pyramid fish feeders

[dwarfgourami]

Oh dear! We've been struggling for days with the Hagen Nutramatic 2 x automatic fish feeder, getting it set up (no instructions), clamping it to the tank, getting the portions the right size - only to find that when actually near a fishtank the wretched thing stops serving after the first portions as the tropical flakes get damp and clamp together. The catfish pellets are fine downstairs, but I can't feed the guppies on them.

In desperation my husband went out and bougth a pyramid feeding block. I am NOT happy as I believe it is going to clog up my tank and I will come back to dead fish and plaster soup.

The bit that really gets me is the instructions. It says: "suitable for 20 average sized fish in a 40 litre tank". Not clear what an average size fish is (2 inches?), but surely if you cram 20 2 inch fish into a 40 ltr tank, feeding them is the last thing you will need to worry about; they'll be dead before I've even packed my bags! And I haven't got a shoe-horn, anyway.

So what is this thing going to do to my 3 platies and 3 guppies?

I'm beginning to think this holiday lark was a bad idea. And it starts tomorrow. And just in case you ask, all the people I could have asked to fishsit are either away themselves or struggling with serious illnesses.

I don't want to go without feeding the poor things either. Or should I? We are talking guppies and platies, 2 at least are pregnant, and we're away for a week.

 

[The-Wolf]

a week without feeding is not a problem, however I do suggest a 50% water change before you leave and the same again on your return.

 

[annka5]

I agree, I think the best option is not to feed them for the week, as it really shouldn't do them any harm.
Also a water change before you go - personally, I wouldn't do as much as 50%, as I really only do about a 25% (approx) water change per week, which seems fine for my tank.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Actually i disagree, i would hate to see my fish's condition after a week of no feeding- they'd be almost starved to death . Have any of you guys starved a fish for a week before and seen its condition?
Also different fish need to be fed on a different basis- guppys have very small stomaches and i don't see them lasting long without food for a week.

 

[dwarfgourami]

"guppys have very small stomaches and i don't see them lasting long without food for a week"

that's what I thought, Tokis- but I am worried about the pyramid. Oh, I really thought we had got the automatic feeder to work, it was running beautifully yesterday, but this morning it was all clogged up again. What do you suggest?
Unfortunately, the lady I was going to ask to help put is very seriously ill, so that's not an option.
Will definitely do water change tonight- and again on the evening we return.

 

[annka5]

I kept guppies, and I had to go away unexpectedly (funeral) and left them. When i got back, they were OK - admittedly, not as happy as normal, but very far from being "only just alive". They were in good health before I left, and were adults.
I can't say exactly how long I was away for though - it was about 18 months ago, and I THINK it was about 5 days - less than a week, I would think, but not by a lot - thats why I said I thought they'd be fine.
I've only used a pyramid block once and came back to 2 dead fish and a really manky-looking tank, so I would not be keen to use one again - however this is only one experience, so maybe someone else has another?
Could you call the store or the makers of the automatic feeder for advice / instructions?

 

[DMan99]

Previously when i went away for a week, i used a pyramid block feeder. I have to be honest, when i came back there were no dead fish and they seem to have all been fed. There was a little bit of the pyramid left so i netted that out and i cant remember the water being cloudy...

I guess its pretty hit and miss.

Good luck with what u decide to do!

dman

 

[debiasir]

Actually i disagree, i would hate to see my fish's condition after a week of no feeding- they'd be almost starved to death . Have any of you guys starved a fish for a week before and seen its condition?
Also different fish need to be fed on a different basis- guppys have very small stomaches and i don't see them lasting long without food for a week.

i did not feed my guppies and neons for 3 days when i went away last

on my return i had no deaths but each fish was very thin indeed and generally looked malnourised so i will never not feed them for more than a day now

 

[Jen]

My platties are fine for a week. If I go away for 5 or 6 days, I leave them, and when I get back, I notice there is less algae. So my fish don't suffer, and they help to control the excess algae. It's a win-win situation!

 

[dwarfgourami]

Unfortunately, calling the store is not going to be any help since they know nothing about the feeders they stock. I rely on you, guys!
Dman, what size was your tank and how many fish did you have in it?

 

[SarahBravo]

Does the automatic feeder not have an intake for an air tube? Lots of them use an air supply to keep the food aerated and dry. Can you see a little air-hose sized hole or nubbin anywhere?

I guess with leaving them it depends if you have heavily planted tanks or not - my fish are fine for a long weekend or more cos they eat the algae and the plants!

 

[SarahBravo]

Hmmm, checked the hagen site, doesn't look like it does have an air dispenser. How about swapping the guppies onto something more solid, like algae tabs or something? Hopefully wouldn't clump together so much? Even if they only get one out of two meals that would be fine....

Or lining the reservoir with waxed or greaseproof paper so it's slidy?

 

[The-Wolf]

on my recent trip to Turkey
I left my fish (including my danios[small stomachs]) alone for the whole week with out food.
I lost not a single one.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Thanks everybody. The man in the lfs (the only one who seems to know about fish) recommended tetra sticks. Well at least there is no plaster in them, only food from what I can see. I'll put in a rather smaller amount than recommended on the packet and hope for the best- unless somebody has had a really awful experience with them?
My guppies have already eaten the algae off my tank, so there are no reserves there for them.

 

[lizard]

I left my fish for seven to ten days at one point, and they did fine. The "little" fish in there included a Guppy and some Neons. They were all fine when I came back and didn't look starved or "barely alive". They were hungry, of course, but they're always hungry

If your tank temperature is in the mid- to upper-seventies, you can turn down the temperature to around seventy. That will slow down the metabolisms of your fish.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard