Holiday mode?

[Metalman]

Hi all, ok the wife and I are planning on maybe two weeks away in the motorhome in October and it has dawned on me heck the fishes!!!! So I know such items as automatic fish feeders and holiday blocks exist, what do you guys gals do for a fortnight with no one popping in to feed them for you. Thanks in advance, we have lads but fssss like all lads in 20’s not reliably I think.
Gazz

 

[Sunnyspots]

Going on what I've seen others recommend - give them a large water change before going and leave them be. They'll survive off biofilm etc. for 2 weeks without needing anything extra.

 

[Byron]

I agree. Most fish can manage two weeks without feeding, if they are healthy and not fry or some specialist species. [Most of us tend to overfeed regularly to begin with; my fish are fed three days each week (alternate) normally, and not very much at that.] If you really think you need to feed them more, then prepare individual air-tight containers with sufficient for one feeding, and leave instructions that only one is added on day "x" or whatever.

Less food in means less chance of water quality issues harming or even killing the fish. A good water change the day before will last two weeks, assuming the tank is biologically OK to begin with; an overstocked tank is going to have problems.

 

[Cydeth]

I'm lucky that my mum and my sister are both willing to stop in and feed my fish for me, but I try to make it as easy for them as possible.

I always try to provide a variety of foods, but when I am away I just get them to use a good quality stick on tablet to make portion size a none issue.

I use one of those white markers that can be wiped off and put a number on the corner of the tank. Some of my tanks need 1 tablet, others need more, so writing that on the tank was the easiest way I've found to keep things simple.

I would echo the advice above as well, make a large water change before you go away.

 

[Metalman]

We only feed every third day as it is so thanks for info, didn’t know they could last a fortnight. Ok and sorry for posting in wrong section

 

[Colin_T]

Just feed them several times a day for 1-2 weeks before you go and the fish will be able to build up some fat reserves. Then feed them just before you walk out the door on your holiday.

Do more frequent water changes during that time to keep the tank clean. Do a water change the day before you leave so you can check to make sure it hasn't caused any problems.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Clean the filter a few days before you go so it is clean and less likely to have issues while you are away. Wash filter media/ material in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn.

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Unlike mammals and birds that use most of the food they eat to keep warm, most fish take their body temperature from the surrounding water. This means any food they eat goes into growth and movement. This allows well fed fish to survive without food for weeks or even months. If you have lots of live plants in the tank, they can survive even longer.