Fish left alone a week...

Andrew Flexing

Hi all,

I'm going to leave my goldfish home alone for about 8 days. I hope they don't trash the house when I'm gone (parties etc) but I'm worried about them starving. I know there is a feed available the slowly releases specifically for (the fish of) holidaying fish owners...but I have never used that before so I'm a bit unsure of using it. Anyone have experience of this?

Failing that I can try get someone to go to the house to feed the lads every couple of days.

Any advice on leaving fish for long periods?

meoklmrk91

You can buy little blocks of food that the fish can nibble on for the week or an automatic feeder which can be timed to feed each day.

The first will be cheaper but the automatic feeder will be handy because you can use it again in the future. I wouldn't go away and leave them without food for a week.

You can buy both of there in any good sized pet shop or better still a specialist aquatic shop, they will be able to tell you what the best thing to get is.

godtabh

Fish can go a good week without being feed.

I've let my fish plenty of times for at least 7 days with out feeding. This also has a positive effect on water quality as they aren't polluting it

Plascebo

I have used the block (slow release food) a few times with no issues.

The first time was for a fish I had 12 years and was a bit worried in the change to his diet as I was feeding him the same brand of flakes for all those years but it was grand.

Second time I had 3 fish and was leaving for 2 weeks so put two of the blocks in (recommended 1 block for every week) and again no issues.

gregers85

Ya I'd recommend the slow release blocks too! always worked for me!

Andrew Flexing

Great thanks for all of the feedback!

Ill try the slow release blocks...fingers crossed they will be fine....

TooManyDogs

Plascebo wrote: »

Second time I had 3 fish and was leaving for 2 weeks so put two of the blocks in (recommended 1 block for every week) and again no issues.

I thought the idea was they got a block per week rather than 2 blocks at once to last 2 weeks?

Rabidlamb

I'll jump on this if I may.

What's the longest you should leave them with no food ?.
Say if I was away for a weekend, 2 days, would it be acceptable to leave them with no food at all for 48 hours ?.

Gott

Rabidlamb wrote: »

I'll jump on this if I may.

What's the longest you should leave them with no food ?.
Say if I was away for a weekend, 2 days, would it be acceptable to leave them with no food at all for 48 hours ?.

I've heard that fish should be fed at least once every two days, even if it's only a few flakes or whatever, but err on the side of caution and maybe get someone to drop in and feed them for you. That's what we normally do when we go on holidays.

él statutorio

Rabidlamb wrote: »

I'll jump on this if I may.

What's the longest you should leave them with no food ?.
Say if I was away for a weekend, 2 days, would it be acceptable to leave them with no food at all for 48 hours ?.

Fish, especially coldwater fish like goldfish, can go months without eating. IF they're kept in a tank i wouldn't be concerned by leaving for up to a fortnight without food. They'd probably be fine for longer but for any longer then a fortnight I'd prefer to keep an eye on them.

él statutorio

Andrew Flexing wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm going to leave my goldfish home alone for about 8 days. I hope they don't trash the house when I'm gone (parties etc) but I'm worried about them starving. I know there is a feed available the slowly releases specifically for (the fish of) holidaying fish owners...but I have never used that before so I'm a bit unsure of using it. Anyone have experience of this?

Failing that I can try get someone to go to the house to feed the lads every couple of days.

Any advice on leaving fish for long periods?

leave them be, anyone coming in to feed them might overfeed them which will create its own issues. they'll be fine.

Silverfish

The holiday blocks are usually food encased in plaster of paris, which slowly dissolves and releases food. I won't use them in my tanks, they'll make the water filthy - fine for maybe a week, but you run a far higher risk of the water becoming toxic before you get back.

Goldfish will be fine without food for a week.

fox_1973

Cant give you any advise but I once left my sons two goldfish unattended for two weeks while we went on holiday (not intentional, both of us thought the other had organised something) and they were perfectly fine when we got home, I was dreading coming home but all was ok, thank god, and they are still swimming around now 4 years later