Ashi wrote:

Hi,

I am going on vacation for about six weeks, and trying to figure out a
way to feed my five goldfish (2"-3") in a 55 gallon tank running one
Emperor 400 and one Emperor 280 filters. This is the first time I
will be away for this long. I have asked a friend to look after my
fish, but the best he can do is to come by once every two weeks. I
currently have a Eheim feeder, but it doesn't work very well. My fish
only eat flakes (I tried palettes, but it just accumulates on the
aquarium floor), and the feeder seems have problem dispensing flake
food. So, here are my questions:

One thing I would suggest is to leave lights on for a LONG time before you
go - this will build up algae which is good for removing nitrates and
for the fish to feed on - its unsightly but healthy
Also lower the temperature (lower it slowly) - this will reduce your fishies
metabolisms.

Also, get lots of plants in there. You'll need someone to feed your fish
every few days (in general goldies can go upto 2 weeks without food).