tank saysing "Nil by mouth!" to stop my well meaning neighbours feeding them whilst in watering my flowers. They are looking very well so should be OK and did a 50% water change on Thursday after returning from last hols on Wednesday to a disasterous tank - all readings OK since. Off to sunny spain I go!

You might consider hiding their food just to make sure they aren't fed. And have fun on your holiday.

Good plan - will do!

Returned from sunny spain and fish all well - thanks everyone for your advice.