Going on Vacation. Will fish be OK

[jess]

I am going on vacation for 10 days. I only have 1 porc puffer with some corals. I have been feeding him quite well everyday for the last week. If I make sure my levels are ok and everything else, well all be ok?
I was told by someone at my LFS that fish can go a few weeks without food and be ok. Any info would be good. THANKS

 

[jastim]

What type of fish do you have in your tank? I am also going on a trip soon and was trying to decide what to do with feeding. I was thinking of getting an automatic feeder so they could at least have some flake food to tide them over until I get back.
I would like to hear others comments on this subject.

 

[wamp]

The main thing is evaporated water.. Do you have someone adding water to the tank while your gone? Most fish can go a while without eating but 10 days is a long stretch in my opinion..

 

[katherine]

I picked up a book (The Marine Aquarium Problem Solver) which gives good info. in just about anything. It is important to find someone who can come over and perform a few simple tasks. "Prepare a measured amount of food for each day, label it with the date to be used and seal it. Reduced feeding will decrease the load on the filtration system and maintain a higher water quality for a longer period of time. Even with half their normal feed, livestock will not suffer over a period of several weeks. It is vitally important to assure the stand-in that NO EXTRA FOOD will be necessary. If using automatic feeders, test for reliability by using them for at least a week before departure. Follow instructions carefully as moisture can cause the flake to become damp and fail to dispense properly ... NEVER understimate the importance of good water quality ... change approx 20 percent of the water one week before departure and another 20 as close to the leaving day as possible using the highest quality water ... and lastly, make sure to top off the evaporated water at least every other day with fresh water to make sure salinity does not increase causing stress".
Hope it helps...

 

[susiepan]

You really have to be careful with evaporation...
ESPECIALLY if there is another heat snap, your temps in the tank can go crazy, between the both of those things, thats enough to cause a BIG problem, not to mention ALL the other things that can go wrong in an instant...Not trying to bum you out, but I've got way too much time and money invested in my tank, and would never leave it that long..(Besides,, I Love my little guys )
I know that my LFS actually has people that will come over to "watch" your tank, or at least check it once a day...The girl in mine does it for virtually nothing,shes a sweety, plus she likes playing with all my other animals...
But to get back to the subject,just my 2 cents, I wouldnt do it for any length of time unattended..
GL
~Susie

 

[fish boy]

i went away for 3 days and when i got back my puffer was biting avery thing he could get his teeth into even the lettece and alage tablets i was feeding my butterfly fish

 

[dugan]

When I go on vacation I ration out food into ice cube trays and label it so that the person taking care of my tanks will feed only the exact amount I want each day they come by. I feed only every 2-3 days anyway but I think 10 days is too long with no food at all.

Katie