First off I've got a 46 gal tank with about 20 fish in it. I'm going to be leaving town for 12 days and don’t have anyone I can trust to come feed my fish. Does anyone know if those auto feeders you can buy are any good? I know that the feeder blocks are kind of a waste, how else can i feed them. Also any other suggestions or good ideas for me thanks for all your help.
Leaving town
- Thread starter Rebel
- Start date
What I have done is simply follow a very good schedule (feeding, water changes, maintenance) prior to the planned trip, then leave them to their own devices while I'm gone. I've done as much as 10 days this way with only one loss (crispy critter on the floor) out of 10 tanks. Healthy fish in a healthy aquarium should do fine with a fast. If you don't think you can go that long without feeding your fish, and you think someone could make it to your house a couple of times, put the usual serving into separate containers (ziplock baggies, pill organizers...) and tell them to STRICTLY feed ONE serving whenever they come by over the course of the 12 days. I leave my lights on when I go on trips both for the plants and any algae that wants to form while I'm away (free fish food!) I don't use timers, but they're nice to have. 
Friends who have used the feeder blocks have nothing but bad things to say about them and I've seen the resultant cloudy mess that one experienced.
Friends who have used the feeder blocks have nothing but bad things to say about them and I've seen the resultant cloudy mess that one experienced.
Auto feeders work well from what I know. I've got one that came with my SW tank, and my Mom has used it successfully and had no negative comments. You can also just leave them for that time... they won't starve to death in that time unless you've got little fry.
I've heard that it's more stressful for the fish to leave the lights on all night than to leave them off all day. Enough light should get into the room for the fish to see during the day with the lights off, and that way they won't stress out at night. Of course, this might not be the case if you've got plants... in that case, a timer is your best bet. I've got one on my SW tank, and it works great and gives the fish a schedule.
I've heard that it's more stressful for the fish to leave the lights on all night than to leave them off all day. Enough light should get into the room for the fish to see during the day with the lights off, and that way they won't stress out at night. Of course, this might not be the case if you've got plants... in that case, a timer is your best bet. I've got one on my SW tank, and it works great and gives the fish a schedule.
