These things you drop into tanks, are they ok? Not sure which is better, these blocks or an automatic feeder. I'm going on a 2 week vacation soon and have no one to take care of our fish. Debating on which one to use, maybe both?
vacation feeding blocks
- Thread starter FishFanMan
- Start date
auto feeders are better if they don't malfunction. Eheim has a good one for ~$40 in pet stores.
just make sure you give it a good test run before you leave it unattended to make sure it's dosing the right amount of food. there are some nasty horror stories from people who just set it and left without checking the amount of food being dumped... only to come home to a foul tank full of rotting food.
If you do the vaca feeders, they do better when set on a plate or something so the food doesn't get lost in the gravel. and depending on the stock, the vaca feeders may become defended resources for meaner fish, while some fish aren't able to feed
just make sure you give it a good test run before you leave it unattended to make sure it's dosing the right amount of food. there are some nasty horror stories from people who just set it and left without checking the amount of food being dumped... only to come home to a foul tank full of rotting food.
If you do the vaca feeders, they do better when set on a plate or something so the food doesn't get lost in the gravel. and depending on the stock, the vaca feeders may become defended resources for meaner fish, while some fish aren't able to feed
Two weeks without food is fine for most fish. Just do a heavy feed and clean before you leave.
You can try an autofeeder, but I've heard enough horror stories that I'd worry about one malfunctioning early in the vacation and returning to a decomposing mess.
JMO.
You can try an autofeeder, but I've heard enough horror stories that I'd worry about one malfunctioning early in the vacation and returning to a decomposing mess.
JMO.
I bought the Fish Mate F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder but it drops the food into the tank over a span of 2 hours! I liked the assurance that it will only feed the amount I put into each compartment. But the problem is that I think everyone will be fed except my rams! They're so clueless about how to seek out food as they are dropped into the tank. I don't think they're designed to eat floating flakes on the surface the the water. If the food is being trickled in, I don't think my rams have any chance of getting any if it. From what I have observed these rams are not that smart.
i have tried both the tablets and the auto feeder.
the tablet: does not pollute water by overfeeding but small fish and fry have a hard time eating it. i figured it out after returning home and finding only the older ones alive after a two week holiday
the auto-feeder: gives the food that fish are used to and in a normal schedule but it must be adjusted well because it creates an instant pollution originating from decomposition. then comes planaria and all kinds of tapeworms. in just one week
so IMHO, buying an autofeeder is a better choice, but use it on the minimal setting to avoid poor water quality.
the tablet: does not pollute water by overfeeding but small fish and fry have a hard time eating it. i figured it out after returning home and finding only the older ones alive after a two week holiday
the auto-feeder: gives the food that fish are used to and in a normal schedule but it must be adjusted well because it creates an instant pollution originating from decomposition. then comes planaria and all kinds of tapeworms. in just one week
so IMHO, buying an autofeeder is a better choice, but use it on the minimal setting to avoid poor water quality.
Do you have fish that need to be fed every day or so?
Like Josh said above, if you don't have anyone to check on the tank or do water changes, I wouldn't feed them during your 2 week absence. This will not harm your average fish.
Like Josh said above, if you don't have anyone to check on the tank or do water changes, I wouldn't feed them during your 2 week absence. This will not harm your average fish.
That's what I do, as well. However, it doesn't do as good a job at dispersing flake to different levels as it does pellets. Between that and the fact that my cichlids and betta *really* prefer pellet, I only feed flake once every 9 or 10 feedings, just to give them a slightly different stimulus at feeding time.
That's sheer genius! I have a glass top to my aquarium and I've been struggling to find a place to put the feeder so that it dumps the food into the aquarium and not just around the edge or on the carpet. I tried putting it over the filter this morning and Presto, fish are fed and no mess was made!
