Opinion on "holiday feeding" in perpetuity

L

ldsdbomber

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Jan 19, 2010
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So, we went away for the weekend and decided to give this a try
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TETRAMIN-HOLIDAY-FOOD-TROPICAL-FISH/dp/B000S5HX7K

Tetramin holiday.

It looked quite good in terms of ingredients, and encased in some kind of gel type substance, it can last for 14 days I think. We have a 10gallon with neons, guppies and a few CRS. When it was first put in, the neons had a peck at it, the guppies certainly seemed to peck away at it, and the shrimps sat on it from time to time. However, they didn't seem to eat it as voraciously as they eat their normal flake, frozen bloodworm, peas etc. Anyway, they were all alive when we came back, you could hardly tell any of the block was gone and they werent hanging round it or eating when we returned.

Does anyone have any experience with this or similar product?
Since it seems not to foul the water, has anyone tried or thought about using a holiday type slow release block all the time, thus giving them an always available food source that reduces the amount of crud finding its way into your substrate.

cheers!
 
Garbage. They solve a problem which doesn't really exist. Your fish are fine for a weekend without food, and those things are going to dump in a certain amount of food whether the fish eat it or not. They're sold by playing on aquarists' misplaced guilt about their fish not eating every day.
 
Most fish are opportunity eaters and do not need to eat daily. I often do not feed mine for a day or two. They have gone as long as 2 weeks without food and no repercussions from it. It is misinformation to think they require daily food. Even you do not require daily food. This is a misplaced ideology done for altruistic and commercial reasons. The idea sells the public on the need for the food and only makes a corporation more money.

When in the hospital, I make arrangements for tank cleanings to be done as water changes need to be maintained. Feedings are not scheduled as such. Don't waste time or money on "week-end feeders"
 
This past Christmas I spent 11 days with my aunt. My secretary fed my fish at work on their regular schedule: feedings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, fast on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. For my fish at home, I fed three days in a row, then left. I drove home on Day 6 to feed the fish. All were fine, including the betta who normally gets a couple of pellets a day. Went back to my aunts for another 5 days. When I got home after New Years, all fish were just fine -- hungry but fine. In my opinion and based on my experience, you certainly don't need a weekend feeder.
 
yeah, I don't usually feed my fish daily either and the work fish never eat on the weekends. We usually close during the December holdiday between Christmas and New Years and I may go in to feed the fish once during that time and I've never had an issue.
I think I may go 2 or 3 days in a row without feeding at home and the fish and tank have never looked better.

The weekend ought to be a breeze :)
 
I feed my fish every 2-3 days, but I routinely leave them for a week or so without feeding and they are fine.

Also, the smaller the tank the easier it is to unbalance things, and overfeeding or small changes especially when left unmonitored for long durations can spell dissaster IME.

IMO, anything less than 10-11 days iI let them be - A little thing I do is shorten the lighting periods to help reduce their activities. Now I have plants so I can't do too much, but every little bit helps I think :)
 
ldsdbomber said:
Since it seems not to foul the water, has anyone tried or thought about using a holiday type slow release block all the time, thus giving them an always available food source that reduces the amount of crud finding its way into your substrate.
Click to expand...

I like this idea, and surprised there isn't such a product on the market. Full-time feeding blocks, supplemented by the occasional treat, could probably be made more palatable and fish-specific, but I'm not sure how long they could go on these things now without getting aggressive or :barf:
lol
 
Wow, you guys make me feel so much better! I don't feed my fish daily either!
 
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