No food for 3 days? Is that ok?

[npila1 0]

Hi everyone,

So I have to be away for 3 full days around christmas (going back home) and I won't have anyone to come feed my goldfish. Do you think they will be ok without food for 3 days? They are also going through a prazi treatment right now and I don't want them to be any weaker because of lack of food.

Thanks!

[dnalex 13,633]

They will be fine for longer than 1 week even, but it's always nice for them to have something to eat. How about getting them lots of plants that they can eat while you are away?

Edited December 19, 2011 by dnalex

[npila1 0]

They will be fine for longer than 1 week even, but it's always nice for them to have something to eat. How about getting them lots of plants that they can eat while you are away?

How do I make sure that there are no parasites or bacteria on the plants? Don't I need to quarantine the plants?

[number20121 2,663]

Another idea is just some fresh veggie or lettuce. I have left cucumber/zucchini slices and romaine lettuce in the tank for 48 hours, until it was all gone.

It won't rot that quickly with the lack of oxygen. The veggies will start to first get very soft, which makes it even easier for the fish to eat.

Clipping them a big leaf of romaine lettuce or a larger slice of peeled cucumber or zucchini in the tank will get them through most of the time you are gone

[seheap 12]

Don't worry. I routinely leave my guys for 3-4 days without food. They do just fine.

Leaving them some veggies or plants is a good idea. I personally would recommend some plants. You don't have to QT the plants, but you should bleach them. A simple 1:20 part mixture will do the trick. Dip the plants for about 30 seconds then rinse them off. Any snails or parasites will be killed and you're good to go.

[npila1 0]

Thank you for your advice everyone.

Don't worry. I routinely leave my guys for 3-4 days without food. They do just fine.

Leaving them some veggies or plants is a good idea. I personally would recommend some plants. You don't have to QT the plants, but you should bleach them. A simple 1:20 part mixture will do the trick. Dip the plants for about 30 seconds then rinse them off. Any snails or parasites will be killed and you're good to go.

May I ask if this also kills parasite eggs? Or will this only kill adults?

[seheap 12]

It depends on the parasite. Ich, no. Nothing can touch the cysts when they are encrusted. However, Ich is always present in small numbers in any aquarium...it's in the water. As long as your fish are healthy, the Ich will leave them alone.

Flukes, yes. Costia, yes, Hexamita, yes. Anchor worm, yes. Argulus, yes.....Those are the main parasites you need to worry about.

Bleach is extremely toxic, so there's no worry about leaving something left untouched!

[npila1 0]

Great, thanks for the info!

[King Poseidon 73]

For new plants, is a praziquantel preventiv treatment efficient?

[dnalex 13,633]

For new plants, is a praziquantel preventiv treatment efficient?

Prazi is ineffective toward fluke eggs, which would be what you would have on plants.