Going Away For 10 Days, Advice?

[curious_k]

Hey,

I have 1 adult male betta in a filtered tank. He's normally fed once daily, but we are going on holiday and there will be 10 days when I'm not here to feed him at all.

How long can a betta go without food, realistically? I'm thinking 10 days is too long? Would getting someone to come in once during the holiday be enough (i.e. he gets fed after 5 days or so)? I don't reeeeally want to use holiday blocks as it's one fish, and he normally eats betta-specific food. But I will if it's the lesser of all the various evils.

Advice please!

 

[community begginer]

they can go for awhile without food but i am thinking it may be alittlew too long. he wont doe of hunger if you worried about that but i just think it maybe a little cruel to starge the little guy. i advise you get someone to feed him while your away.
if you go with this please make sure to show them and write down exactly how much the fighter is fed. dont make teh same mistake i made. i thaught my mum would no how much to feed mine and she over fed them and they died of ammonia poisoning. poor little guy.

just a heads up.

 

[curious_k]

Thanks - I agree about being careful with fish-sitters. Part of the reason I'm nervous is that I once went away leaving a betta bowl and a goldfish tank, and my flatmate got the foods mixed up and fed too much as well........ the goldfish died......

Anyway - I have put out a plea to my friends asking if someone will come in and feed the little 'un. Fingers crossed.

Only other option I suppose would be to board him at the pet shop???! I don't trust them not to keep him in a sandwich bag though.

 

[Lynda B]

I think having someone come in once, at the half-way point, would be fine.

What size tank is he in? If large enough, you wouldn't have to worry about a water change in your absence.

 

[curious_k]

I think having someone come in once, at the half-way point, would be fine.

What size tank is he in? If large enough, you wouldn't have to worry about a water change in your absence.

It's 30L (8 gallons or thereabouts?) and has cycled filter. I cleaned & did 30% water change in the last week, but will have an extra go at the gravel before I leave.

 

[l.michelle]

If you can, see if you can get one of those little pill a day plastic things, lol sorry i don't know what they're called, or put the amount of food you want given into something and tell them to only give that. the reason, as odd as this may sound, the size of a dime (for example) could vary between people. I told my mother when I went away how much should be given, i showed her, and let her try, i came back from vacation with filters full of food, food all over the bottom of my tanks. Not a nice ending to holiday!

Also, those food blocks create huge messes in the tank and would only serve to muck up the water.

A good water change before you go should be fine untiol you come back, but change it once again when you get back