I'm getting ready to vacation for 10 days. Any thoughts on if I should purchase an automatic feeder or just not feed my fish? I have two tanks, a well established 110g tropical community tank and a 210g Mbuna tank.
Vacation feeding?
- Thread starter CharlieTuna
- Start date
best thing is to pre package food portions yourself and have a neighbour/friend/relative feed the tank every other day or so when you are gone.
auto feeders are a problem in that they keep dispensing food whether the fish are eating or not, the tank is cloudy etc etc.
you are much safter to underfeed for a bit while you are gone.
even though you control the amounts, its still better to underfeed because you are not around to monitor or do maintainence.
auto feeders are a problem in that they keep dispensing food whether the fish are eating or not, the tank is cloudy etc etc.
you are much safter to underfeed for a bit while you are gone.
even though you control the amounts, its still better to underfeed because you are not around to monitor or do maintainence.
I live in the middle of nowhere - I'm not sure if I can get somebody to care for my fish or not. It will probably be a decision of using a feeder or not feeding at all. I'm not very comfortable with either though.
I had friends feed mine but they left (was planned and i was notified) and my fish didnt eat for 9 days. i have a mbuna tank and rtc tank so its cool 
Hello; I have done it both ways, no feeding and with a feeder. For a ten day trip I would go with no feeding at all. I lost a couple of tanks to overfeeding by a friend.
I used the automatic feeders for two situations. One when I was to be away for a little over three weeks. The other was when I was working away from home for ten months and only able to return on weekends. In both cases the feeders worked out well. I suggest that you set up the feeders a week or so in advance in order to fine tune and adjust the operation of the feeders.
I have left fish for ten days wiyhou feeding with good results several times. A good feeding the day you leave and perhaps a water change right before leaving.
I used the automatic feeders for two situations. One when I was to be away for a little over three weeks. The other was when I was working away from home for ten months and only able to return on weekends. In both cases the feeders worked out well. I suggest that you set up the feeders a week or so in advance in order to fine tune and adjust the operation of the feeders.
I have left fish for ten days wiyhou feeding with good results several times. A good feeding the day you leave and perhaps a water change right before leaving.
Thanks for the response. I'm going to try the not feeding method, fingers crossed that my fish do not turn to cannibalism while I'm gone
I used the Eheim feeder for Cichlid food during my recent vacation. It sucked! The chamber emptied even after very careful setup and the tank exploded with algae. I would not recommend the Eheim feeder for use with Cichlid food.
Hello; This is one reason why I suggest setting a feeder up a week or so in advance. I had to change the amounts and types of food a few times before finding a working combination. I also had to adjust the opening a few times to control how much food was dispensed. One unexpected issue was that the feeder was dumping on a glass cover and had to be moved a bit. The feeders do need some adjustment and it always took a few days. I eventually got mine set up and the operation was good for an extended period of time. The batteries would last well over a month. Not sure what brand I used, they are likely in a box somewhere around here .
Yea I am leaving for a 3 day trip next week and I was worried about not feeding them for 3 days, lol so I guess ill be fine if yall leave yours not fed for 10 days. My tank isnt but 4 days old, will that effect it at all?
I wouldn't feel right about leaving my fish without any food for 10 days. Can they survive?...probably, but it's not ideal. Why not buy an auto-feeder? I have an eheim everyday feeder and it works awesome. I have it setup to feed a very small amount everyday...it's been setup for 6 months and it works flawlessly. IMO, it's the best feeder you can buy for only $28 (with free shipping)- http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Feed...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315884555&sr=1-1
I actually ordered another one today for my new tank. They have awesome reviews (avg 4.5 stars) and it seems like the only issues with them are a result of "user error."
I actually ordered another one today for my new tank. They have awesome reviews (avg 4.5 stars) and it seems like the only issues with them are a result of "user error."