When I go on holiday, my neighbour feeds my fish. This is usually my plan: Mon crisps + tablet, Tue frozen food, Wed crisps + 1/2 tablet, Thu crisps, Fri frozen food, Sat crisps + tablet, Sun nothing. This plan works well, but I don't trust my neighbour to feed them frozen food. So I have a plan without it: Mon tablet + crisps, Tue crisps, Wed 1/2 tablet + crisps, Thu crisps, Fri tablet + crisps, Sat flakes, Sun nothing. My question is whether this is a good plan that corresponds to the other one.
Feeding plan
- Thread starter Gartenprofi
- Start date
For how long are you gone?
If you don't have very young fish and you are not gone for longer than 2 weeks I wouldn't feed at all. Some fasting is better than dying from overfeeding.
If you don't have very young fish and you are not gone for longer than 2 weeks I wouldn't feed at all. Some fasting is better than dying from overfeeding.
Gone for a week???
Zero feeding, Monday through Sunday, has almost zero chance of causing problems.
Having a friend feed your fish for you is almost guaranteed to be a mistake.
Zero feeding, Monday through Sunday, has almost zero chance of causing problems.
Having a friend feed your fish for you is almost guaranteed to be a mistake.
But is the plan good for longer periods? Besides, my neighbour knows a little about fish, and I showed him exactly how much to feed them.
And you think that will help? Oh, that's adorable...
If he knows a little about fish, that means there's a lot more he doesn't know. Well-meaning "helpers" taking care of your fish while you are gone are probably one of the top three killers of fish.
But you sound like you want to do this, so...decide the absolute bare minimum amount of food that you think your fish can possibly survive on in your absence. Take half that amount...because I would bet serious folding money that you overfeed your fish now...and divide that into 2 or 3 portions that you wrap separately in ziploc baggies or small jars. No frozen stuff, no live foods, nothing fancy; plain dry flakes and/or pellets. Label those with the days you want them to be dispensed to the fish. Move all your remaining food supply to your safety deposit box, or perhaps bury it in your garden in an unmarked location which you keep secret.
This plan works wonderfully for any time period that you are likely to be gone, and is limited more by how long you feel comfortable leaving the tank without a water change. No, do not get your helper to attempt a water change.
But you are only going for a week, so...if you want your fish to have by far the best chance of doing well...just leave them be. They will not starve.
Don't trust anybody with your fish. Not partner, friend, neighbour, kids, cat....especially the cat!
Going away for a week? It's nothing but a little blip, your fish will be fine. I've done two weeks without feeding many times.
Going away for a week? It's nothing but a little blip, your fish will be fine. I've done two weeks without feeding many times.