feeding while on vacation???

[cyndl]

this might sound dumb, but do they make vacation feeders for sw tanks?? i'll be gone a week and i'm trying to figure this out, cuz i don't know if i can get someone to come feed them for me. i've heard of automatic feeders before too. do they make an inexpensive one that someone could reccomend??
thanks,
cyn

 

[rs1831]

Besides feeding the fish do you have anything for top offs?

 

[rustyj]

Originally Posted by cyndl
this might sound dumb, but do they make vacation feeders for sw tanks?? i'll be gone a week and i'm trying to figure this out, cuz i don't know if i can get someone to come feed them for me. i've heard of automatic feeders before too. do they make an inexpensive one that someone could reccomend??
thanks,
cyn

I have read that you are better off letting your fish go without feeding than have someone feed them for you. Apparently many systems have died from overfeeding. Unless they have fish themselves they WILL overfeed your tank and your fish could die from the excess chemical load on your system. I have two one for each tank and they work well but I want to get the digital one that can deliver the food at a predetermined time so I know the lights will be on. If you cant go this route the fish should be fine for a week without food. If you will be gone longer than prepack the food to be given and leave specific instructions not to deviate from the portions you have put together. The auto feeders work though and are probably the best alternative.

 

[cyndl]

thanks for the replies!
rs1831- thanks for the idea, i hadn't thought of that. fortunately my tank usually doesn't need a top off every week. i'll make sure i do a top off right before i leave and it should be just fine.
RustyJ- i hadn't heard that before. can the fish really go a week with no food? i don't want them to starve while i'm gone. i'll only be gone 6 days. i'm going to look for an automatic feeder and see if i can afford one. but if not. i may just go with the no feeding.
thanks to you both!
cyn

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by cyndl
thanks for the replies!
rs1831- thanks for the idea, i hadn't thought of that. fortunately my tank usually doesn't need a top off every week. i'll make sure i do a top off right before i leave and it should be just fine.
RustyJ- i hadn't heard that before. can the fish really go a week with no food? i don't want them to starve while i'm gone. i'll only be gone 6 days. i'm going to look for an automatic feeder and see if i can afford one. but if not. i may just go with the no feeding.
thanks to you both!
cyn

Most fish can go a week w/o food. Automatic feeders are a risk also, I have seen many stories of feeders that suck, fed all the food at once, and killed the tank. :scared:

 

[xdave]

If you do have someone do it for you, measure out each days food in advance. If it's flake or pellet you can use one of those daily pill containers. The #1 killer of fish is fish food ! Would they need to know how to turn off a filter first? I they do and forget to turn it back on....
Personally, I'd just leave them before I'd trust an autofeeder

 

[cyndl]

thanks, the only one i could afford right now, i was actually wondering if it would really work. so i think i will go with the no feeding thing. i'll be gone 6 days. i'll feed right before i walk out the door and as soon as i get home.
thanks everyone. i was really starting to worry about what i was going to do & how my fishy friends would survive. now i know they should be ok.
hugs!
cyn