Vacation Food Blocks

[FreshwaterMike]

I'll be going away for 4 days. What sort of food do these vacation blocks give out?

I was thinking about just feeding them double the day before i go away then feed them double again just before i leave. Would this be ok?

 

[tropicalgirl2007]

Hi

I just went to Goa for two weeks and I gave my fish Tetramin Holiday 14 day. They liked it and it was all gone when I got back.

Read below..... and I hope this helps. Becky

Tetramin Holiday 14 day
Existing plaster blocks are “old schoolâ€￾ technology that can wreak havoc on your water quality! Tetra’s innovative new gel feeder blocks contains no plaster and feed from five days with the TetraWeekend, or to up to 14 days with the TetraVacation.

Tetra’s feeders provide real nutrition to fish when they need it.
- Allows fish to eat when hungry vs. plaster feeders that dissolve.
- Packed with Tetra’s patented, health enhancing ProCare ingredients.
- Will not pollute water or negatively effect water quality.
- Gel blocks may be left in the aquarium when regular feeding is resumed.

 

[FreshwaterMike]

They sound great. Are they just normal FS stock?

 

[tropicalgirl2007]

Hi I bought mine online, they were cheaper. I bought them from ebay.

 

[Matty P]

The plaster ones just muck up your tank.

 

[*Fishkies*]

Yeah I would most certainly never buy the plaster vacation feeders. Those are the white ones that supposedly have food in them. They can cloud your water, your fish are basically eating plaster material when they go for their food. Also there doesn't seem to be much food in the "vacation feeder" anyways so I wouldn't try the white plaster ones.

 

[rdd1952]

If you're only going to be gone for 4 days, feed them the day you leave and don't worry about them. Fish can easily go a week or more without food. They will be fine without food. The plaster blocks will create a mess and if the filter happens to sto working, the food decaying plus the ammonia from waste will create an ammonia spike that will wipe out your tank. If the fish aren't fed, they will produce very little waste so the ammonia wouldn't be a problem.

If you feel you must feed them while you're gone, find a friend that you trust to do it. Put a normal feeding amount in a cup and set it on the tank (one for each day they will feed them). Tell them to simply pour the contents of the cup into the tank. HIDE the other food so they can't decide to feed more. If you do this, just have them feed them once on the second or third day. But as I said, the fish will be fine without food for the time you are gone.

 

[loachman]

If you're only going to be gone for 4 days, feed them the day you leave and don't worry about them. Fish can easily go a week or more without food. They will be fine without food. The plaster blocks will create a mess and if the filter happens to sto working, the food decaying plus the ammonia from waste will create an ammonia spike that will wipe out your tank. If the fish aren't fed, they will produce very little waste so the ammonia wouldn't be a problem.

If you feel you must feed them while you're gone, find a friend that you trust to do it. Put a normal feeding amount in a cup and set it on the tank (one for each day they will feed them). Tell them to simply pour the contents of the cup into the tank. HIDE the other food so they can't decide to feed more. If you do this, just have them feed them once on the second or third day. But as I said, the fish will be fine without food for the time you are gone.

I second this. Especially the part about the measuring the food out in a cup and hiding the rest of the food. Friends seem to be horrible at feeding correct quantities even when it's spelled out and seemingly fool-proof.

Currently, I just let them go for a long weekend without any issues at all and this is probably the best way to go for short trips like yours.

 

[Danno]

Make an investment. Don't use those crappy "disolve away feeders". They are all crap, and they put crap in your tank.

Purchase one of these and you will be grateful you did. Click Here

 

[Benauld]

I've had my eye on one of those automatic feeders for a while, but can't find one that would fit underneath the hood of my tank. (They all seem to hang on the side, above the tank.) I could hook one up by leaving the lid open but wouldn't be happy leaving it like this for two weeks incase there are any "jumpers" in the tank. Does anyone know of any different designs for auto feeders?

 

[rdd1952]

The biggest problem with auto feeders is the risk that they malfuction (seems to happen quite often from what I have read) and dump too much food in the tank. If that happens, depending on how long you are gone, you can return to a massive ammonia spike and dead fish. Personally, i would rather not feed at all than rely on an auto feeder or the blocks.

 

[connorsbala]

I gave them the nutrafin treasure chest one and they seemed to eat it!

 

[vinylman]

Feed your fish as normal the week leading up to your break, do a water change the day before you go, don't bother with a feeding block and enjoy your break. Don't worry about them. It's a damn sight easier to overfeed fish than starve them to death.