Most tropical fish species can survive for several weeks without food in their natural environment; asking someone else to feed them could pose a significant risk due to overfeeding or worsening water quality issues.
Holiday feeding blocks dispense small doses of flake, crisp or pellet food at regular intervals and should be trialled well in advance to make sure your fish accepts them.
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Temperature
Fish are used to adjusting to gradual temperature changes in their natural environments, however drastic decreases can have detrimental effects on their metabolism and health. Fish that haven’t become used to this environment will become more vulnerable to disease and need additional food supplements to stay alive.
Many fish will also become more opportunistic eaters when you’re away and may begin beggging for food from time to time – especially if their tank contains live plants or gravel. Make sure your house sitter understands not to overfeed as this can foul up the aquarium and lead to ammonia spikes.
Battery powered automated feeders that dispense flake, crisp or pellet feed at set intervals using an electronic timer are an ideal way to feed fish during vacations lasting two weeks or longer. Make sure that before leaving home you give the feeder a trial run to see how your fish react and ensure it will serve its purpose effectively throughout your vacation.
Food
Most aquarium and pond fish species can survive up to two weeks without food if they’re healthy, although it’s wiser not to overfeed as excess food may pollute the environment.
If your fish is used to being fed regularly, try and stick to its regular feeding regime until you leave home. While an angelfish may nag for more food (and this should not be indulged); such behavior could create additional stress for both parties involved.
Battery-operated automatic feeders that attach directly to your tank and dispense flakes, pellets or freeze dried food at intervals set by an electronic timer are an ideal way to feed tropical fish. Holiday feeder blocks contain a matrix made up of carbon that dissolves over time affecting water chemistry; additionally chalk in these feeder blocks causes cloudiness which compromises their health. Test out an automatic feeder a few days prior to going away so your tropical fish have had time to adapt while you fine-tune its settings as necessary.
Water
As many people entrust friends or neighbours with caring for their fish while they’re away, providing holiday food such as flakes, pellets or even krill for carnivorous species is often enough to ease anxiety. Weekend feeders provide this essential service.
As part of your preparations before leaving home, it is advisable to test these to gain an idea of their rate of dissolving in the water and thus prevent your fish from overeating or polluting too much waste into their aquarium when you return. This will also prevent you from overfeeding them when returning – thus keeping their aquarium cleaner.
Some people also opt to use holiday blocks – compressed fish food that will last your fish several weeks while you’re gone. When testing them out it is wise to test with different fish; particularly carnivorous ones may use their stored muscle protein and fat reserves as energy reserves in case the holiday block doesn’t agree.
Lighting
Many people worry about providing their fish with enough food during an extended holiday break, yet food should only be considered part of your aquariums overall care; be mindful to consider temperature, filters, heaters and lighting as well.
Adult fish typically can go for one week without food without suffering long term effects; however, overfeeding can create waste build up that compromises water quality.
As such, it’s advisable to provide tropical fish with a special holiday feeding block designed specifically for them. This time release block releases small amounts of low protein food at regular intervals designed to mimic their natural day and night cycle – make sure you trial this block for at least a few days prior to your trip and take note of its performance if using one or an automatic feeder that dispenses pellets, flakes or granules instead.
