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View Full Version : Taking Care of Discus while on Vacation



espitzer
01-15-2003, 09:41 PM
I am curious as to what most people do with their Discus when they go on vacation. When I had them in the past, I paid someone to come by and feed them. But I'm wondering whether others are using automatic feeders and what about the water changes, especially for those that have a number of tanks.

thanks.

01-15-2003, 09:56 PM
Hello and Welcome!


well 3 days Before Leaveing I clean All tanks Very Well Glass,heaters,filters ETC.. A week Before leaveing I make sure all is well with all the Discus and pound them with tons of food and clean water. IME a healty discus can survive 3 weeks to a month without any foods.

However this is only for adult discus. Smaller discus at 2.5" will last a good 2 weeks Imo its Best to only go as long as 1 week. Anyways Ph is lowered to 7.0 all lighting is turned out! and all Temps Are dropped to 82F for the whole time gone. Good Bye See YA! ;D ;D


I use this Method everytime I leave and have not had a problem yet! Also Make sure Your tank is not over crowded with a high Bio-load this will have a big effect on your water Quality in days to come. I also stop all feeding and W/c Big 24Hrs before Departure.

HTH
TakeCare'
Cary Gld!

espitzer
01-15-2003, 10:03 PM
Cary,

Thanks for the recommendations. I actually like the idea of not feeding them while gone (as long as it isn't too long) since depending on someone else to feed them correctly and then do the clean up makes me nervous.

Eric

joanr
01-15-2003, 11:43 PM
I'll be facing this also in March, going to Disney, Orlando. I'm planning on having my son stop by nightly to vaccum the bottom, feed lightly and add some water back by pitcher method from the storage tanks just to replace whatever evaporates. Couldn't trust anyone I know to do much more. I think less is good in these situations. Of course he's going to have to call me every night collect to let me know how they are all doing.......some vaca, I'll be a nervous wreak.

JR

lkleung007
01-16-2003, 12:10 PM
Hi Espitzer;

I have to agree with Cary, as usual. I have gone away 3 times since getting my Discus back in 4/02. Each time, I would do a good cleaning, NOT feed for 24 hrs, lights down low, and have not had a problem yet. The longest that I went away was 7 days. If you do not feed the Discus, they do not produce as much waste and hence the water quality remains good; as long as the biological filtration is working well.

HTH, Lester

limige
01-18-2003, 09:17 AM
i have a very friendly neighbor lady who is kind evough to drop by and toss some worms in my tanks for me ;D ;)

she's brings her sons over to play with the bunny and see my fish ;D

RAWesolowski
01-19-2003, 04:46 PM
Espitzer,

Cary gives some very good advice. Spent two weeks in Florida over Thanksgiving.

Prior to leaving, I made sure that the tanks were immaculate and temps were 84F. During the week prior, I fed them so much that they thought that they were in Discus heaven. I did have an Eheim feeder on the tank, mainly for the dither fish. Setting was once a day at minimum feed amount. Since the tanks are planted. I did keep the usual lighting on for 12 hours per day with a timer.

Tanks were in reasonable shape when I came home. No fatalities, minimum algae, but a very nice tannic tint to the water from the wood in the tanks. Did 50% water changes the next three days, up from my usual 30%.

Tony
01-19-2003, 07:35 PM
I used to belong to the leave it alone up to 2 weeks school.
It has been working quite well for 5-6 times.
I have a nasty exp. latey on a 13days trip. The ballast of the flor lamp in the main tank proably shorted out and trip the ground fault circuit. It power down the whole house.
All the food in the fridge gone really rotten...

All tank, has no heater and no filration for probably 3days.
(it happen before new year)

I think I am convert to get some one in to check the house/tank. Everything is running daily BUT no wc, no feeding.

fish loss after 2 weeks are just 1 cory cat plus some small fish that no body is found.

The discus are ok but this week, I a have observed stringy poo....

touch wood....

BlueTurquoise
01-19-2003, 08:02 PM
I think a very important aspect is that your tank(s) are underpopulated. The more fish, more food = faster to foul up. They can go for 13 days without food (ala Tony). Is that like the world record for Discus? lol

Chong

SHAD0W
02-25-2010, 06:09 AM
I'm going to Japan for 6 weeks in May. I don't want to use the starvation method as other hungry fish could become dangerous (clown loach, BGKF).

Someone would be able to come feed once a day, I take it that if they can survive 3 weeks without food, that a once a day feed should suffice?

This person won't touch live/frozen food... so would a feeding of flake be ok?

How long would they survive without a waterchange?

mjs020294
02-25-2010, 09:12 AM
If you get the tank and water ultra clean they should be OK for a week or two. We haven't crossed that hurdle yet but we have a good neighbor and I will just ask him to feed them once a day, and maybe have a fish feeder with flakes to keep the other fish happy.

Skip
09-14-2010, 12:33 PM
SOOO!

my fish would be ok.. if i was gone for 2 days? :idea:

i don't trust brother with my fish! :angry:

DiscusLoverJeff
09-14-2010, 03:19 PM
An Autofeeder and clean water should help for a couple days.

Good luck!!

Altum Nut
09-14-2010, 04:52 PM
Well Eddie might step in later. You all remember when he was away for 6 weeks...fish without w/c or feeding.
The link to that thread is someowhere?
Remember his many years of experience along with healthy fish was still a challenge.

