Re: Vacation checklist

[RedForeman ©®]

> Hey Guys/Gals,
> Can you help us develop a checklist for a 1wk vacation. Plan is no tank
> babysitters as it's only a week.

Me too... and I've heard that your idea is best... last time I had a sitter,
I came back to algae soup, with food as croutons everywhere...

My plan is to do 2 20% water changes the week before and a 30% the day
before, feed sparsely, as to not pollute the clean tank.... only what they
eat in a few minutes... do this a couple times to ensure they've got
enough... and forget 'em....

[~Vicki ~]

I go away for weeks at a time and never worry about my fish. One week
away will not hurt them.

Vicki

[NetMax]

"D&M" > wrote in message
...
> Hey Guys/Gals,
> Can you help us develop a checklist for a 1wk vacation. Plan is no tank
> babysitters as it's only a week.
>
> Cheers

It would depend on the fish (omnivores or carnivores), the tank
(planted?), their health, relative size of the fish (hungry big fish eat
small fish) and the fish types (ie: cichlids or tetras?). Some tanks
have a precarious equilibrium, due to high fish load, aggressive fish, or
extreme sizes. These tanks should not be left alone for too long. Other
tanks with low fish load, planted, and with omnivores or herbivores can
go many weeks without human intervention. My understanding is that it
takes about a week (on average) to starve a healthy fish, and this varies
by species (and size). My piranha tank is good for about 1 day and then
they take matters into their own hands ;~)

You really need to use your discretion and knowledge of your tank's
inhabitants. If using a babysitter, portion the food into small film
containers and have the visits about every 2 or 3 days. If using an
automatic feeder, set to small portions and have it running at least 1 or
2 days before leaving. If using weekend blocks, shave some off and feed
it like fish food (so they associate the white dry powdery stuff as a
food item after you have dropped it into the tank and left).

NetMax