Vacation Feedings
- Thread starter srstickler
- Start date
Vacation feeding issues concern fishkeepers who can't imagine a poikilothermic metabolism. The same mammal-centric thinking that insists a betta wants "some buddies."
Here's something about vacation starving that I'd like to know: the fatty deposits in our fishes' livers that come from the rich constant fare they're getting-- is a fish able to reabsorb these fat globules, if we give it a sufficient time with no fat and protein intake? In starve-season in the tropics, don't fish reabsorb the fat that's been deposited around their organs during feast-season?
Fry and juveniles are a separate story, of course. Fish spawn at the beginning of the plenty season, just so that growing fry never have a "starve day."
It's hard to give them a "starve day." They get so quiet, biding their time, conserving their energy. We like to feed the fishies, because we want more action!
Here's something about vacation starving that I'd like to know: the fatty deposits in our fishes' livers that come from the rich constant fare they're getting-- is a fish able to reabsorb these fat globules, if we give it a sufficient time with no fat and protein intake? In starve-season in the tropics, don't fish reabsorb the fat that's been deposited around their organs during feast-season?
Fry and juveniles are a separate story, of course. Fish spawn at the beginning of the plenty season, just so that growing fry never have a "starve day."
It's hard to give them a "starve day." They get so quiet, biding their time, conserving their energy. We like to feed the fishies, because we want more action!
Doesn't it take more than one starve day to slow the fish down? I fed on alternate days, occassionally skipping up to 4 days, and I haven't noticed a decreased activity level in any of my fish--but then, I know they are chubby...
In my tanks skip one meal every week. But instead of decreased activity I seem to find increased activity, especially in my Tiger barbs, in the search of food - the Tiger barbs jump up at the surface in the corner where I feed them trying to get my attention so I will give them some...the bloody pigs...
My fish get a starve day on cleaning day. But I do use an autofeeder when I go away for more than a long weekend. But I set it to the lowest setting possible, so in essence they actually get less food than when I feed them myself. I guess I just feel more at ease when I am away, knowing that the food is getting to them and they won't hate me when I get back.
Tomorrow's starve day for my tank...the Cories have been overfed since Mo died...I think that I see the same type of behaviour from the Cories after starve day, Thom...I guess that it would be okay to leave them for a while without food, but I'd rather have an auto-feeder on the low setting, like TKOS said.
