Vacation feeding "blocks" or "pyramids"

[flintstone]

I am planning my vacation and am wondering if instead of having someone feed my fish daily, should I purchase some of those white vacation feeding pyramids that I see in the LFS?

Have any of you tried them? Do they work? Do they mess up your tanks?

I am considering this due to the fact that I have 5 tanks and I am not sure if someone else might over feed and really muck things up.

Thank you for your replies!

 

[Fiddlesticks]

I have never used one myself, but I have heard horror stories about them. Some fish are little pigs, and I beleive cichlids are bad for biting off more than they can chew so to speak. They will apparently eat too much right away, and owners have been known to come back to sick or dead fish. How long are you going for? If its only a few days (2-3) they will probably be fine as long as you feed right before leaving.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I'd personally be fine with leaving my fish for more than a week without food, depending on the type maybe more.

Those blacks are bad news. They are 'bulked up' with ash and plaster and are only for bottom feeders as the rest can't get them. They dissolve into your tank and often can leave your filter a mess.

I'd recommend automatic feeders but with 5 tanks that would prove very expensive. If you could get someone in to feed them, that ould be good. To prevent overfeeding, put the amount of food in an envelope or cup and hide the rest of the food!!

HTH

 

[flintstone]

Thanks fiddlesticks, I knew someone would tell me they were a bad idea.

How long are you going for?

A week.

To prevent overfeeding, put the amount of food in an envelope or cup and hide the rest of the food!!

What a great idea! Thanks Cheese! This is probably what I will do since I have to get someone to watch my beloved cats anyway.



Anyone else have first-hand horror stories to convince me?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Thanks fiddlesticks, I knew someone would tell me they were a bad idea.

How long are you going for?

A week.

They'd be fine for a week.

Just feed them as normal before you go.

I would never use blocks, never.

 

[Nidge]

If you could get someone in to feed them, that ould be good. To prevent overfeeding, put the amount of food in an envelope or cup and hide the rest of the food!!

I agree, I have three tanks and before i go away i dish out the food into plastic cups and put cling film over it to keep it fresh. I leave the cups with a days feed in them on top of the tanks which will get the food and a friend of mine comes in and puts a cup into each tank, easy. Good luck