[Atena]

I am going away this weekend for two days.

This is my first time leaving my betta alone.

I wanted to get you opinion of the weekend food pallets.. is it a good idea to get one?

Also, I have manual light switch that I normally turn off at night. . Do I leave the lights on or off?

Is there anything else should know and do before I go?

 

[LebronTheBetta]

Don't worry. You could leave your Betta Fish without doing anything. But make sure to do a little Water Change just in case. For the Light, do you need it On?
You could just leave it Off if you don't need it. Betta Fish are Hardy so they'll be fine

 

[underdebate]

Your betta will be perfectly fine for two days without food. Seriously, I know it seems crazy, but bettas can go a ridiculously long amount of time without food and it won't even faze them. I've done two-day fasts before and haven't even seen a change in behavior.

Does the room he's kept in have natural lighting? You definitely don't want to be leaving the light on for a full two days (it could stress him out), but if the room he's in will be, like, pitch black while you're away, you might want to consider temporarily moving him somewhere with windows. (Not BESIDE a window, of course, but in the same room as one. )

 

[Cargo]

I would either not feed for two days, or use a weekend feeder. Your choice.

Leave the lights off. Can the fish get natural light somehow? Like some windows nearby?

 

[Atena]

He is in my living room where I have windows and I will be leaving the light outside on the porch on so he will have natural light, although my house is pretty dark, it won't be pitch black.

Thanks for the advice. I will do a water change the day we leave and give him a few flakes just before we depart.

 

[HermitGuy101]

Get a Zoomed bettamatic. It's perfect for vacation feeding as it feeds once a day! Best part is, It feeds regular betta food!

 

[Atena]

oh my gosh, where did you find this contraption?

I will need this for my two week trip later this summer.

I love it! LOL

 

[HermitGuy101]

oh my gosh, where did you find this contraption?

I will need this for my two week trip later this summer.

I love it! LOL

You can buy it from www.LLLReptile.com under the Betta section. They deliver fast (4 days)! I've also seen it at Petco. They work so great, I own two!

 

[Sivan]

Amazing. I have never seen a fish feeder that does not over feed betta fish and make them bloated/constipated because of stupid amounts of food. Would ammonia be a problem with this? How many pellets does it release? How does it work? I am fascinated.

 

[Atena]

Those are great questions. Since you own two of these HermitGuy, can you tell us?

 

[HermitGuy101]

3-4 pellets of the Zoomed pellet food once a day. Ammonia levels stay down. It doesn't work great with flakes though. The little dial that goes around picks up food like a scoop and when the tube part slants the food rolls into the tank.

 

[Atena]

I got home after my trip and Guppy ia doing just fine. Thanks for the help everyone.

I am still getting one of those automatic feeders for my vacation.

Im curious though. What about water changes?

 

[ANHEL123]

heard a lot of bad opinions on automatic feeders. Do you have neighbors or parents who can feed him? Or can you take him with you? You can transport him in the cup that you bought him in. Put it in the styrofoam box , put clothes or paper all around the cup ....

 

[Atena]

I'll probably make arrangements for a fish sitter. I am not sure I want to leave the welfare of my boy in the hands of a machine. Even a really cool one. And then there is the water changing issue... there is no machine for that.

 

[ANHEL123]

i would say don't trust to change the water anyone unless they have a fish. Only if you can tell the siter wait until he eats the food make sure the food not sinking to the bottom of the tank, because that would be the first problem that he can get infection. Food decompose withing 72 hrs and contaminate the water. And just feed him less. One time a day or even every other day. He would be fine. I read a few people on the forum, don't know names ,but feed just one pellet a day and still fast the fish one day a week.

My mom usually feed my bettas when we go on vocation.

Also so you know i have fish at work and they don't eat for 2 days since office closed 2 days in a week. And if there is a holidays that we closed they don't eat for 3 straight days. They are perfectly fine. Well of course 2 weeks it too much.

 

[HermitGuy101]

heard a lot of bad opinions on automatic feeders. Do you have neighbors or parents who can feed him? Or can you take him with you? You can transport him in the cup that you bought him in. Put it in the styrofoam box , put clothes or paper all around the cup ....

Trust me, the feeders work great. It just depends on the brand.

 

[ANHEL123]

I never used them personally but just read that someone wrote it didn't work right. But i am glad that you had good experience with that It good to know that it working….

Also Atena i found my own old post that i wrote in 2010 and was surprised what i wrote actually. I always had 2.5 gall tanks and i used to do complete water changes every 10-12 days, which is of course absolutely wrong. Well i didn't know at that time that is was wrong. My point if you absolutely don't have any choice he should be ok for 2 weeks. Just change him before you go . And i have no idea how feeders working but feed less. Less food less poop lol