# Going on vacation: Food for 2 weeks?



## Sophie and Mom (Feb 28, 2012)

Hey all,

I'm going on vacation for two weeks. I did a search, but didn't find anything useful.

What have you all used to feed your fish for a long period away?

Thanks!


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

Nothing. People leave their fish for over a month without food.

They graze on algae, bacteria, plants, copepods and other little critters, etc. They wont starve.

Those feeder blocks they sell tend to cause more problems than they solve... Automatic feeders are an option. I've never used one, but I've heard they an be unreliable and might overfeed. No experience there.


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## Sophie and Mom (Feb 28, 2012)

Well, I do have some cushy looking furry algae that I haven't been able to get rid of. If they graze, that would take care of the algae. 

I have a guppy fry tank, too, and that one is seemingly algae free. Should I worry about the fry?


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## Silvering (Jun 10, 2011)

If I'm going away for a week or more, I'll put a bit of the gel-and-flake "weekender" food in my tanks. Hasn't caused any problems for me, but I don't use the "full dose" as adult fish can easily go for extended periods without added food. Mouthbrooding cichlids will go for 28 days without eating!  I would add a little something to the fry tank if it's pretty bare, since you'll be gone for a long time; but if there's lots of moss and such they should be fine feeding on microfauna. 

I agree on the wariness of automatic feeders - unless you have a month or more to monitor a new auto feeder, don't get one for your trip. Small changes in the aperture on mine can cause very large changes in the volume of food dispensed, and that's not good if you're going to be gone!


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## Sophie and Mom (Feb 28, 2012)

Silvering said:


> I would add a little something to the fry tank if it's pretty bare, since you'll be gone for a long time; but if there's lots of moss and such they should be fine feeding on microfauna.
> !


There_ is_ a lot of moss in there. They may be okay with just the moss.


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## xenxes (Aug 1, 2012)

Start a colony of scuds!


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

The gel foods (I think Tetra makes them) are good. Fish seem to eat them slowly, not gorge on them. Safe for shrimp tanks, too. I have no idea how much shrimp might eat of this material.


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## xenxes (Aug 1, 2012)

Repashy does too, but they last a few days, not two weeks. 

Shrimp you can go without feeding for 2 weeks, I normally just throw in some fresh spinach leaves, carrots, or a zucchini slice. There is enough for them to eat growing on plants and moss.

Fish I do leave a feeder block, even though I don't like them, but they do the trick. Two weeks on unhealthy "fast food" is better than starving to death. If you have a daphnia or scud culture they would do great. I actually have a colony of scuds in my big tank, so theoretically I.. don't ever have to feed!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

If you have a neighbor kid you can get yourself one of those medicine dose containers. They come in one week, and even 1 month. Put food in and then someone can just dump that days' worth in. I have put tape on my with every other day to feed . Works great. I have to have someone gather mail/ water porch plants, etc. so they don't mind dumping a little pill box of food every other day.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Skizhx said:


> Nothing. People leave their fish for over a month without food.
> 
> They graze on algae, bacteria, plants, copepods and other little critters, etc. They wont starve.
> 
> Those feeder blocks they sell tend to cause more problems than they solve... Automatic feeders are an option. I've never used one, but I've heard they an be unreliable and might overfeed. No experience there.


Just came home from my vacation. I normally use an automatic feeder without trouble. But this I used it only on one tank and the other tank without food for 2 weeks. I gave them a little extra live food before I left and after I returned but they seem all fine, not one loss. Last year the automatic feeder didn't worked on my other tank, so they hadn't eat for 2 weeks too (quite heavily stocked) also no visible losses.

Unless your tank is very heavily stocked, they will be okay. If you want to change food and your fish don't like it, they won't eat for 2 weeks as well before they accept the new food. But I prefer to use the automatic feeder, well adjusted at least a week before I leave.


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## joshvito (Apr 6, 2009)

If i am not growing out juvenile fish, I just leave them when I go on vacation.

Maybe you can have someone stop by and feed once at the 1 week mark?

IMO, Overfeeding is more of an issue than not feeding.


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## Transposon (Jul 16, 2005)

I agree. Unless it's a fry/juvenile tank, 2 weeks without feeding in a planted tank shouldn't be that bad. Instead of food I would consider getting rid of waste more of a concern on vocations. But then again, good plant growth probably helps greatly.


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