Out of town for 8+ days

[Dallionz]

We're going to be going out of town for a good eight days at the end of December. I do not have anyone that can come and feed my fish. Is it okay to use those multiple-day feeders that you just drop in the tank? Is one better than the other? Are there any other ideas or suggestions that anyone has? Thanks in advance!

 

[clutterydrawer]

If it's only 8 days, they should be ok without food. Those week feeders thingies are usually made of plaster which messes with your pH + hardness and do you really want your fish to eat plaster??

I once used some Tetra Holiday Sticks which claim not to have any plaster in and my water quality was ok but the fish didnt eat any of it. I heard the stuff in them is just filler anyway, not actually nutritional.

http/www.ornamentalfish.org/education/aq...holidaycare.php

^^great link!

 

[The-Wolf]

yeah no need to feed duing your absence
just do a feed before you go and one when you get back.

 

[Dallionz]

Thank you both for your responses. I'm glad that they should be okay. And they love the little algae tabs that I'll give the pleco once in a while - and that will last a day. So I'll probably drop one of those in on my way out the door. Thanks again for the responses!

 

[jflowers]

Went away for a weekend a while ago and used "The three day pyramid fish feeder" made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (UK) LTD. They took two weeks to disolve, raised my PH and the analysis on the packet make it 72.6% ash and 16.2% moisture (Water). Plus there are no fish derivitives, just vegetable ones so no good for carnivores. I wont bother in the future.

Jon

 

[yhbae]

I second (ok third) that advice on not feeding them anything. Thinking about it, mouth-holding females can go up to 1 month without feeding and although they do become thin, they still make it ok... As long as you don't have any super small frys, you should be ok.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I didn't feed my fish for 2 weeks when I went a way once, they were fine when I came back and in a very nice and clean tank!

Fish are not like us, they do not need as much energy and have totally different motabolisms. They'll be fine, do not worry.

 

[Ben]

agreed with others

and if they get desperatly hungry theyll feed off live plants, but thats unlikley, at all

 

[Aquascaper]

I've just been away for 10 days and this is what I did for all 4 of my tanks, inc. the marine reef:

2 weeks before leaving - Reduce the amount of food given by small steps up until day before you leave

Day before leaving - Do a large water change (upto 50%) but don't clean glass, ornaments, etc.

Day of departure - Feed small amount

Day you return - Check water parameters & do normal water change if required, Do Not Feed

2 weeks after coming back - Increase the amount of food in the same sort of steps as you did when reducing amount

It is important that you don't come home and chuck a load of food in as this could cause digestive problems with the fish. The only problem I came back to was algae everywhere No deaths and parameters were spot on

This is what I did and is no way guaranteed but as others have said I wouldn't use the auto-feeders or 'holiday' blocks.

HTH

 

[MrMashashin]

get one of those automatic fish feeders. They feed them twice a day and its for like 4 days worth. I'm sure you could set it for once a day and put a hefty amount in there. Or get "weekend Feeders" They sell them at almost every fish supplier. They look like shells but they arn't they disolve into the water, making the food particles float up. Those last for 2-3 days tops. There is a way to rigg up "wekend feeders" to an auto feeder.

 

[yhbae]

Personally, the only reason I am considering an auto feeder is because I have frys under 1/2 inches (alot of them, actually) in separate tanks. Anything larger, I am comfirmtable with no feed for two weeks easily.

Use the weekend feeder blocks at your own risks as they are known to cause disasters in many of the cases...

 

[Cheese Specialist]

get one of those automatic fish feeders. They feed them twice a day and its for like 4 days worth. I'm sure you could set it for once a day and put a hefty amount in there. Or get "weekend Feeders" They sell them at almost every fish supplier. They look like shells but they arn't they disolve into the water, making the food particles float up. Those last for 2-3 days tops. There is a way to rigg up "wekend feeders" to an auto feeder.

A hefty amount? How much are you feeding your fish? Fish shoud not be fed a lot at once and overfeeding is a major problem and people don't even know they are doing it. If anything they should be fed a small amount a few times, not a "efty" amount once. I feed mine a small amount every other day.

Sorry to go off topic but I thought that it should be mentioned.