vacation

[sparklingcolorsafw]

I just started my new tank and now my husband and are suppost to leave state for a couple of weeks, and we can't get anyone to come over every day to feed my fish. I have a snail, a pleco, two rosy reds five ghost shrimp, and an albino frog. How often do they have to be feed? I feed the fish three times a day and the frog only twice. Any advice about feeding them while away, or how often someone should come over.

 

[maestro]

This could be why ur fish are dieing, 3 times a day is way too much, one feed a day is fine, as you wont be around to do water changes do a big water change before u go, say 50 % using treated tapwater and then get someone to come in twice a week to feed them.

Alternatively you can get a vacation block that you put in the water, i beleive these last 1 week, then get someone to come in twice in the 2nd week

 

[yhbae]

Don't get the vacation block - they are tied to too many disaster stories... The best is to get your friends to feed them.

During my 1 week long vacation, I don't bother to feed them - they will survive one week without food easily.

If you want the minimum hassle, you can ask your friend to come and feed them once every few days - this is more than enough for them to easily survive.

By the way, even during normal days, feeding them once a day, skipping one day per week is more than enough to maintain a good health to your fishes.

 

[sparklingcolorsafw]

Will my frog and shrimp do fine with out eating for a couple of days? That is what I am most worried about. I have never had anything other than normal fish before. So I am concerened about them, at the pet store they said there is only one way to find out. But I don't want to starve them to death. That wouldn't be very nice.

 

[cutechic]

Yes, if both are healthy, the shrimp and frog will be fine for a few days.

 

[sparklingcolorsafw]

Thank you all for your advice. What kind of disaster stories come with the vacation blocks? Just curious.

 

[cutechic]

Those pyramid blocks or vacation feeders have next-to-no nutrition, can cause the water to turn cloudy, and/or cause nitrates to climb. (There are probably other things wrong with them, but I can't think of them offhand. Some fishkeepers who have used them have come back to a tank of dead fish. They're the equivalent of us eating sawdust.

 

[cation]

They're the equivalent of us eating sawdust.

Yum! Sawdust is the best!

 

[yhbae]

Yup, after one week of vacation, some have experienced complete loss of all fishes in their tank!

I've also heard some who used it successfully, but I would never risk my fishes using these junk...

 

[Kittycat]

I've also heard horror stories about friends and family who don't know much about fishes and coming home to sick or dead fish. I think you should ration already the portion for them to give, e.g. putting the amount in a pillbox for different days, etc. When my sister went away for a while, she told her maid to feed the fish, and even with CLEAR, SPECIFIC instructions as to the number of pellets to give, the maid still overfed, claiming that "the fish was still hungry and asking for more food." The result was a lot of poop when my sis got back, and one sick fish. A lot of people who aren't into fishes just don't understand that overfeeding, unlike with humans and mammals, won't just make the fish fat, it would kill them. So I think it's better not to give the person you ask to feed more food than necessary for the time you are away.

 

[sparklingcolorsafw]

Thank you for your advice again. My husband and I were already talking about putting the right amount of food in containers so whoever we get to take care of them can just lift up the feeding slot and dump the food in. Luckly the cats and dog well be a lot easier to take care of.

 

[maestro]

I would much rather take my changes with a vacation block rather than have a non fish keeper feed my fish, if you put them into individual containers still only have one feed every other day as you wont be around to monitor their health or carry out water changes

 

[Aquamick]

Vacation blocks raise pH. A lot. Very quickly, so alkalosis is a real problem. A lot of people don't realise this, and use them with Amazonian fish, causing disasters.

 

[stephend]

Why don't you try one of those little electonic fish feeds made specifically for holidays?

Like this: http/www.theaquariumshop.co.uk/ishop/1029/shopscr278.html

You can set them to drop food in as often as you like, and you don't have to worry about asking the neighbours!

You can test it out for a week before you go to ensure it is doing its job.

I have never used one myself, but I plan on getting one for this summer.

Cheers,

Stephen.

 

[sparklingcolorsafw]

My friend would still have to come over, because I also have two cats, one dog, and ten different plants that all need to be taken care of. I'm just worried about my fish, because last time I had fish I went away for a week and came back to dead fish. Now I'm leaving for two weeks.