How can I keep my fish fed while on vacation?
casey_leftwich ????? asked:
We just bought a male Betta for my two year old daughter.
We just bought a male Betta for my two year old daughter.
When we got home, we realized that we won’t be able to feed him while we’re on our 4-day vacation this weekend.
Can he survive without eating? Or do I give him a bunch of food before we leave? Or do they make a time-elapsed feeder thing?
It’s just one of those average sized fish bowls like people used to keep gold fish in.
Lisa
Tags: Gold Fish, Male Betta, Sized Fish
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 am
Jesus
u can buy an automatic fish feeder. I was wondering the same thing a few days ago but i found out that this produst exist
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:03 am
Judith
He’ll be fine without eating for that time. Fish can go easily a week or two without eating. Stay away from the automatic feeders or adding “extra” food, that’ll just foul up the water. Not sure on his tank or “bowl” size, but probably best to do a partial water change just before you leave, and then again when you return-assuming it’s smaller then a 5 gallon tank.
July 24th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Lloyd
Make sure he’s fed before you leave and he’ll be fine. Betta’s can go quite awhile without food and actually do better if they are fasted once in awhile. The food blocks you can add are really bad for messing up the water.
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July 24th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Cathy
Couldn’t a friend check in on him? A friend of yours I mean.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Tommy
Buy an automatic fish feeder but they are costly for just four days. I would reccomend giving him to a friend.
July 27th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Carolyn
Give it a fishing pole and leave the food outside of it opened for it to fish for food.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:36 am
Juan
daily automatic fish feeder or theres these white cubes or in any shape or size u want that are a daily food or weekly food..or u can ask a close friend to come over every night to feed them!
July 30th, 2009 at 5:27 am
Kathy
I don’t know if it will be ok for a Beta, but when I go out of town, I buy a time-release fish food block. They are cheap and you can find them in pet stores or walmart etc.
August 1st, 2009 at 6:41 am
Elsie
Just feed a normal feeding right before you leave. Also, do a partial water change before you leave and as soon as you get home. Much more than 4 days and you should consider some other way of feeding.
I also suggest considering a larger tank. A 5 gallon would be ok, but 10 gallon tanks are much easier to maintain. You should have a heater and filter for the tank. The betta does best at 78F. They can survive in a bowl, but they will do much better and live longer in a filtered and heated tank.
August 4th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Amber
Four days should be fine. Its actually good for fish to go a few days without food every once in a while. It helps clear out their system and decreases chances of constipation and swim bladder.
Don’t give him a bunch of food before you leave, as overfeeding is never a good idea. Fish don’t save food for later, the left over food would foul up the tank and mess up your water perameters.
Have a good vacation.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Rita
Nah, he will be fine. Bettas are pretty hard ass. I had one on my office and he went 5 days without food. Just give him 6 pellets last time you see him and talk to him nice. But feed him as soon as you get back. Mine went throught the weekends with no food and was happy and active. DOn’t worry, and don’t spend on an aoutomatic feeder, you can buy 7 betas for the cost of that thing!
August 7th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Christopher
what ever you do don’t use the blocks of food that kinda fall apart over the days because i have heard so many stories from my friends of when they have used them and they just break up in one day and the fish die. automatic feeder good be a good idea or you could just ask a friend or neighbor to come round and feed them for you that seems to be the easiest
August 7th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Laurie
Do NOT use vacation feeders, the blocks that break up over time. They are TOXIC to an unfiltered tank and if you only have a bowl, I would say that applies to you. They will, no matter what, kill your fish. The fish will be fine for a few days without food and if you don’t feel comfortable leaving it without food for four days, ask a neighbor or a friend to feed it for you.
August 9th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Chester
i wouldn’t spend my money on a automatic feeder there expensive there are little like white cube you can by for about $3 there call vacation feeders you put it in the tank it will bubble and dissolve when the time says it will the beta will eat off of that well your gone. i hope this helps
August 10th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Jeffery
give it to a friend of a family member to take care of it while you are gone, kind of like a fish-sitter