Leaving my cichlids on vacation for a week

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BassetsForBrown

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 2, 2012
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Boston
I have an Oscar, EBJD, young GT, a few Botia, and a plecco. I'll be on vacation next week and I'm concerned about how to feed them. I know they sell those blocks of food that look like a stone....are those sufficient for these guys while I'm gone? Might the plecco just eat the entire thing outright himself?

Thank you

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If the "stone" feeders you mentioned are what I think you are referring to, they usually foul the water. I would not suggest using them.

I would do a few good sized water changes the few days before leaving, and then actually hold off on feeding the day or two before you leave. Your fish should be perfectly fine for a week assuming they are not juveniles and your tank is large enough to house them.
 
There are also automatic feeders (~$40) that dispense pellets on a daily basis, or multiple times per day if you wish. You just have to test the settings in advance to be sure the proper amount is being fed to the fish - too little is better than too much. However, as wrslrcichlid said, for a week you are probably alright without any feeding if your fish aren't too small. Either way, avoid the dissolving blocks. Also, put a timer on the lights so that the fish have a normal daily cycle.
 
fug202 said:
There are also automatic feeders (~$40) that dispense pellets on a daily basis, or multiple times per day if you wish. You just have to test the settings in advance to be sure the proper amount is being fed to the fish - too little is better than too much. However, as wrslrcichlid said, for a week you are probably alright without any feeding if your fish aren't too small. Either way, avoid the dissolving blocks. Also, put a timer on the lights so that the fish have a normal daily cycle.
Click to expand...

Would it be bad if I keep the light off for the entire week? The tank is in a small room with a massive multi paned window...would that be fine?

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Leaving the lights off and not feeding them for a week will be perfectly fine! If anything they might love having the light off!
 
Most fish can easily survive a week or more without being fed.
I leave my fish for longer than a week, 2 or 3 times per year.
The only time I've ever had problems is when I've asked someone else to feed, or used an auto feeder.
If the auto feeders malfunction, water is quickly fouled, or when an amateur over feeds, the same can happen.
The only time I've had deaths is when I asked someone else to feed.
Although I gave strict instruction what, and how much to feed, I came home to tanks full of dead fish with piles of uneaten food on the bottom, and a house reeking of death.
That was over a decade ago, and I have gone on vacation more than once per year, ever since, and all fish have survived the fast, for the entire time away.
 
I would stop feeding the day before you leave and do a good water change, cichlids can go up to 3 weeks with out eating with out a problem. leaving the lights off a good idea, dropping temp to 74 to 76 also a good ideal. if not running there already.
 
Over semester break in college, my room mate left a 75g running with an Oscar, Snakehead, 3 Silver Dollars and a Striped Raphael for an entire month, and other than the obvious marks of the snake head trying to eat one of the silver dollars all were alive and very hungry when we returned for the 2nd semester.

I wouldn't recommend it, but it worked.
 
They should be fine for a week with the above posts suggestions. I'm lucky enough to have two people that don't know about fish yet they don't over feed them :).
 
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