leaving on vacation

[stillballin145]

hello everyone.. well isnt evryone happy i stopped multi-posting?!? ya ok well im going on vacation for a week and i was wondering what cares i need to do to my 20g for my cichlids. i love them very much and dont wanna come back a week after ileave and see them floating, missing,or in many pieces. also what do i do about the water ?? -thanks in advance-

 

[N©KI]

Set your lights to a timer (you can get timers for $5 at WalMart) do a water change before you leave and see if you can get someone to feed your fish. If not, get an automatic feeder.

 

[FroggyFox]

Yep...that pretty much sums it up.

 

[fishysmell]

You can find auto feeders for about $15 at petco. Just thought I would add that.

I don't have any auto feeders. I just fatten everyone up before I leave and maybe throw in a vacation tablet if the nitrates are where they should be. Can't say I would recommend that for prized cichlids though...

 

[Eire]

If you get a person to feed them, if they are not used to fish it might be worth premeasuring the food amounts and leave that in little plastic containers and just say "Use one per day". I did that with my aunt last time we were gone for a while.

 

[Coyote]

Stay away from vacation food. I had bad experience with it. Whenever I used it, fish died. Now, I just use auto feeder if I'm out of town more than 3 days.

 

[toodles]

You can let your fish go without food for a week and it won't harm them at all. Do a good water change the night before and don't worry about it.

 

[FroggyFox]

I don't know that I would stay away from the food completely...but it depends on the fish. If you have little fish or young fish, they need to eat more often that larger adult species. I wouldn't want my fish to go w/o food for longer than about 3 days at the most.

 

[Dogsby]

I was gone for 8 days, and all my fish survived without any food. I just gave them a bit more for a few days before i left.

Shawn

 

[Scrumpy]

I'm buying an automatic feeder for my big tank...but for my 20 l there's no hole in the top so I cna't use one.
I'm going away for 5 days (4 nights)....there's one betta and 2 pigmy cats.
There's no one who can feed them so would it be better to put in a holiday tab (can anyone recommend one) or leave them without food? Are the tabs really for bigger tanks?
Otherwise I plans to feed them up a bit and then do a last minute very big water change on each tank.
Thanks

 

[jcd]

all u need to do is to ensure that the light is switched on and off like it usually does.
don t worry about the fish starving to death.in the wild that happens a lot!!!!!!
Happy trip .

 

[nmtuna]

I too am going on vacation in a few weeks, where in walmart can you fish something to turn the light on and off??? Is it just a regular timer or do you need a special one??

Thanks

 

[ducksarefun]

Look in the electrics department (lights, plugs, extension cords, etc) - at least that's where they are in Canadian Tire. Just to be on the safe side, we bought one that had a surge protector (or something like that). It's great, we use it all the time!

 

[sailfinmolly]

Whats the deal?

I mean there chiclids, Go out and buy some feeder fish, and let them loose before you leave. I guess I don't see much point with a timer either. Sounds like a lot of extra stuff to worry about. If they can get any natural light they'll be fine.

My recomendation is:
Buy feeders, let them loose in the tank turn the light off, and enjoy your vacation.

sailfin

 

[Coyote]

If you don't have plants, just turn the light off before you go. If you do have plants, it's better to get a timer.

 

[Somonas]

I agree with froggy fox and toodles or anyone else who says "do a good waterchange, feed them once before you go, turn the lights off, and enjoy your vacation"

2 weeks, on the other hand, is a bit long, and anyone would be wise to get a trusted friend to feed the fish (I did 4 times over 3 weeks)

 

[luvmygobies]

Hey somonas,

Does that suggestion "do a good waterchange.... enjoy your vacation" work with dwarf puffers? I've only had them a week and I'll be going out of town for a few days over the 4th of July holiday.

 

[Somonas]

I don't know anything about dwarf puffers, so I can't comment...
so I don't know how they would react if you left them.

 

[luvmygobies]

Sorry about that. Thanks though

 

[toodles]

Puffers are just like any other fish......they really won't starve in one week.

Aside from any small fry, or saltwater fish like seahorses and anthias, there aren't many fish that will be harmed from the lack of food for one week. Don't forget too that if you have any algae at all in your tank, that's food for many fish. Plants may be nibbled on by others, and some will search for any lost tidbits in the gravel.

Longer periods of time will of course mean getting someone in not only to feed the fish, but to also add top off water if needed, check the filters and heater to make sure they are all working and to make sure nothing has sprung a leak. Then it's best to leave detailed instructions and a phone # where you can be reached!!