[vermax]

I'm flying to Florida for Spring Break and I have to leave my 7 bettas in my dorm. No one can check in on them, feed them or change their water, as the dorms are closed for the duration of break. I've read that it's ok to leave bettas without food for one week, which is how long I will be gone.

I'm planning on doing 100% water changes on my tanks under 5 gallons this upcoming week. Then, doing 50% water changes next Thursday, the day before I leave. I'll continue to feed them until I leave on Friday evening. I return the following Sunday morning. I'm not leaving any food blocks or anything for them. Only the 5 gallon is filtered, but they are all heated.

How does this sound?

I just have two concerns... One is that my baby betta, who is almost fully grown, is in a 1 gallon. Will she be okay in that tank? And without food?

The other is for my two rescue bettas. One has fin rot and needs regular water changes.

The other was dying in the pet store with heavily inflamed gills and is seriously malnourished.So far she's doing well, and I'd like to keep her that way. I feel like she needs to be fed regularly and have water changes to prevent her gills from being inflamed again.

Should I put them in larger tanks to keep the water quality up? Should I invest in filters for them? Or should I contact the airlines to see if I can bring at least the malnourished female with me?

Sorry for the rambling, I just want to make sure my babies will be okay without me!

 

[thekoimaiden]

I see a larger problem. Do the dorms turn off the electricity when they're closed? I know mine did.

 

[vermax]

Ours do not. I kept some perishables in our fridge over Thanksgiving break, and everything was fine when I returned. None of the electronics were that I left plugged in were reset or anything either. I wouldn't be leaving my bettas here if I thought they;e be turning off the electricity. That would be soooo not good.

 

[kfish]

I left Mr. Fish over spring break (10 days) in his cycled 5 gallon... the plants didn't like it very much being in the dark, but Mr. Fish was fine. No food needed.

The 1 gallon/sick fishies you have are a concern, though... Not sure what to tell you! Some airlines do let you bring fish. Ask!

 

[thekoimaiden]

I don't think bringing her with you is a good idea either as the change in water parameters and stress of travel will weaken her even more. Upgrading won't do too much good seeing as you would still need to change the water, and a cycle takes a long time to establish.

Can you take them somewhere and have someone look after them? Like a friend with an apartment or home?

 

[Shirleythebetta]

Try those cheap feeder things you drop in the water and it feeds them like seven days. lol i hope someone can explain it better than that. They are like three dollars a pack.

 

[bettafish15]

Try those cheap feeder things you drop in the water and it feeds them like seven days. lol i hope someone can explain it better than that. They are like three dollars a pack.

Those do not work. They only foul up the water much faster. I wouldn't go around recommending them, as they really do nothing, its not food for the fish at all.

 

[thekoimaiden]

+1 to that! They just decompose and release toxins into the water faster than the fish does. In a small tank this could be lethal for the fish.

 

[vermax]

Shirleythebetta - From what I've read about the vacation feeders, it doesn't seem like it's worth it. I'd rather not feed the healthy bettas and keep their ammonia output low while I'm gone.

thekoimaiden - I honestly don't have anybody at all to look after her. Everyone I know who lives off campus is leaving for spring break and vacationing themselves. And since I am leaving straight from school and not going home at all, my only options are to leave her or bring her.

However, I am going home this weekend, as my mother is driving down to Florida before I fly down and she has to take my salamanders (I couldn't find anybody to take care of them either, and they're super low maintenance). My mom has already asked me if I wanted her to drive the sick fishie to Florida. If I have to take her, would it be better to fly or drive?

 

[kfish]

Shirleythebetta - From what I've read about the vacation feeders, it doesn't seem like it's worth it. I'd rather not feed the healthy bettas and keep their ammonia output low while I'm gone.

thekoimaiden - I honestly don't have anybody at all to look after her. Everyone I know who lives off campus is leaving for spring break and vacationing themselves. And since I am leaving straight from school and not going home at all, my only options are to leave her or bring her.

However, I am going home this weekend, as my mother is driving down to Florida before I fly down and she has to take my salamanders (I couldn't find anybody to take care of them either, and they're super low maintenance). My mom has already asked me if I wanted her to drive the sick fishie to Florida. If I have to take her, would it be better to fly or drive?

Why don't you have your mom bring her down and have her bring a few gallons of the water from your college with her, so you have some of the same water to acclimate her in slowly? I think that's your best bet.

 

[thekoimaiden]

Driving would be longer, but flying would be harder on her. You can't take her on the plane; she would have to be in your checked luggage which is in an unheated comparment. And if you've ever seen how bag handlers toss around the bags, you'd think twice before letting them touch a live animals.

