week without feeding?

[sophie]

In brief, I've happily left my fish without feeding them when on four-five
day breaks (I also routinely fast the coldwater tank for a day or two every
few weeks), but I'm away for a week. The coldwater tank has goldfish, weather
loach, white clouds and a CAE, and my concern is the white clouds; the gf
will eat the algae and I think the dojos would be fine.

tropical - pangios, lambchop (harlequin) rasboras and dwarf gourami, male & 2
female.

I would rather leave them if possible, but is this too long to go without
food for any of these fish? the tropical tank has plants...

many thanks for advice,

--
sophie

[Logic316]

sophie wrote:
> In brief, I've happily left my fish without feeding them when on four-five
> day breaks (I also routinely fast the coldwater tank for a day or two every
> few weeks), but I'm away for a week. The coldwater tank has goldfish, weather
> loach, white clouds and a CAE, and my concern is the white clouds; the gf
> will eat the algae and I think the dojos would be fine.
>
> tropical - pangios, lambchop (harlequin) rasboras and dwarf gourami, male & 2
> female.
>
> I would rather leave them if possible, but is this too long to go without
> food for any of these fish? the tropical tank has plants...
>
> many thanks for advice,


Hi Sophie.
There's probably no need to worry, as starvation is rarely a cause of
aquarium fatalities (careless overfeeding is most often the culprit).
Goldfish can easily go 2 weeks without food. I've even heard of one guy
who goes on vacations over three weeks long without feeding them, and it
has so far had no ill effects. Out in nature it's perfectly normal for
fish to occasionally go very long periods without finding anything to
eat and their metabolisms are equipped to slow down and deal with it. I
can't say for *absolutely* certain about your other aquarium
unhabitants, but this phenomenon holds true for fish in general.

Just remember to do a partial (%20-%30) water change right before you
leave, and DO NOT feed them any extra food in an attempt to compensate.

- Logic316



"Ultimately property rights and personal rights are the same thing."
-- Calvin Coolidge

[sophie]

Logic316 said this:
> sophie wrote:
>> In brief, I've happily left my fish without feeding them when on four-five
>> day breaks (I also routinely fast the coldwater tank for a day or two every
>> few weeks), but I'm away for a week. The coldwater tank has goldfish,
>> weather
>> loach, white clouds and a CAE, and my concern is the white clouds; the gf
>> will eat the algae and I think the dojos would be fine.
>>
>> tropical - pangios, lambchop (harlequin) rasboras and dwarf gourami, male &
>> 2
>> female.
>>
>> I would rather leave them if possible, but is this too long to go without
>> food for any of these fish? the tropical tank has plants...
>>
>> many thanks for advice,
>
>
> Hi Sophie.
> There's probably no need to worry, as starvation is rarely a cause of
> aquarium fatalities (careless overfeeding is most often the culprit).
> Goldfish can easily go 2 weeks without food. I've even heard of one guy
> who goes on vacations over three weeks long without feeding them, and it
> has so far had no ill effects. Out in nature it's perfectly normal for
> fish to occasionally go very long periods without finding anything to
> eat and their metabolisms are equipped to slow down and deal with it. I
> can't say for *absolutely* certain about your other aquarium
> unhabitants, but this phenomenon holds true for fish in general.
>
> Just remember to do a partial (%20-%30) water change right before you
> leave, and DO NOT feed them any extra food in an attempt to compensate.


thanks for the advice, it sounds very sensible and I appreciate it.

now, so long as the goldfish don't realise they're big enough to eat the
white clouds now...


--
sophie
packing.