Re: [RML] forced diet ok?

James E. Capelle (jcapelle at gte.net)
Sun, 23 Feb 1997 07:47:49 -0500

Doug Collom wrote:
>
> Hi Dianne,
>
> I've developed confidence enough to leave my fish alone for periods over a
> week, like you I have learned not to trust anyone who is not a real fisho
> to feed them while I'm away. Adult fish survive OK, fry and very young fish
> you might need to make some arrangement for.
>
> An important point to remember with your rainbows is that they are
> omniverous, eating plants as well as live and dead animal material.
> Therefore if you have plants that they will chomp on, elodia is reputedly a
> good one, they will transfer their attention to that while you are away.
>
> Doug Collom
>
> ----------
> > From: VERMILLION, DIANNE <DVER at son.rochester.edu>
> > To: list rainbowfish <rainbowfish at pcug.org.au>
> > Subject: [RML] forced diet ok?
> > Date: Saturday, 22 February 1997 1:54
> >
> >
> > Hi!
> > I am planning a vacation north into Canada for spring break and will be
> away
> > for 4 days. I can't find anyone (that I trust) to feed my fish while I
> am
> > away. Last time the fish feeder created a disaster.
> >
> > Question: If I feed them on day one before I leave, and on day 4 when I
> get
> > back, will they be ok without being fed for 2 days? (in august it will
> be a
> > 7 day period, will that be ok ?)
> > They currently are fed 2x a day, should I cut back to once a day for a
> few
> > days before I leave? Special food- spirulina or frozen blood worms or
> > shrimp?
> >
> > I have G incisus, G wanawho? (hybrid), M boesmani, M praecox, in one
> tank
> > and M lacustris with 3 angels, 6 SAEs and 2 cats in the other tank. OH,
> will
> > my bushy nosed plecks be OK?.
> >
> > Thanks for the help,
> > Its 60 and balmy here in Rochester, NY-tomorrow 30s again.
> >
> > Dianne
On the subject of feeding while one goes on vacation. When I was
younger and sharing a house with a friend I would have to leave with the
military for various amounts of time; 0ne week to three months(and still
do). When I first started the trips I would have my house mate watch
the one or two fish tanks with some degree of luck. Until one time(and
that is all it takes) when he over fed one of the tanks. Then I bought
two auto feeders, and with dry foods, used them as morning feeders
(meaning; I set it up to feed once a day in the morning). I did any
other foods in the afternoon when I got home from work. That worked for
a mini reef tank and a large Community set up. Now I am older and in a
house(oh ya, and married, how could I forget that?), I have MANY more
tanks, auto feeders got too costly to buy for that many tanks. When I
have to go away with the military now, my better half(who swears she'll
never want to deal with my "Hobby") feeds the fish for me. I'll set up
3oz plastic cups with food for feeding once a day(in the morning only)
and one cup for each tank. This works good for when you have someone
eles do the feeding too, because every tank has different type of fish
and feeding habit.
Another point I should bring up now about my feeding habits. Years ago
when I was stationed at Cape Cod, Mass.(with the military again) I had
worked in a fish dept. of a large pet store nights and weekends. While
there I would tell people to feed only what can be eaten in five to ten
min. and in the morning, this got me to thinking about my feeding
problem with my house-mate. For me the answer was to train all my fish
to eat at the same time, if they ate in day light times(hint). Where as
I could kinda trust my past house mate mind to work best in the AM, I
started to turn off the pumps(all the air and filters)using a breaker or
surge protector bar, when I fed, the fish learned to tie the two
together. Then when I went to auto feeders, I just bought timers and
tied the s.p. bar for pumps to them too. The whole system worked great
too. Two things I should say if you need to set up a system like this.
As you may guess there is room for mistakes, timing the auto feeders and
timeing pumps to work together took a bit of time, I ended up shutting
the pumps five min. before and ten min. after. The auto feeders(when I
only had two tanks set up(in the military moving is a fact of life)) had
to tested a lot to make sure they didn't over/under feed. When we go go
on one of our many diving trips, I have someone come in every day to
feed, I show them how to shut off the s.p. bar for the pumps and now the
cups have the day printed on them.
One real last note; my better half now thinks it's cool that all fish
come to her when she feeds with the pumps off. "They are like
puppies". Well that's my ramble for the week and now back under my
leaf. Jim C.