Leaving fish without food

The April FOTM Contest Poll is open!
FishForums.net Fish of the Month
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆

Sgooosh

Fish Maniac
Tank of the Month 🏆
2x Fish of the Month 🌟
Joined
Dec 3, 2020
Messages
7,153
Reaction score
3,240
Location
United States
Do you guys think a fw jungle 75g could survive 10 days without food? Ill give them a hearty meal before and after the trip
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorta off topic but do you guys think a fw jungle 75g could survive 10 days without food? Ill give them a hearty meal before and after the trip
What’s the stock?
 
What’s the stock?
pearl gourami 4
guppy (many many of them)
harlequin rasbora (around 10) ranges from small-medium to - sorta big
green cories(not sure how many ) less than 10
2 lone false jullii(mix up)
swordtails:
many little -juvenile
2 massive ones
 
pearl gourami 4
guppy (many many of them)
harlequin rasbora (around 10) ranges from small-medium to - sorta big
green cories(not sure how many ) less than 10
2 lone false jullii(mix up)
swordtails:
many little -juvenile
2 massive ones
10 days - can it be done? Absolutely. Will the fish be lethargic when you get back? For sure.

I think the longest I’ve gone without feeding my fish was 11-12 days because I was on a trip out of state, and they were perfectly fine.

It’s not ideal but it will work if you can’t get someone to feed them.
 
Like YOU, fish could survive 10 days without food...but why not invest in an auto feeder??? I've used a couple of different Eheim feeders with great success. You just need to setup ahead of time to dial-in the frequency and amount.
 
Iv heard a healthy fish can last almost a month without food I personally wouldn’t attempt any longer than 14 days iv also heard that if you slowly drop your tank temperature over the next few days you can slow the metabolism of the fish down dunno if it’s true but kind of sounds true to some extent
 
You could confidently leave adult fish for 10 days but I wouldn't be happy leaving juveniles unfed.
 
If you have to leave fish unfed for a few days to a week or more, do the following things before you go.

Feed the fish 3-5 times a day for a couple of weeks before you go away. This will let the fish gain some weight and they can live off the fat reserves. Use a variety of dry, frozen and live foods.

Do big water changes and gravel clean the substrate every day or two when feeding more. This will keep the water cleaner and reduce the chance of diseases or poor water quality.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Clean the filter a couple of days before you go so it is clean and there is less chance of it blocking up while you are away.

Feed the fish just before you walk out the door and they will be fine for 10 days without any more care.

-------
You can also add a heap of live plants a couple of weeks before you go, assuming you don't already have lots of plants in the tank.

Increase the lighting period to 16 hours a day for 2 weeks before you go and while you're away. It will encourage plants and algae to grow and the fish can pick at that. Reduce the lighting period when you get back.
Have the lights on a timer.
 
Could you use an auto feeder? Or even just ask a neighbour or friend to feed for you? But put the food in a Monday-Friday pill box to they know exactly how much to feed each day?
 
I've often left fish for 10-12 days with no food. I've lost a lot of fish when friends fed them, and when auto feeders malfunctioned (only once there) but can report no losses from lack of food when I've traveled. I don't increase feeding before I leave, either. Regular routine.

I have noticed that fry continue to grow over my trips away. It makes me feel unnecessary....
 
Like YOU, fish could survive 10 days without food...but why not invest in an auto feeder??? I've used a couple of different Eheim feeders with great success. You just need to setup ahead of time to dial-in the frequency and amount.
i have an auto feeder but cories need specialized feeding. ill get it set up
 

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top