Anyone know how long a fish can go without food?
- Thread starter lilfishy
- Start date
depends on what fish and obviously how much they were feed before you stoped feeding them. Also if you have cichlids and there is some good blue/green algae on rocks or other decoy it would help.
Many things fall into play. The only real way to find out would be to test it on a fish but of cource that would be mean.
The longest i left my rasboras without food was a week and 3 days and they seemed ok but it all depends on the tank conditions and the type of fish you have!
Many things fall into play. The only real way to find out would be to test it on a fish but of cource that would be mean.
The longest i left my rasboras without food was a week and 3 days and they seemed ok but it all depends on the tank conditions and the type of fish you have!
luca: smaller fish???
In one book i've read it reccommends not feeding your fish for a day every now and then. I dont know if i agree with it put if you happen to miss a day feeding them then I dont think any harm will come to your fish. I personally wouldnt leave it any longer then that though, just cause i dont want to risk my fish when i dont have to!
In one book i've read it reccommends not feeding your fish for a day every now and then. I dont know if i agree with it put if you happen to miss a day feeding them then I dont think any harm will come to your fish. I personally wouldnt leave it any longer then that though, just cause i dont want to risk my fish when i dont have to!
Well when we had a goldfish in a bowl with no pump or everything. (boy was it hetic) I allowed my fish to go without food maybe a day or two but that would be about it.
There is a type of food you can buy that sits on the bottem of your tank and the fish peck away at it. I don't really know what it is though.
There is a type of food you can buy that sits on the bottem of your tank and the fish peck away at it. I don't really know what it is though.
never use those "special" vacation feeders that nemo mentioned it's messy and could foul up the water in just a few days i know a week is ok for fishes to go without food also temp makes a difference too some fishes metabolism increases when the temps warmer than normal not sure tho but i beleive i read it somewhere on this site a while ago. if your going away for a while like more than two weeks i'd get someone to drop by once or twice a week and feed your fishes just make sure it's someone u know and trust to keep them alive... and not steal ur TV lol jk
Yah most fish can go a week or so without food with the exceptions of some fish like juvenile discus, which need almost constant feeding and fry also need this. Although for adult fish it is beneficial for them to miss feedings. I try to do this on sunday, and my outside "tubbing" fish as i like to call them are fed every 2-3 days.
Most adult fish can hang on for a couple of weeks, though how long depends on what fish, how big, how recently did it have a large meal, fat or thin to start with , and water temp (higher temps, less time). Fry often can't go more than a few days without feeding, some big predators only need feeding once a week. Leave a commnity alone for two weeks, and you really can expect to lose a few fish thro' predation.
Overfeeding isn't good, but neither is underfeeding - if you have fish that naturally browse for food all day, you can't expect good growth or even good health if they can only eat once or twice a day. Notorious examples are marine tangs, angels and butterflies that typically get malnutrition in the aquarium without a good diet (HLLE syndrome), or tropheus in freshwater. Fish can't live on nothing - the majority of 'mysterious' fancy plec deaths are probably due to starvation
Overfeeding isn't good, but neither is underfeeding - if you have fish that naturally browse for food all day, you can't expect good growth or even good health if they can only eat once or twice a day. Notorious examples are marine tangs, angels and butterflies that typically get malnutrition in the aquarium without a good diet (HLLE syndrome), or tropheus in freshwater. Fish can't live on nothing - the majority of 'mysterious' fancy plec deaths are probably due to starvation
I agree with the 1 to 2 weeks depending on fish/conditions and the like. I also agree that its beneficial to regularly have fasting days for you're fish. I never feed my fish on the day I do their tank cleanings/water changes. Also I have several days of lighter feedings, followed by days of heavier feedings. These are mostly done based upon looking at my fish. If I think their getting a little overplump and fat I let them fast a day, or introduce light feedings. You're fish should be well fed, but not to the point of being plump and fat. They should be lean and healthy, and growing.
see a smart idea for liek a "vacation food" would be like a slow disolving tablet that had no ill effects, but after say a period of time, 3,7,10 days it erodes to the point where real food can come out, pellets, brine shrimp, bloodworms, whatever. That be interesting.
But yeh a week to 2 weeks is usually good unless u got some rare or higher difficulty fish. Also on that starving for a 1 day benifit thing, ive also heard that. Its both "supposed" help the fish's digestive system clear out so he doesnt get clogged or what not, and both give a 1 window for bacteria to maintain higher quality water. I sorta like but question that theory, yeht he fish part kinda makes sense, but 1 day without food, bacteria could die off.... i dunno HTH
But yeh a week to 2 weeks is usually good unless u got some rare or higher difficulty fish. Also on that starving for a 1 day benifit thing, ive also heard that. Its both "supposed" help the fish's digestive system clear out so he doesnt get clogged or what not, and both give a 1 window for bacteria to maintain higher quality water. I sorta like but question that theory, yeht he fish part kinda makes sense, but 1 day without food, bacteria could die off.... i dunno HTH
Heh yah I do that too. I get a lot of brown algae in my Brackish tank. So I scrub it all off so its free floating in the water, and then suck it all up during the water change. Also, for my pleco I give him his algae wafer the night before. He's not big enough to eat it all himself yet, and they make a horrible mess after they dissolve. That way I can snag that up in the water change too. Also I'm not perfect. Heh sometimes I feed them on water change day.
Yah I agree also Jawz, I like the idea of fasting days, and it would seem to make sense. But I have no proof or explanation of how its beneficial exactly. I do it in practice and have never had a problem, fish have nice hearty appetites and aren't over-fat. I mostly like it as a bit of relief for people new to the hobby. If you miss an entire day of feeding, or one of your 2 or 3 feedings during the day, don't worry, the fish will be fine. Heh I find on one level people don't think enough about how they look after their tanks, the other side of that is people that all they do is think and worry over caring for their tanks too much. Find a happy medium I say
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Yah I agree also Jawz, I like the idea of fasting days, and it would seem to make sense. But I have no proof or explanation of how its beneficial exactly. I do it in practice and have never had a problem, fish have nice hearty appetites and aren't over-fat. I mostly like it as a bit of relief for people new to the hobby. If you miss an entire day of feeding, or one of your 2 or 3 feedings during the day, don't worry, the fish will be fine. Heh I find on one level people don't think enough about how they look after their tanks, the other side of that is people that all they do is think and worry over caring for their tanks too much. Find a happy medium I say
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