how long would you let your fish starve?

[rbcxpeter]

hmm...i have a bunch of aggressive fish and since i experienced one of my managuenses to dissapear (assumed eaten), i don't think i'd leave them to starve. I'll just dump a bunch of goldfsh so they can eat whenever they want. If I didn't, then I'd be worried about coming back to see another fish dissapear.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I would venture to guess that about 99% of fish owners feed too much, and if they fed every other day the fish would get a better diet out of it.

Fish are cold blooded, they don't use their own energy to warm their bodies, and for this reason need very little food to get by. Mouthbrooding cichlids will not eat for a month at a time after spawning.

I always leave my fish to not eat while I'm away, it's almost guaranteed that someone else will overfeed the fish - sometimes grossly.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Well....I'm convinced! We're going on vacation in a couple of months and I'm already stressing over who gets to feed the fish , I have several people in mind...but....but, heaven forbid anything went wrong! The designated feeder/caretaker would be at fault I think I'll just leave mine to 'starve'

Better yet, I'll buy hundreds of ghost shrimp for everybody to nibble on, just in case

 

[Heatherpigg]

I dont know how long of vacation you are going for, but I know there are "fish feederd" you can buy that feed you fish for seven day. maybe try one of those instead of having a friend do it.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I said two. However, I'd get someone to feed them or get vacation food if I had to go. I don't employ the "fasting" rule, though there's quite a bit of logic behind it.

 

[De Plano]

I would be more concerned about the water getting changed then the fish gettting fed.

I would want someone to come by and check on the conditions rather than necessarily feed the fish. I would probably wind up having them feed the fish, but I would have it measured out first.

Untill I get some timers I am way more concerned about the plants getting light then the fish getting fed every day.

 

[Alien_spawn]

This topic is kind of a sore point for me last year I went away, and let a non-fishkeeper look after the fish...oh boy what a big mistake lost about 4 fish from overfeeding / poor water conditions

Kinder worries me on if i'll go on a two week holiday....ever again lol, because if i do i think i'd prefer to leave them...

 

[noop]

it's certainly got me thinking

maybe i should 'wean' my fish to feeding every other day, in preparation for the holiday

what about guppy fry? i'm guessing they'll be in more need of food than their fat mothers?

 

[Olive]

it's certainly got me thinking

maybe i should 'wean' my fish to feeding every other day, in preparation for the holiday

what about guppy fry? i'm guessing they'll be in more need of food than their fat mothers?

oh yeah, guppies need more. how old are they?

 

[noop]

what about guppy fry? i'm guessing they'll be in more need of food than their fat mothers?

oh yeah, guppies need more. how old are they?

i have lots of fry now, from a few days old to about 5-6 weeks. i think they'd cannibalise one another if left for too long with no food

 

[thecichlidaddict]

You'd be surprised what these little fry can find to eat.

 

[Inchworm]

I might let my fish go hungry for a day or two, if I was away from home. I'd feel guilty the whole time, though.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

I said 7 or more days. but I'm sure fish could go even longer. even after you come back after 2 weeks, the fish are only hungry, not starving. some species of catfish can go an entire year without food.
When your gone, fish are not without food. besides algae, there are tons of micro organisms and such in the tank that your fish can survive off of for a short amount of time.

 

[TribeOfShroom]

Id rather my fish went hungry for up to two weeks than let a non fishkeeper or inexperienced fishkeeper near my tanks. Its better for them to go hungry than be over fed.

I also agree with this. I went on a 2 week hike in cornwall this summer and left my fish to a family member to look after. Before I went I even wrote down the maintainance schedule. I came back 3 days early to find my tanks with dangerously high toxin levels, my fish over fed and my tank looking like something out of a swamp. I lost my cambodian betta because of that good thing I was quick enough to save my other fish and my other betta.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Depends on the fish. For most common FW tropicals a week will be no problem at all and a couple of weeks would most likely do them no harm as long as they are healthy fish in a clean tank.

For predatory fish I would be less inclined to leave them without food for too long and for SW fish I personally wouldnt leave them more then a few days.

Avoid the feeding blocks. They just mess up your water and do much more hard then a week without food. If you get an automatic feeder make sure you get a decent quality one.