One Week Without Feeding

Jay · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 33

Would you be ok for one week without food?

Go buy an automatic feeder if you can't find someone to feed them.

- J

"Big Wave" wrote in message%bigwave29615@yahoo.com...
> I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
> feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?
>
> Thanks
>
>

Archived from group: rec>aquaria>freshwater>cichlids

Big Wave · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?

Thanks

Jay · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 33

"Amateur" wrote in message$iT5.1654754343@newssvr10.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Jay" wrote in message%Ja.720$1I2.46473@news.uswest.net...
> : Would you be ok for one week without food?
> :
> : Go buy an automatic feeder if you can't find someone to feed them.
> :
> : - J
> :
> :
> I'm sorry Jay, but I fail to see how your analogy relates here. I'd
be
> weak without food for a weak. Worse without water. But I'd also have
> died of hypothermia if I was in water for too long a period of time that
was
> significantly lower than my body temp.
> Fish are not people and comparing the two when giving out advice
> can be extremely misleading. Consider a pregnant woman. When not
> being sick, she's eating to feed herself and her child. A mouthbrooding
> female however, usually doesn't feed at all, especially when younger and
> the fry live off the sustenance in their egg sacs.
> Many problems in tanks are caused by overfeeding by hobbyists who
> think it cruel to feed smaller amounts to their hungry looking fish.
Consider
> that Mbuna who spends it's entire life grazing in the wild over the same
rock
> day in and day out. How much algae do you think grows there in a day?
You'd
> be surprised how long these fish can go without food and without it
seeming like
> cruel and unusual punishment to them.
> Amateur
> www.amateurcichlids.com
>
>

I see your point. I've always been told to feed my fish once per day no more
than what they can eat in 3-5 minutes but you're right, if a mouth brooding
fish can survive that long without eating, they'll be ok.

- J

Marc88 · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 9

I'm going on vacation for 10 days. I bought the Eheim automatic feeder for
mine. It's only $40 at bigalsonline.

"Big Wave" wrote in message%bigwave29615@yahoo.com...
> I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
> feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?
>
> Thanks
>
>

rmc · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 42

"Big Wave" wrote in message%bigwave29615@yahoo.com...
> I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
> feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?
>
> Thanks
>
>

--

Your LFS would probably have some of those time-release food blocks. I
think the 7-day ones are only a couple of $.

Mark
mark@cichliddomain.com
http://www.cichliddomain.com

African Addict · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 1

can you leave them for a week.....yes
should you leave them....that's up to you
would i leave mine for a week...NO

are you going to leave them in the dark for a week too???

Amateur · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 84

"Big Wave" wrote in message %bigwave29615@yahoo.com...
: I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
: feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?
:
: Thanks
:
:

Your fish will be fine for a week without feeding. Most reference books
recommend feeding a lot less than we do normally. Often, recommendations
are to feed only every other day. You could have someone else feed for you,
but then you have the risk of them overfeeding and doing more harm than good.
Also, by not feeding, there's less ammonia and nitrites building up in your
tanks while your gone and unable to clean them. Consider females when
holding, they go two to four weeks at a time without eating at times. You
can spend lots of money on an automatic feeder if you like, but I think it's a waste
of time and money unless you'll be taking many trips for two or more weeks at
a time.
Amateur
www.amateurcichlids.com

Amateur · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 84

"Jay" wrote in message %Ja.720$1I2.46473@news.uswest.net...
: Would you be ok for one week without food?
:
: Go buy an automatic feeder if you can't find someone to feed them.
:
: - J
:
:
I'm sorry Jay, but I fail to see how your analogy relates here. I'd be
weak without food for a weak. Worse without water. But I'd also have
died of hypothermia if I was in water for too long a period of time that was
significantly lower than my body temp.
Fish are not people and comparing the two when giving out advice
can be extremely misleading. Consider a pregnant woman. When not
being sick, she's eating to feed herself and her child. A mouthbrooding
female however, usually doesn't feed at all, especially when younger and
the fry live off the sustenance in their egg sacs.
Many problems in tanks are caused by overfeeding by hobbyists who
think it cruel to feed smaller amounts to their hungry looking fish. Consider
that Mbuna who spends it's entire life grazing in the wild over the same rock
day in and day out. How much algae do you think grows there in a day? You'd
be surprised how long these fish can go without food and without it seeming like
cruel and unusual punishment to them.
Amateur
www.amateurcichlids.com

Jim Brown · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 177

Reducing the causes of stress will be beneficial.
While I often have a petsitter come in on vacations of more than a week, I
have never had a problem with one week absences (possible exception-new fry
like characins or Betta's).
Reduce the water temperature, reduce or eliminate the lights, and be sure
the water changes and filter changes are up to date. Automatic feeders for
one or two tanks are a possible option, but I have over 90 aquariums. Those
vacation feeder blocks are not all they could be.
Fasting from your feeding will be fine. The fish will scour the aquarium,
and I am sure you will find the water and the fish in fine condition on your
return.