Kfish has the right idea. Take some water that she is acclimated to. In fact I would take enough for the entire week because you would have to acclimate her to the Florida water and then back to your college water. Better just to keep her with what she is used to. It will be less stress.

I was under the impression that you could leave salamanders alone for the week. What do they need?

 

[vermax]

Why don't you have your mom bring her down and have her bring a few gallons of the water from your college with her, so you have some of the same water to acclimate her in slowly? I think that's your best bet.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

That is such a brilliant idea! I never would have thought of doing that! I already spoke with my mother, and she is fine taking a few gallons of our water to Florida with her, in addition to my little sick girl, of course! She'll only have to take care of the fish for 3 days, (1 1/2 of which will be in transit) and I can walk her through it. You guys are literally lifesavers for this little girl. She's already done so well, I just want to see her become a fully healthy betta one day.


thekoimaiden - I have Ambystomid salamanders, which are burrowers. While they don't need food all the time, they need to be kept moist in order to breathe. I don't have an automatic mister, and the cheapest one on the market is still around $60 and has a tendency to dump all its water into the terrarium D: I don't want to risk them drowning with a crappy mister or drying out if left alone. The winters here are super dry and I'm already spraying them 3+ times a day. That, and one of them is two times as large as its siblings and may eat ithem if it goes without food

I guess you could leave a newt alone for a week, since it has the same care as a fish. Or perhaps a salamander that has water to escape into when it's dry. My little guys can't swim though, and are fully terrestrial. Makes em less slimy

 

[Shirleythebetta]

Oh! good to know since I will be honeymooning in April. My fish are staying at my dad's house then. Thanks for the info on that feeder crap guys.

 

[thekoimaiden]

Ahhh. That makes sense. The salamander's I've kept either need semi-aquatic setups or fully aquatic. I tend to forget about the burrowing ones. I wish I had room for some salamander tanks right now. I love those little guys.

 

[Shirleythebetta]

Oh my gosh I just saw salimaders at jacks aquarium and I am in love. I may be moving to a bigger house soon and I have two tanks vacant. Muahahah!

 

[vermax]

Ambystomids are really cool and strikingly beautiful. Mine are black with yellow spots, and some others are blue, or marbled black and white... Really pretty! I love them a lot, but because they are nocturnal burrowers, I don't see much of them :/

Oh, and fully terrestrial salamanders will only take live food. So you have to keep a steady supply of crickets, night crawlers, worms, etc. at the ready. Newts and semi-aquatic salamanders will take pellets in the water, just like fish. No pellets for the terrestrial salamanders though. Just live food. Or dead food wiggled in front of their face as if it's alive XP

From what I've learned about these guys (I'm a Wildlife Science major), it's easiest to keep fully aquatic ones. They're like big, four-legged fish!

 

[thekoimaiden]

Really? I'm a Fisheries Science grad. You don't meet too many other people in our field.

My high school bio teacher was really big into herpetology, and he got me into it. I had a tank of local salamanders when I was in college (lol that was what under a year ago; I say it like I'm sooo old). I did a lot of research on them. After all, amphibians and fish share pretty crucial habitat. If I ever wasn't working with fish or dragonflies then I would want to work with salamanders.

I know the species you are talking about; tiger salamanders. I looked into them but just didn't find them appealing. I love the dainty look of the Plethodontids. Plus I have a ton of them where I live. All I need to do is go collect a few. One day I would love to have an axolotl or mudpuppy tank. It's a shame hellbenders are endangered or else I'd try to keep them, too :lol:

 

[Shirleythebetta]

Ambystomids are really cool and strikingly beautiful. Mine are black with yellow spots, and some others are blue, or marbled black and white... Really pretty! I love them a lot, but because they are nocturnal burrowers, I don't see much of them :/

Oh, and fully terrestrial salamanders will only take live food. So you have to keep a steady supply of crickets, night crawlers, worms, etc. at the ready. Newts and semi-aquatic salamanders will take pellets in the water, just like fish. No pellets for the terrestrial salamanders though. Just live food. Or dead food wiggled in front of their face as if it's alive XP

From what I've learned about these guys (I'm a Wildlife Science major), it's easiest to keep fully aquatic ones. They're like big, four-legged fish!

I used to have a bearded dragon so I learned how to keep a small cricket farm for him and worms aren't to shabby to keep. I'm not your typical girl. I like bugs as long as they aren't spiders :shock: lol. Thanks for giving me more info on that. They are really interesting. I'll start researching them I think and make sure it's something do-able for me. Oh and good going on your choices in college you both. Thats an interesting field and from what I know is rare. I am in college currently for a business degree but haven't decided on grad school yet. I figure one thing at a time. Thanks again for the information.