How long can fish go without eating?

[pinkorchid]

YAY! First post in my very own forum...hehe.

So my family and I are going away for 2 nights this weekend. I do have someone that could come feed the tank....
Should I
(a) Risk having someone give them too much food and have it "sit" in there?
(b) Feed them before I go and let them go without for a few days?

They are used to eating 2-3x a day. I'd hate to think they'd be starving but don't want to risk anything either.

**As a recap - tank contains 2 clowns and 3 hermits**

Thanks!
Amy

[Learner]

Hi Amy,
I've been waiting for you to post in your forum....congrats :D

If it were me - wish I was going away too  :( ) I would:

a) If dry food, measure into pieces of paper/small bag, and leave instructions as to when to pop it in, or

b) If frozen, leave instructions as to how many cubes to defrost and when.

Other than that, just drop some veggies in there before you go, there will probably be enough 'stuff' in the tank to keep them going for a night or two.

If I'm wrong there, someone hurry up and correct me  ::)

[RandyFolds]

Those fish went more than likely went WEEKS without being fed right before you bought them...

It is pretty routine to starve fish (seriously) so they don't defecate in their shipping bags and thus foul the water. Once at the wholesaler, they aren't fed as they should be because the wholesaler doesn't want their water fouled. Same goes for the pet store. You are pretty much always buying a hungry fish.

I have had a longnosed hawkfish quit eating for more than a month, but it was wasting away...sunken in stomach and protruding lateral ribs and everything. One day, right before I fed him to my angler, it just decided it would start eating again.

So, in summation, Bill is correct. They will be fine for a weekend.

[pinkorchid]

Thanks!

I figured they'd be okay. Never thought of leaving the amount in a little bag or something. I'm sure someone elses *pinch* could be much more/less than mine. Maybe I'll get him to stop in once...

On the veggie note - I haven't done that yet. So they seriously eat raw veggies?? I've read about a clip of some sort, I'll have to pick something up. What do you use...leafy stuff? (lettuce, spinach, etc.) I'm curious about this....

[pinkorchid]

Crazy about the hawkfish going nearly a month. Interesting they can live so long w/o eating. So that's how the LFS keep their overcrowded tanks looking somewhat clean.

If it were me - wish I was going away too  :( ) I would:

I kind of wish I wasn't going...LOL. Probably going to be hectic. My husbands father and family haven't seen us since last October. They live about 4hrs away. I believe Piper has only met them once, she was about 6mths old (she's 19mths now). Makes me sad they wouldn't recognize their Grampy if he was standing right in front of them...so we decided to make the trip up.
There's my off topic vent about family....hahaha!

[Learner]

Enjoy anyway...a break is a break eh? 8)

On the veggie note, I've never put raw lettuce or spinach into my tank, (don't even know if you can) but I bought some 'stuff'
in a foil bag from my local aqua stockist, and popped it into my tank...come to think of it, I fished it out a couple of days later, as no-one showed the slightest bit of interest in it  ??? LOL
Tania.

[pinkorchid]

oooh....you'll think I'm crazy ;)
I read about veggies and was thinking actual veggies from the produce department...hehe.

[Learner]

Truth be told....me too at first!!!  ;D

[Bergy]

i have fed vegatables.  lettuce and broccli.. the tang was the only one to go for it...

but the seaweed/nori is a vegatble, and is fine.. i usually feed a small piece of a sheet, roll it up into a joint, ok, cigarette, and clip it to the vegable clip, and they fish tear it apart..

if you dont roll it up they will tear it right off the clib and it will float around and the fish wont have the leverage to tear it

and yea, fish can go a couple days without food no problem... not great habit, but doable on occasion..


and btw: 3x a day is WAY too much...

1x is fine...

[Hajra]

if its any constalation i havent feed mine in 4 days. but i am also having trouble keeping the ph up to where its supposed to be and they arent eating...

[pinkorchid]

and btw: 3x a day is WAY too much...

1x is fine...

oops! I was just going by a "clownfish care" sheet. I'll cut back. I read to feed them 2-3x and remove any leftover food after 3mins. I haven't had to do that because they gobble it up within seconds.

[pinkorchid]

if its any constalation i havent feed mine in 4 days. but i am also having trouble keeping the ph up to where its supposed to be and they arent eating...

My pH is on the low side too...7.8. I have an akalinity test kit coming on Friday.
I've been following your thread about the troubles your having...hope things work out.

[RandyFolds]

Lettuce, parsley, brocolli. spinach...your veggie eating fish, tangs, monos and the like, will love it.

[Bergy]

not only is there issue with left over food, (if ther eis any), but the laws of biology pretty much say that the more that goes in, the more that comes out... and i am pretty sure you dont remove the fish poo like you would if it was left over food...

i know it is fun to watch them eat but you want to feed them just enough to keep them healthy, and not fat... and ys you can see buldges on fish... i had a vlamingi that had a double chin... and tah tblue hippo of mine, omg, what a pig..

[Learner]

My Dragonette is constantly on the lookout for food,
so much so, he even takes the frozen food now too  8)