Jim

Marc88 wrote in message$QN3.183@nwrdny03.gnilink.net...
> Some say that it's no problem to leave them without food for a week. While
I
> have no doubt they will live, I'm also sure that they will be very
stressed
> and could develop problems. They are conditioned to eat twice a day
whether
> they need it or not. If all of a sudden there's no food for 3 or 4 days,
> your fish will not be happy campers. I'd go for the automatic feeder. They
> are not that expensive, 20-40 bucks tops. Eheim is the best one and that
> one's only $40. Cheaper one's also work fine and are around $20.
>
>
> -Marc
>
>
>
> "Big Wave" wrote in message
> %bigwave29615@yahoo.com...
> > I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week
without
> > feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I
can?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >
>
>

The Madd Hatter · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 25

You'll be fine for a week. Only thing that might be a factor, is
increased aggression... You might want to make sure you have enough
caves etc... Or, you might try dropping the temperature to around 77
or 78 gradually, to slow their metabolisms down a bit....

my 2 Cents

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 11:47:15 -0400, Big Wave
wrote:

>I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
>feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?
>
>Thanks
>

steve · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 102

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 11:47:15 -0400, Big Wave
wrote:

>I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
>feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?
>
>Thanks
>
If you are taking about common Mbuna then they will have no trouble at
all lasting a week. OTOH some of the other "Africans" could be a
problem.

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. The easy way to build neural networks.
Build networks from numeric, text and image files.
http://www.easynn.com

Marc88 · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 9

Some say that it's no problem to leave them without food for a week. While I
have no doubt they will live, I'm also sure that they will be very stressed
and could develop problems. They are conditioned to eat twice a day whether
they need it or not. If all of a sudden there's no food for 3 or 4 days,
your fish will not be happy campers. I'd go for the automatic feeder. They
are not that expensive, 20-40 bucks tops. Eheim is the best one and that
one's only $40. Cheaper one's also work fine and are around $20.

-Marc

"Big Wave" wrote in message%bigwave29615@yahoo.com...
> I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week without
> feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I can?
>
> Thanks
>
>

Big Wave · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Good news. I got back yesterday and over 8 days without food my three
cichlids are as healthy as ever. However, they did seem very hungry.

On 6/24/03 10:15 PM, in article gA7Ka.3048$Fe3.533461@news20.bellglobal.com,
"Jim Brown" wrote:

> Reducing the causes of stress will be beneficial.
> While I often have a petsitter come in on vacations of more than a week, I
> have never had a problem with one week absences (possible exception-new fry
> like characins or Betta's).
> Reduce the water temperature, reduce or eliminate the lights, and be sure
> the water changes and filter changes are up to date. Automatic feeders for
> one or two tanks are a possible option, but I have over 90 aquariums. Those
> vacation feeder blocks are not all they could be.
> Fasting from your feeding will be fine. The fish will scour the aquarium,
> and I am sure you will find the water and the fish in fine condition on your
> return.
>
> Jim
>
> Marc88 wrote in message
> $QN3.183@nwrdny03.gnilink.net...
>> Some say that it's no problem to leave them without food for a week. While
> I
>> have no doubt they will live, I'm also sure that they will be very
> stressed
>> and could develop problems. They are conditioned to eat twice a day
> whether
>> they need it or not. If all of a sudden there's no food for 3 or 4 days,
>> your fish will not be happy campers. I'd go for the automatic feeder. They
>> are not that expensive, 20-40 bucks tops. Eheim is the best one and that
>> one's only $40. Cheaper one's also work fine and are around $20.
>>
>>
>> -Marc
>>
>>
>>
>> "Big Wave" wrote in message
>> %bigwave29615@yahoo.com...
>>> I have three Africans in a 29 gallon. Will they be ok for one week
> without
>>> feeding while we're on vacation? Should I get someone to come in if I
> can?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Mike Edwardes · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 24

In article ,
Big Wave wrote:

> Good news. I got back yesterday and over 8 days without food my three
> cichlids are as healthy as ever. However, they did seem very hungry.

That's great. I'm always surprised how healthy my fish seem when I go
away for a week or two. Just shows how much most fish are overfed.

Mike.
--
Mike Edwardes Tropicals
http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net