Vacation Feeding?

[Canadian Fish]

Has anybody used those "vacation foods" that are supposed to feed the fish over a period of days?

We're going camping from a Monday to a Thursday, so I can feed them around noon on Monday and around noon on Thursday. So basically it's just Tuesday and Wednesday I won't be there.

A week later, however, we are going to be away for 5 full days. I've read some of the ads for various ones online, and they claim 3 days or 5 days, etc. Do they really work? Is any particular brand better?

Also, they didn't seem to indicate how many fish they would feed. (or what type). I usually use three kinds of food, my goldfish food, plus sinking pellets for the corys and loaches, and flake food for everything else. (The goldfish are in their own tank)

Any input is appreciated, thanks!

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Do not use any "vacation foods".

Feed them up well the day before you leave and stop worrying. They'll survive a week quite happily without food.

 

[kcartwright856]

Definitely NO on vacation foods. That stuff can and will crash your tank.

Fish are just fine for a week without food. I would personally feed normally before you leave, rather than feeding more. Any uneaten food in the tank is bad news, and more food eaten = more waste produced. Depending on your stock, there is a chance to throw the tank into a mini-cycle with a spike in waste.

It just isn't worth the risk to me.

 

[CezzaXV]

Most fish can easily go a week or two without food no problem.

 

[Aquamaniac]

The previous week you can overfeed them. Do small amounts at the time so it does not detiorate the water quality.
Then they'll be fine for the next few weeks when you come back you'll find yourself to find your fish with such a healthy and atractive appearance.

 

[OldMan47]

I have used them and was disappointed. I used the gel foods that were rated to feed my fish for a week. When I returned from an extended absence I found all of my fry gone, I suspect they were treated as food on the hoof by the adult fish. Since I still had an unused sample of the week long feeder I decided to try it in my community tank. I found, after only 2 days, that it was gone. Although a week long tank feeder may be able to prevent polluting your tank that long, once the fish find the food source, it will disappear rapidly.

 

[Canadian Fish]

Well, got back from our first trip on Thursday and I am happy to report all my fish are alive and healthy. We leave for our next trip Thursday coming, and return Monday, so it will only be one extra day and I'm not anticipating any problems.

 

[nez2768]

thanks for the advice guys, i had already gone & bought some of this food a few weeks back and am on holiday for 1 week , I think i will take the great advice here and not use it

 

[Canadian Fish]

My second trip I fed them Thursday morning before I left, and got a neighbor to feed them Saturday, then I fed them again Monday afternoon when I returned home. I had some new silver dollars that weren't eating well before I left. Since they hadn't eaten much, I didn't want them to go the whole time without food.

I measured it out for my neighbor and left the food for each tank on top of the tank in a dixie cup.

We're camping again the 16th to the 20th of this month, and my neighbor is going to feed them on the 18th.

 

[Aqua Tom]

My second trip I fed them Thursday morning before I left, and got a neighbor to feed them Saturday, then I fed them again Monday afternoon when I returned home. I had some new silver dollars that weren't eating well before I left. Since they hadn't eaten much, I didn't want them to go the whole time without food.

I measured it out for my neighbor and left the food for each tank on top of the tank in a dixie cup.

We're camping again the 16th to the 20th of this month, and my neighbor is going to feed them on the 18th.

Whats a "dixie cup"?


Tom

 

[Canadian Fish]

My second trip I fed them Thursday morning before I left, and got a neighbor to feed them Saturday, then I fed them again Monday afternoon when I returned home. I had some new silver dollars that weren't eating well before I left. Since they hadn't eaten much, I didn't want them to go the whole time without food.

I measured it out for my neighbor and left the food for each tank on top of the tank in a dixie cup.

We're camping again the 16th to the 20th of this month, and my neighbor is going to feed them on the 18th.

Whats a "dixie cup"?


Tom

Dixie Cups

I didn't even realize it was a brand. I don't think ours are the actual brand. They're like little medicine cups, but paper.