If you don’t have anyone available to be your fish-sitter and your picky finned friends won’t eat from an automatic feeder, other solutions exist; one being using a slow-release vacation food block.
These blocks gradually dissolve over the course of one week to provide your pet with food while you’re away, without clouding their tank water or being harmful to most tropical fish species.
Contents
1. Slow-Release Vacation Food Block
If you need an easy and cost-effective solution to feed your goldfish while traveling, try a slow-release feeder block. Packed with nutritious freeze-dried food that slowly releases into the water over several days, these blocks offer small meals regularly without overfeeding your goldfish. These blocks come in both short-term and long-term versions.
This timer-release block was specifically made to cater to betta fish, featuring krill and whole micro-betta food pellets to support your finned friend while you’re away. It can feed 10-15 gallon tanks for up to seven days with no negative impacts to aquarium water quality.
To use this product, simply remove the foil seal and tray, and drop your chosen feeding block(s). Follow the recommended feeding chart when making decisions regarding their placement within your aquarium.
2. Automatic Feeder
Goldfish require special consideration, however they can still be kept safe while you’re away if their owners leave them without supervision. There are automatic feeders designed specifically to prevent their starvation during your absence.
This device comes equipped with a timer that can be set to dispense food one or more times daily, dispensing different-sized meals each time.
This device also includes a spot for ice packs that can be frozen ahead of time and put directly in the freezer. Unfortunately, its design is somewhat restricted as its timer mechanism is housed such that your pet cannot directly access its food compartment directly behind.
Furthermore, this device tends to make loud noises when activated, which may be disturbing for pets that sleep during the night. Furthermore, food dust residue tends to build up on disk and bolts near its stepper motor, diminishing performance over time.
3. Live Food Dispenser
Feeder goldfish have primitive digestive systems and require multiple small feedings throughout the day, using a digital timer can make this easy by automatically dispensing food at predetermined times while you adjust portions sizes as needed.
This model can be programmed to dispense food up to six times daily and up to nine portions each time, according to your preference. It also features an instant feeding button which instantly distributes meals.
The food container features an adjustable sliding opening that enables users to control how much food is dispensed at each feeding, rotating after every portion is released to prevent mold or spoilage. Water resistant and designed to accommodate most types of fish food including flakes, pellets and powders.
Feeder goldfish are peaceful creatures and thrive in tanks that allow them to swim freely. Provide them with a muddy substrate and temperatures similar to their natural environment in order to promote healthy growth, but avoid overfeeding as this could cause stress.
4. Find a Fish-Loving Friend
If you don’t want your goldfish living alone in her aquarium, adding another fish-loving tankmate may help her remain healthy and happy. Research indicates that goldfish tend to be much more active and have better appetites when kept together than when isolated in solo tanks.
Caution must be exercised when choosing tank mates for your fancy goldfish; some species, like red-tailed sharks, can be highly territorial and aggressive towards smaller, slower swimming goldfish and can easily chase them off into corners of your aquarium.
Hillstream loaches are peaceful bottom feeders that benefit from eating uneaten food and debris left in your tank, and can tolerate lower temperatures than goldfish prefer. Bristlenose catfish also make excellent options – these beautiful bottom feeders have long whiskers to protect them from predators or smugglers while simultaneously helping keep your tank clean!
