Gonna have to give up the hobby

[graysilm]

As much as I have enjoyed keeping an aquarium, for the short period of time that I have, it looks like I am going to have to give up the hobby. My peacock cichlid fry are just starting to show color too. I don't want to give it up but I have just been offered a job that I can't refuse that requires me to be away from home for 10 days at the time, then I am back home for 4. Even with an automatic feeder, I just dont know if I can keep it up. What are everyones thoughts on this? :sad:

[UncaBret]

Ooooooo, that is a toughie. Do you have friends/relatives that could take care of them while you're gone?

[graysilm]

my girlfriend possibly could (we don't live together) but she doesn't really know much about fish or aquariums. I would really like to be able to keep the tank up and running, but like you said, this is a toughie.

[patoloco]

Technichaly, if you can find someone to go to your house and feed the fish everyday, I think you can keep up with your tanks, provided you do your water changes and maintyeinance when you are home.

But, if you are not there to enjoy your fishkeeping, I see little to no point to keep your tanks. Maybwe the besy thing would be to find them a new good home.

[Soulcoffr]

We typically overfeed our fish in a big way.

I don't think this is a problem, honestly. Just feed your fish well just before you leave. Then have your girlfriend come by twice while you're gone to make sure the tank is still operational and that there are no sick fish.

*Premeasure* food into envelopes for her to feed your fish while you're gone. That way she's not tempted to overfeed and she doesn't have to think about it either. :)

The lack of excess food will keep your tank sparkling clear and you'll still be able to enjoy your fish on your 4 days off. And you can do the necessary maintenance as soon as you get back.

Most fish in the wild go without food for days on end, so this is more natural for your fish anyway.

[TipStylez]

i dont know if they you have this service around your area, but i rembering reading somewhere you can have pet nannys that are pros in keeping fish and taking care of them. Seeing how your job must pay ALOT you should be able to keep somthing like this going.

[watermelon]

I usually am away for a while from home..Just dont feed them, they will survive..10 days is not a lot of days for not feeding them...I did that, and tried that before..

[graysilm]

my fish are still small and they are eating flake food. I always turn the flow down on the filter when i feed them to keep the flakes from sinking and getting sucked up by the filters. If they were larger and could eat floating pellets I don't think it would be such a problem. Thanks for everyones replies and advice.

[Emg]

I think if your girlfriend were willing to keep an eye out on them while you're away....you should give that a try and see how it goes. If she's not that familiar with keeping fish at this point....she'll learn and it's a big bonus for the both of you if she finds out she enjoys it and wants some tanks of her own ! :D

If after awhile she tires of the job, then you can look for another home for them, but why not give her a try on it if she's willing. :huh:

[graysilm]

good point EMG, thats what I'll do

[born2lovefish]

If you end up having someone take care of your tanks for you make sure they are experienced. My cousin went on vacation and had his neighbor feed his breeding pair of angels. He came home to 4 dead fish, which were not cheap. Most people will overfeed fish. Just make sure you explain everything to someone before they take care of them. When I had my stingray I went away a lot. I just had food in seperate bags for each day, that way my friend just had to dumb a bag in every day. Worked great for me. You might want to consider doing that. Hope it all works out for you.

[raymond_h2002]

Even better is one of those pill organizers, with separate compartments for each day of the week!

[YuccaPatrol]

Although I get great enjoyment from tinkering with my fish room equipment every day, I do know that I could do just as well with leaving most of it alone more often.

If I were you and wanted to keep up the hobby, I would get an automatic feeder and set it to feed lightly every other day. I would plan on doing a large water changed every time I got back from my 10 days away, maybe twice what you would normally do in a week. Add a timer for your lights and you will still be able to enjoy your fish.

[UncaBret]

So, gray, how is it going?

[Teelie]

I feed my fish every 3-4 days and they do fine. I would be worried about the fry which need daily feedings but the other fish ought do okay so long as someone comes in to do a feeding while you're gone.

[born2lovefish]

Hey just buy a check 5 dollar timer for your lights at like menards like I did. I run all my lights with one of them. Easy to use and you can use it while you are away. You can buy an automatic feeder to feed your fish while you are gone. Some hold enough food for up to 30 days. You can buy them ranging from 15 bucks to about 50. check out www.drsfostersmith.com for the cheapest prices I have found. That would take care of your fish while you were gone. Should be a lot cheaper than paying someone to feed them every time. Just make sure you change your batteries on the feeder every so many months or so to make sure they do not go bad during the week you are gone. You can do a water change when you are home. I hope this helped you.

[Peanutsweet]

I would wait a few weeks at least before getting rid of it. What if the new job doesnt work out, you dont like it ect, and then there youve gotten rid of it after spending time and $ getting it established and have to start over.
Maybe you have a neighbor that could feed them and check your mail, if your girlfriend isnt very close by. I always have someone get my mail everyday or the neighbor kids will run off with it.