I have a single balloon belly molly fry in a 2.5 gallon tank, she's about 3 months old. I am going to be out of town for 8 days, and I know that young fish need to be fed more frequently than others, but I'm hesitant to put a vacation feeder in there due to the small size of the tank. I could potentially take it with me I guess, although I didn't know if that would be a huge stress on the tank/fish or not. I'd appreciate any suggestions- thanks!
Young fish and 8 day vacation
- Thread starter dewilde2
- Start date
At 3 monhts old she should be quite well matured enough to withstand a feeder block for just 8 days but that seems like overkill.looking at your other tank set up Id be tempted to put her in with the bigger fish where there will be more food readily available from food and plants.
wish i could...
yea that's a problem, because she's a female, and all the others are male. She will get killed FOR SURE if I put her in there. I accidentally bought a balloon belly female a couple months back and they nearly killed her within 5 minutes and I had to take her back. Also, the tank in my signature is at my "other home" so to speak, and I have the baby in another location. So putting her in the big tank isn't really an option.....
Any other ideas?
yea that's a problem, because she's a female, and all the others are male. She will get killed FOR SURE if I put her in there. I accidentally bought a balloon belly female a couple months back and they nearly killed her within 5 minutes and I had to take her back. Also, the tank in my signature is at my "other home" so to speak, and I have the baby in another location. So putting her in the big tank isn't really an option.....
Any other ideas?
I mean, if you really have no other option than to use the vacation feeder, then use the vacation feeder. That's better than not feeding her at all.
The best case scenario is you get a neighbor to come over once a day to feed her.
The best case scenario is you get a neighbor to come over once a day to feed her.
In a tank that small, it could be argued that not feeding the fish would be better than using a vacation feeder. If you're going to use one, use the smallest one you feel comfortable with. Even if it's a 2 or 3 day feeder, at least the fish had food part of the time and went a few days less without.
4 days ok?
Ok, lucky for me my friend just got shafted on her work schedule. She'll now be able to feed the fish on Wed. Do you think it will be ok before and after that (4 days and then 3 days)? Or should I try the small vacation feeders?
I'm hoping to get a 5 or 10 gallon tank soon for her and to add some buddies, and then maybe be able to get an automatic feeder for such breaks
Thanks again
Ok, lucky for me my friend just got shafted on her work schedule. She'll now be able to feed the fish on Wed. Do you think it will be ok before and after that (4 days and then 3 days)? Or should I try the small vacation feeders?
I'm hoping to get a 5 or 10 gallon tank soon for her and to add some buddies, and then maybe be able to get an automatic feeder for such breaks
Thanks again
Definitely don't use a vacation feeder in that small tank - you're bound to foul up the tank very quickly. I think your friend coming over one day in the middle of your vacation to feed should be fine. Don't let her overfeed or feed extra that day either - just a normal feeding. A 3 month old baby should do fine. I've left younger platy fry than that for 7 days with no food.
Auto feeders.
I've got 2 Eheims and 2 Nutra-Matics for my tanks. Powderize some flake food, adjust the amount of food dispensed per auto feed cycle, enjoy your vacation.
I've gone on 2-week outings with no problem whatsoever.
If you're leaving town right away, having the neighbor do the feeding chore is a better idea. Although simple to operate, I usually "test drive" them on their assigned tank for a day or two before leaving.
v/r, OF
I've got 2 Eheims and 2 Nutra-Matics for my tanks. Powderize some flake food, adjust the amount of food dispensed per auto feed cycle, enjoy your vacation.
I've gone on 2-week outings with no problem whatsoever.
If you're leaving town right away, having the neighbor do the feeding chore is a better idea. Although simple to operate, I usually "test drive" them on their assigned tank for a day or two before leaving.
v/r, OF
Getting your friend in to feed your baby sounds a good idea. Going for a few days wihtout food isnt going to harm any fish.
