Fish & Trips

[zzrguy]

Hello all. This is my first post and I 'm sorry if this has been ask before.

1. I am going away for 18 days and have no one to watch my fish. So I purchase two auto feeders one is a Eheim{for the Cichlid's tank} and the other a Zoo Med Betta feeder I have both up and running so the feeding the fish's are taken care of. I plan to do a large water change on both tank the day before I leave and give the filters a clean out of the waste but not kill to much of the good stuff. The lights are on timers. is there anything I am missing.

What water conditioner is a good one I'm running out of the tetra that I have.

Thanks.

[Laki]

18 days? Are you sure nobody can come by? How big are the tanks? And how much food do these auto feeders give? Because I'm mostly worried about 1. ammonia build up and 2. food shortage if it feeds too fast.

[zzrguy]

Originally Posted by Laki

18 days? Are you sure nobody can come by? How big are the tanks? And how much food do these auto feeders give? Because I'm mostly worried about 1. ammonia build up and 2. food shortage if it feeds too fast.

1. I'm hoping the filters can handle tha ammonia they been running for about 2 mouth each And I planning on doing a 75% water change right before I leave.

2. Food will not be a problem the Zoo Med Betta feeder holds about a hole tetra betta slide and feed pack and the Ehiem hold a hole can of flakes.

My tanks are 2.5 or 3 Gal bowl and a 5gal tank.

[zzrguy]

Heres A picture of my daughters tank with Freddy.

Freddy you hansom devil!!

[LizzyP]

That small bowl can't be left for 18 days without a water change. You'll come back to dirty water & a dead fish. Are you sure someone can't come by just a few times to do a water change?

[thekoimaiden]

Eighteen days and an autofeeder? That doesn't sound like a good idea. Those things are notorious for overfeeding (I have the Eheim one and I came back from a week vacation to a tank floor littered with decaying food and a few dead fish). And that many days without a water change is dangerous. Can you get any live plants before you go? That might help with the ammonia a little bit. Fast-growing plants would be best.

A good water conditioner is Prime. It's very concentrated, and a single bottle will last you a long time.

[vilmarisv]

Maybe you can have someone babysit your fish at their house?
I have left fish for 12 days without problems in similar size containers but that's 5 days less than what you're planning. Also, my fish were young and extremely healthy.
On the other side, I lost an older fish during this same time and he was in a cycled 5 galon tank.
The health and age. of the fish takes a huge part in how long they can survive.

[zzrguy]

Thanks I was able to get one of my freind to come over and check on the house and fish he just broke his wrist and will be off from work for the next six weeks. and I promise him I'd stock the frig with a IPA I brew.


I have plants in both tanks the one's in the betta tank seem to be doing real well and the ones in the cichlids tank are getting chowed up by the snail{anyone want a snail?}

[zzrguy]

OK water change done Feeders filled lights on timers IPA in frig for fish sitter.

So anything else I forgot

[zzrguy]

Well just got home from the 18 day trip water change not done fish sitter had surgey and is in the hospital for over a week his girl friend came over and at least put water in the tank when it was low. did a 50% water change the ammo was high.25 the no2 was 0 and the No3 was 20ppm and ph 7.2. Freddy is not to happy his color is washed out he is not looking as shiney as normal so Ill do another water change and vaccum some more tomorrow or do you think I should do a 1005 water change.

The shrimp looks good and has gotten bigger. the plant are looking good as well with some new shoots Im thinking of changeing out the subtrate to flora max. but will wait till freddy looks his noral sexxy self again