Vacation, how long without feeding? Cardinal Tetras, small fish

[jesusjones]

Will cardinals make it 2 weeks without feeding? The tank is planted and has Ramshorn snails but no other food sources. Strictly, $ wise, either they will be OK or I will just sell them off. I know bigger fish are fine with 2 weeks but what about small tetras and the like?

 

[Rocky998]

I would give them I nice feast the day before the trip, feeding them multiple times throughout the day. Then on the day of the trip put some more food in. (Don't feed them so much as to where it makes the tank bad).
Also make sure you do a large 75% water change a day or two before leaving.

 

[Colin_T]

They will be fine for 2 weeks.

If you have time before you go, feed them more often (3-5 times a day) for a few weeks. This will allow them to build up some fat reserves and they can live off that while you're away.

Do more frequent water changes and gravel cleaning if you feed them more often to keep the aquarium clean.
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 there is less chance of it blocking up while you're away. Wash filter media/ materials in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn.

Feed the fish normally just before you go and they will be waiting for you when you get home.

Have the light on a timer and increase the photoperiod a bit to encourage algae. If worse comes to worse, the fish can eat the algae. Lights can be on for up to 16 hours per day. You can reduce it when you get back.

 

[sharkweek178]

Have the light on a timer and increase the photoperiod a bit to encourage algae. If worse comes to worse, the fish can eat the algae. Lights can be on for up to 16 hours per day. You can reduce it when you get back.

Couldn't they put some Anacharis in too? Mine are always nibbling on that.

 

[Colin_T]

Couldn't they put some Anacharis in too? Mine are always nibbling on that.

Yes, they can add more plants if they like but I think the tank is already planted. If they do add more plants, do it at least 2 weeks before you go so you can monitor the fish for diseases that might come in with the new plants. If they add new plants on the day they leave and something bad is on the plants, it will be 2 weeks before they get home to see what has happened.

 

[jesusjones]

Sweet, that's good news. I will start fattening them up and making sure the tanks extra clean. Thank you everyone for chiming in, appreciate it.

 

[Rocky998]

Sweet, that's good news. I will start fattening them up and making sure the tanks extra clean. Thank you everyone for chiming in, appreciate it.

No problem! Glad we all could help

 

[Mikeyboy123]

I recently went on vacation for two weeks and left a lone neon tetra to fend for himself in a tank full of loads of red cherry shrimp. I did feed him up before I went away and he was fine when I got back. He was on his own because I rescued him from a friend who was throwing his aquarium out. He’s got an injured mouth which is healed but now deformed and as a result can only eat the tiniest nano pellets. I suppose it’s possible that he could have caught the odd newly hatched cherry shrimp but I reckon most tetras are fine for two weeks. I’ve left chilli rasboras for a week.