Automatic Feeding

[gla3dr]

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum so I apologize if this is in the wrong section.

I have a question about automatic feeding. I will be leaving my house for 4 days so I need a way to feed my fish while I am gone. I know there are automatic feeders and stuff, but I have been feeding them frozen food and seaweed. Consequently, I'm not sure of what type of flakes/pellets I should get to use in a automatic feeder, what type of automatic feeder to get, or if there is an even better way of doing this. I have 1 blue-green chromis and 1 foxface in a 33 gallon tank.

Thanks in advance.

 

[tankedchemist]

Ok, first, a foxface doesn't belong in a 33 gallon. Sorry, but he'll need a much bigger --twice the volume-- tank. Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: One Spot Foxface

Also, foxfaces need algae (seaweed) sheets probably about every other day at minimum unless your tank has tons of algae he loves to eat. the easiest way to achieve this is to have a friend come put a sheet of seaweed on a veggie clip midway through your weekend.

For the chromis, he doesn't need to eat that often. 4 days without food won't harm him.

 

[Jmck]

I wouldnt worry about feeding them for 4 days, should be fine IMO just give them a nice healthy meal when you get back :) i feed my fish every 2-4 days. So dont stress too much. Leave an algae sheet and feed before you go

 

[gla3dr]

Ok sounds good. Thanks for the replies. I didn't realize the tank was too small for the foxface. I got the aquarium from someone else who wasn't able to keep it anymore so it was already in there.What will happen to it if it lives in a tank that size? Should I try to keep it? Or should I sell it? I haven't get the money for a larger tank right now, unfortunately.

Thanks again

EDIT: Also, I have been feeding him algae sheets daily.

 

[dcantucson]

If you have been feeding daily you should gradually extend the feedings until your at a 4 day interval by the time you leave. This will help them adjust and make it easier on them while your gone.

How large is you Foxface? It might be okay in that size of a tank for a very short time.

 

[Bifferwine]

Do you have a friend that could come over and feed while you're gone?

 

[gla3dr]

If you have been feeding daily you should gradually extend the feedings until your at a 4 day interval by the time you leave. This will help them adjust and make it easier on them while your gone.

Well I haven't got a whole lot of time until I leave but I'll see what I can do about that.

My foxface is about 10cm.

@Bifferwine: Well maybe...but I'm not sure I trust my friends quite that much haha

 

[wontonflip]

I just told someone else that the way I leave for vacation, I pre-measure out my food for the petsitter, so all they have to do is thaw the cube, toss it in. Never had a problem with over or under feeding, and these are teenagers that I have petsitting for my fish.

 

[gla3dr]

Yeah I saw that wontonflip, but the problem is that I'm feeding the foxface algae sheets, so that wouldn't really work. Is there something else I could feed it that I could freeze?

 

[reeffreak]

Try Emerald Entree,it has seaweed in it and comes in a cube.

 

[yote]

Your foxface will get plenty of food,even without the algae sheets.It'll nibble any algae ( even if you cant see it ) off your rocks.

 

[gla3dr]

Sounds good. I'll try that. Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[Wes888]

What about having one of those rotating auto feeder with these? Aquarium Fish Foods: Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Pellet Food for Herbivorous Fish

 

[bjohanson1234]

From my experience, auto feeded feed WAY too much food at once. I have gone away for a week and only have the fish sitter top off water and didnt feed. But I only have 2 clowns and a lawnmower blennie and feed once a week anyways.

 

[tankedchemist]

+1 BJ ... I tried it once with a variety of things, several different auto feeders, and none of them worked very well, unfortunately.

 

[Wes888]

Hmm.. But even the cheap one allow you to control the amount of feeding to as little as the food could barely coming out. Just set it to much less than you usually feed.

The other type that allow you to put exactly how much you feed for each setting in their own little compartment. There is no way to feed more or feed less with that kind of auto feeder. The only limitation is the number of days/feeding you can use it since it has limited compartments.

 

[gla3dr]

Well, I think I'll try not feeding them for the 4 days. I'll feed them right before I go and soon after I get back. I'm going to try to convert them to flakes and pellets though, so that later this summer when I leave for 3 weeks, I will be able to use an auto feeder easily. I will have someone check on them one in a while during that vacation.

Thanks again everyone for all the great advice.

 

[yote]

Careful with those automatic feeders.They have been know to malfunction and dump all the food at once.

 

[Wes888]

I used two different kind in my 2 tanks last year for a week and they were fine. I'll be on vacation for 2 weeks in mid-July. It's gonna be another good test.

 

[Jmck]

I have the BEST automatic feeder you can get... A little brother :D hehe