vacation dilemma

[laura65536]

okay, I am going to be gone for christmas the 20th-jan 6th

I have a trust worthy person to feed my fish, do w/c ect. most of that time, but there are 5 days that that isn't an option, because they will be gone for christmas as well. I am the most paraniod person in the world about leaving my fish because of everyone's horror stories, so I leave VERY specific instructions, and put each days food in a ziploc so there is no chance of over feeding, ect. However, my 55 is the problem, right now I have an array of catfish 3-11" recovering from a very bad bacteria infection, and they don't eat the little feeder/vacation block things you can get, and the bigger cat, without food for 2 days gets pretty nippy at the smaller ones, so he either has to get fed or the little ones will be gone when I get back, and they all have the sickness, so they need to stay in that tank together with the meds.

SO - I can either have the neighbor kid, who keeps fish (has a 10 gallon with 3 goldfish, a betta, and a pleco, and wonders why he's always replacing dead fish) feed my fish, and I don't think he'd only feed them what I put in the ziploc, he likes to watch them eat...
OR - I can chance it and just leave the vacation blocks in the tank and see who's left when I get back....

I'm only worried about the 5 days over christmas, after that I know they will be well taken care of, what do you guys think I should do?

 

[Connor0729]

fish can go for 2-3 weeks without food. just divided the 55 so the big cat can't get to the others. put some feeder blocks in anyways. that way, if the fish really get hungry, the have access to food.

 

[Eupterus]

If you can work it out here's what I think is best.
Auto-feeder with compartments and have your neighbor come check on, but not feed the fish.

 

[X24]

get some light diffuser to make a divider out of, you don't need to feed them for 5 days.

 

[fishdance]

If they are feeding well now, I would heavily condition for next few days and then do a 50% water change on last day. Not worry about feeding or vaction blocks while your away but provide extra cover so the smaller fish dont get eaten. Suitably small sized pots/caves/rocks etc. A lot of floating vegetation is a good idea for emergency food, psychological security and mid level cover. I am not sure on your expertise of fish keeping so I hesitate to mention this last part but I would also set my water temp to be lower than usual which reduces their hunger, fish activity, metabolic waste output and increases Dissolved Oxygen levels.