Fish Fasting - how much is safe?

[Gix]

I know that one or even two days without feeding can be healthy for a tropical community tank. But I've heard that such a tank can go without feeding for as long as a week without problems! Is this true? Should i still go for those little "food blocks" when I go on week vacations?

 

[Dragonslair]

Yes you are right on two counts. Fish don't need feeding everyday, but leaving them without food for a week is possibly asking for problems when you come back. A vacation block will substitute for the "missing" food.
Remember to do a good water change when you get back. The calcium carbonate that the bits of food is encased in will change the water chemistry as it dissolves.

 

[canarsie11]

I say that a week with out feeding is fine. I would do a water change and then feeding b4 leaving.

Those blocks are crap IMO. When you get back feed fish.

 

[Dwarfs]

As long as the tank is well cycled, they'll be ok for a week. They can pick little bugs and stuff you can't see for a meal. Do you have live plants? They're even more better off with plants around. That's assuming you have small fish. Larger fish have larger meals, and can usually save more of the energy they consume. Lazy fat fish that don't move can go for the longest without food HTH, those blocks are crud IMO, and topdwelling fish usually can't get to them

 

[yhbae]

I do go for 1 week vacation once in a while and I don't feed any food during those weeks. So far, I haven't lost any fish due to starvation. I am pretty comfortable with 1 week fasting (I mean my fish, not me ) but I'm not sure if I would do it for more than that...