how long would you let your fish starve?

[nakomis90]

haahaa im leaving mine for a week so obviously having new imports and them being my babies i have been worried this makes me happier

 

[Mikaila31]

I would let my fish go hungry for over a week, but we have other pets that people have to come take care of. So, I use one of those weekly medicine containers, where they have compartments for every day. I put the amount of food I want them to be fed in there. Then I hid all other food containers and I feed them very lightly.

That said, I'm not sure what to do with my rubber eels when I go on vacation. Everyone I know is afraid of them.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I voted "2 days" but that is only because i have fry in my tanks and fry don't tend to cope as well as their adult versions when it comes to coping for long periods of time without food.

Generally speaking, the larger and longer the fish the easier it is for it to go for long periods of time without food. I know my goldfish and large plecos could probably go for a couple of months without food (many types of catfish originate from area's which can suffer from long periods of drought and so many types of catfish, particularly the larger growing types, have evolved the ability to go for long periods of time with little or no food), while my danio's, guppys and platys etc could probably go for a up to a fortnight without food etc.

 

[freshwaterfishlover]

Going on Vacation Sunday for 9 days. Lights off and no Food in the Fish tanks. No Food and light on in the Lizard and Turtle Tank. Someone is stoping buy to feed the Bird.

 

[kribensis12]

There is a new product out there by Tetra, it is a weekly feeder, but it is in a jell, so the food dosent loose it's value, and it dosent cause a ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate spike. I bought 2 for a 1.50( E .75) and put it in to see how it work's, and i am very satisfied.

 

[benniebru]

ya one concern would be bigger fish, cuz if u have any big fish with smaller fish and they do not get their daily meal the smaller fish will then be substitutited in

 

[dthoffsett]

The longest I've ever gone without feeding them was for 4 days while I was in the hospital.

However, how long they can go without food depends on the species, mouthbrooders (mbuna are the most well known) can go up to 32 days without food when they are holding eggs/fry.

 

[jourdy288]

Midweek, four days, I would do that, but any longer than, that depends on your fish.

 

[BBrain]

I've often gone on holidays for 2 weeks, with nobody touching my FW community tanks. Things are just fine when I return. I'll take that result any day, over some inexperienced person "helping" while I'm away. I've heard zillions of sad stories about doing that, but I can't recall any tales of problems with fish left without food for awhile.