How Long Without Food

I never had to leave my tank unattended for more than 2 days, so I'm a bit inexperienced, however there is plenty of advice in the article section of the website:

http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/article/holiday-care-for-your-fish-tank

5 days seems to long to leave them with no food but You should be able to get some holiday food at your local fish store.
If your neighbour is willing to help I would prepare the daily ration in advance to avoid over feeding.

I'm sure the more senior forum members will give you some more tips.

Hi Cinders 

Sue has said many times that fish are OK for up to 2 weeks without food, so I think your 5 days will be fine. I dont know whether that differs between setups but Im sure Sue will come along to confirm/contradict - go with what she says! 

Dont forget that fish eat micro-thingamies in the water - they dont solely live on what you give them.

Folk on here generally do not agree with holiday blocks, as you cannot control the amount of food and you may end up with a bigger problem when you get home. There are electronic "dispensers" available, but again I dont think they're thought much of - I remember reading somewhere (not on TF I dont think) that one had "malfunctioned" and dumped the whole weeks worth of food in, in one go. Thankfully the owner had just bought it and was trying it out and so was there to immediately rectify the situation. Of course, that may have just been bad luck.

If you're worried, it is generally recommended to prepare the daily ration as Etienne suggests, maybe using one of those weekly pill containers or something - and hide your food so the friend cant give more than you've rationed! You'd be surprised how non-fishkeepers think you dont give enough food 



EDIT: An afterthought - as usual 
As you dont like to bother people, you could always go for a "happy medium" - Ask the friend to pop in every other day and feed them. That way, you know your fish aren't going too long without food, but your friend only needs to pop in a couple of times during the five days 

Are your tank light on a different plug from the filter and heater? I ask because I have seen tanks where all three are wired into the same plug. If the lights are separate just buy a timer, that's what I use or I'd forget to turn them on or off. Things like this

As for feeding the fish, leaving them a week without food is not a problem, and up to 2 weeks if you have live plants as fish can eat those if they get too hungry. Holiday blocks are not a good idea as they can foul the water and you could come back to dead fish. Most of them use chalk as the matrix, and that makes an awful mess of the tank in addition to uneaten food causing ammonia spikes etc. Automatic feeders, as Chucklett says, can dump the whole lot in at once, or damp can get in and make the food sticky so none goes in.
I use the pill box containing food method as my son has to almost pass our front door on his way to work. Even then, he usually only feeds them once every two or three days.

For five days, I wouldn't bother. If you ever away more than a week, measure out one day's worth of food and ask someone to put that in the tank once a week.

Thanks very much Sue, that is lovely.   I will get a timer for the lights, as they are separate from the filter.  I don't like the idea of automatic feeders, etc. so definitely will not go down that route, but for five days I think they will be ok.  I may get my neighbour to pop in just once, to see if alls well, but I think I can safely go off and not worry now.

Thanks ColinB, appreciate your input as well.   I am going to a part of the country I haven't been to before, which is Rutland, a place called Oakham.   Some friends have a timeshare there and asked me to go too, which was nice of them, I am not a seaside person really, and don't want to go abroad any more.

That's a very good tip Chucklet, I will bear that in mind.   Thanks for the good wishes, I shall enjoy it.

Thanks Jesnon.   This is all very good info isn't it.    Yes I'm looking forward to Oakham, its still about six weeks away yet, but will fly by now.   Is it you that's moving to Portsmouth, or have you already moved.  I used to live near there, but in Wiltshire now.

Hi Jesnon,   Afraid I can't tell you much about what it is like there now, I have lived here in Shrewton for 30 years, so it will all be different and I should imagine better than when I last went there.   I used to live on the outskirts of Southampton, place called Durley, which is handy for the m27 now.  Quite a nice village, all sorts going on, if you like village life.    Lots of things to see in Portsmouth/Southampton.  Sorry this is a fishy site and this is not.

O  glad to hear that Sue, its so easy to do.   Like making new friends.

Hi Cinders,
I went away in May for 5 days and like yourself was concerned about not feeding.
After many replies and Sue is very knowledgeable i left them with no food. On my return all fish were fine with no problems. I would invest in a timer for the lights as this is very useful

Jay

Off-topic is best..... the sillier the better! 

How dare you!