fish-Is there any thing available for feeding your fish while on vacation for 5 days?

Question

I have aquarium fish and will be on vacation for 5 days.

Answer 1

Unless you have babies in the tank, you can easily leave them for the five days without feeding them at all. Fish can go for up to three weeks without eating if they are in good condition. If you have babies in the tank, you should get a friend to come in at least once while you are gone to feed them.

I regularly leave mine for a week at a time. I just make sure I feed them well up until I leave and then do a partial (30%) water change a day or two before I leave. I just got back from a long weekend in Kentucky and mine are fine, even the babies.

Those blocks they sell are made of plaster with small food particles embedded in them. I would not use them because I don't like the idea of plaster slowly changing my water quality and chemical make-up. The less foreign things you put into your tank, the better.

Answer 2

There are two types of delayed fish feeders: the first is the mechanical type that releases a set amount of food every 24 hours or so for a set amount of time, and the second is a block of fish food that dissolves slowly over the course of a few days. The blocks are sold in various increments (2 days, 7 days, etc), depending on how long your trip is going to be.

Both kinds of feeders are available at any pet store. If you go on trips frequently, you might be better off buying the mechanical type, as it is obviously reusable.

Answer 3

Ghapy and 8 have given you the best advice here. The blocks are gypsum (plaster of Paris) with food mixed in - they add more chemicals to your tank than anything else. Automatic feeder are okay for long term absences, but it's hard to get exact portion control without a lot of experimentation.

As long as your fish are in good health, feeding them right before you go (normal sized feeding) and as soon as you get back will be enough. I've kept a fish that's a 2-3" mouthbrooder that goes 20-23 days without eating, so your fish can manage five days (unless, as 8 said, you have small fry).

Answer 4

There are actually two options.
One is called a vacation feeder and it looks like a white cake, usually in the shape of a circle or a shell. It is supposed to release the needed nutrients into the water. You can buy them in 7 or 14 day feeders. If you need it for less time, just remove the remaining food when you return.
The other is an automatic feeder. It is a drum style feeder that runs on batteries and clips to the edge of your tank. You fill it with fish food and then set the opening to the amount of food you want released each time. The drum rotates and whenever the opening gets to the bottom it dumps out the food. I believe these will run up to a month.
They recommend using flake food in it and say the pellet style doesn't work as well. I have used it with both kinds. If you use pellets, you will want to test it before you actually leave. If your pellets are too large it will weigh down the drum and it won't turn properly so the fish won't get fed.
Also, you will want to make sure the drum doesn't come in contact with anything (like cords or a filter). This will also stop the drum from turning.
We bought them for each of our aquariums for when we go on vacation (one uses medium pellets, one small pellets, one flakes) and they worked great.
They cost about $5 each.

Answer 5

You can buy vacation feeders, but they tend to foul the tank. Automatic feeders generally suck until you reach the $50 mark. Honestly for under a week you really don't need to worry. In the wild they will go weeks without food. Feed them a bit more than normal 2-3 days before then don't worry.

PS- With really young fish you might need to provide some food. With high aggressive predatory fish you might risk the eating each other. In this case you might want to add ghost shrimp, guppy, goldfish or feeders.

Answer 6

Don't bother with 'block' feeders. They have almost no nutrition in them and are mostly filler that allows it to slow-release. All it really does is contribute more waste to the tank - if you use these you really might as well go without anything.

Speaking of which, most people just don't realize how long fish can go without food. They are cold blooded and don't use energy to warm their bodies - 5 days is truly nothing for fish, except for small fry. I'll fast my fish for up to two weeks without worry. Dropping the temperature of the water gradually before leaving to the low-mid 70's will slow their metabolism and further increase how long they can go without, but I wouldn't bother for only 5 days.

If you are really concerned and don't believe fish can go without food like this, an automatic elecronic feeder will work ok, or you can pre-measure portions and have somebody come in a few times and feed them.

Answer 7

Five days isn't that long, fatten them up before you go and let them fast while you're gone. Because their digestive systems are oriented horizontally, they don't use gravity to aid in digestion the way many animals do. Letting their bellies completely empty out occasionally can be beneficial. In addition, most fish can literally go months without eating, so five days is nothing.

I used to use auto feeders but came home to a mess one too many times. They can be hard to adjust, especially the cheaper ones ($12-$15), resulting in a messy tank. If you go that route, get a good one that works well ($80-$100).

Answer 8

There are slow-dissolving tablets, but I've never liked them. We've always asked a friend or hired a neighbor kid to come in once a day and feed them. They also water the plants and turn on a different light each day so the place looks lived in.

Answer 9

Go to the pet store, they have weekend feeders. Most of them say 3 days. How long it lasts will depend on the number of fish you have. They may not be too happy but they will be OK of they go a day without food.

Answer 10

yep. they make a battery powered feeder that feeds a premeasured amount every 24 hours. Any pet store with fish supplies should have them