Going to France for 11 days.

[cjayBetta]

Hey Guys,

I know it has been a while since I have posted, been kind of busy... Got a promotion at work and its definitely more time consuming.

Coco just hit 1 year with us and Windu is on about 7-8 months.

So here is my problem... My husband, Daughter and I are going to France for 11 days and I don't have anyone here (who I can trust) to come feed Windu and Coco...

How long can betta's go without eating? Water change? Is there anything I can buy to keep them fed while im gone? Is there any thing I can put in the tank to keep it clean while im gone?

One tank is a 5g filtered the other is a 2g un-filtered that I keep in my bedroom. I clean that one every 3-4 days - fully.

Thankz

[BettaSnap456]

An adult betta can go 2 weeks without food, but that doesn't mean you should. I have heard about these food pyramids or automatic feeders you can buy at Petsmart or Petco. I don't think that there's anything to keep their tanks clean while you're gone though; bettas can live in very harsh water conditions. You could possibly clean their tanks as soon as you get home though.

[Banicks]

Hi cjaybetta,

Betta’s can go a lengthy time without food. 11 days is stretching it, but it should be OK. I’d recommend feeding pellets leading up to the day you leave and before heading out the door a final meal of bloodworms.

As for water changes, the 5g should be okay to leave undone for 11 days. Try and do a 100% on the day you leave or just before it. As for the 2g it is going to be a bit of a hazard – do you have a sterile container capable of holding 5g+? (tuppaware, plastic container etc) If so, you could turn this into a makeshift larger tank – this would mean it could go the 11 days with a much higher success rate than the 2g.

As Snap said, there are auto-feeders for fish. However you will find the portion control is lacking for Betta tummys, Betta pellets and flakes could be put in but the release mechanism would allow too much out, overfeeding. You could test this yourself to see if you can adjust an amount close to their regular number – trying towards 8 max per day, if it feeds a little more that could be acceptable, just ensure it skips a day with no food to allow the digestion.

[Olympia]

Maybe for feeding, feed the fish more up till your leaving, like how they condition fish for breeding? With like, bloodworms. Not that I'd know, but it makes sense to me. Back me up/knock me down someone.

[cjayBetta]

I was worried to put one of those feeder things in there, I didnt want it to over feed. I like the idea of feeding more before but... Im just worried where Coco is older he wouldnt be able to go that long.......

[callistra]

It would be inhumane to leave the fish in unfiltered 2g with no water changes for 11 days as ammonia will be quite high. The 5g will probably be okay, but will need your immediate attention upon returning home. You don't have any family or even a next door neighbor that can help out? You might see if the phone book has pet sitters or a vet's office that can help.

They shouldn't pass away from lack of food, but it will be stressful for them.

[cjayBetta]

Im thinking of buying 2 2g bowls and bring them over to my moms house... My sister knows how to take care of them so I think for 11 days with water changes and being fed they should be ok.