...Ralph

Eddie
09-14-2010, 05:49 PM
SOOO!

my fish would be ok.. if i was gone for 2 days? :idea:

i don't trust brother with my fish! :angry:

Yes, make sure your kH is not too low to prevent a ph crash. If you have someone feed them, make sure you show them how much and that much only.




An Autofeeder and clean water should help for a couple days.

Good luck!!

Even better


Well Eddie might step in later. You all remember when he was away for 6 weeks...fish without w/c or feeding.
The link to that thread is someowhere?
Remember his many years of experience along with healthy fish was still a challenge.

...Ralph

LOL, I'd say 4 weeks and the other 4 weeks was just them not eating. :o

sfdiscus
01-19-2011, 01:08 AM
Hi all -
1. What do people feed them in automatic feeder? Dried worms? I haven't gotten my wild discus used to flakes or dried worms yet ...
2. I see that there are controlled release fish food in the market (for vacation - is that ok?
Thx

John_Nicholson
01-19-2011, 02:42 PM
The best thing to do is to stop feeding them a couple of days before you leave and do a good water change the day you do leave. Don't worry about feeding them while you are gone unless you are going to be gone a long time or they are very young.

-john

JoeDiscus
01-21-2011, 02:23 AM
The advice in this thread sure is good to know! And judging by the number of views of this thread itself, looks like it's something that alot of people were curious about. It'll be of comfort to know that I can actually leave the discus for a few days...if I ever get outta the house and go somewhere!

I guess the real key lies in preparing the discus (and myself!) by feeding them well and getting in some good water changes! Thanks for sharing this valuable advice!

sfdiscus
02-10-2011, 07:15 PM
Hi - for hobbysists who are busy and travel for work frequently, what type of food would you recommend for automatic feeder (to substitute for frozen Hikari worms)? thx

Eddie
02-10-2011, 07:32 PM
I dont feed anything on vacation or travel.

If its for a few days, pellets or flakes will work in an autofeeder.

walan20
08-03-2011, 02:41 PM
Come on guys more info needed...

Skip
08-03-2011, 03:08 PM
The best thing to do is to stop feeding them a couple of days before you leave and do a good water change the day you do leave. Don't worry about feeding them while you are gone unless you are going to be gone a long time or they are very young.

-john

what is considered very young? i am going to south america for 12 days :)

DiscusBR
08-03-2011, 03:25 PM
I can share my experience. I went travelling for 32 days in June. I left behind a 80g tank with 5 discus, 10 lemon tetras and 4 corydoras. A friend of mine went to my place once a week to feed the fish some flakes and to do a 60% water change. Thus, in more then a month I had only 4 feedings and 4 WCs. I came back and found the fish doing well.

Skip
08-03-2011, 03:29 PM
i am going to be gone 12 days :( dont' really trust brother

DiscusBR
08-03-2011, 03:34 PM
i am going to be gone 12 days :( dont' really trust brother

Then cancel the trip and marry your discus :p

Just kidding, I know you have youngsters, which is a different case

Skip
08-03-2011, 03:52 PM
i think my youngest fish are about 4 months.. close to 5 when the trip comes around.. i got them in late april..

GlennR
02-26-2013, 10:00 PM
i think my youngest fish are about 4 months.. close to 5 when the trip comes around.. i got them in late april..

This is an old thread, but nobody replied to the last post.

I'm planning to start keeping Discus again, after 25 years away, and am wondering about their age/size rate and feedings. I mean how old (or large) will they need to be before I can skip a day of feeding? How about 2,3,4, etc. days away?

I raised nickle sized babies before, but I can't remember a lot of the details...

Skip
02-26-2013, 10:03 PM
welcome back Glenn..

Skipping a Day.. is not to bad.. it won't hurt them..

even a weekend..

but if you start getting like a week or so..
they younger the more they would be affected.. imho

kreekree
03-02-2013, 03:45 PM
I just left my fish for vacation for 9 days without a water change or food. I stopped feeding them the one day before I left. The night before I left I did a huge water change. I came home and decided I would only offer them pellets. We are now on day 17 and some of them still have refused the pellet. My discus range in size from 3-5 inches. All 8 were fine along with the lemon tetras and cory's.

dragon1974
03-25-2013, 02:05 PM
Just came back from a 24 day trip. Stopped feeding 24 hrs before and did a massive water change on all my tanks (2 20 gal and 1 125 gal) before I left. Monitored the tanks from a couple IP cams I have home. Had my brother in laws come over once a week to make sure all pumps and water levels were ok. Came back lastnight and all tanks and stock were ok. Even think a couple of them grew half an inch LOL. Did a water change on all tanks this morning and will do another W/C when I get home from work. Also did a small feeding this morning, just to see if they wanted to eat, and yep the pigs wanted to eat LOL. Waiting a couple of days before I start up on the beefheart mix. The info from this site was priceless. A big thank you to everyone on the site

ltgoof
03-25-2013, 06:13 PM
I will be away for a week... though my mom is at home, I would not trust her feeding my fish :) Here's what I have decided to do.

1. Cleaned up the tank 2 days before and did a massive WCs.
2. My fish are on pellet diet 3 days before I leave.
3. Got an auto feeder, load some pellets (good think I have trained my discus to eat color bits) and program it to feed once a day.
4. I setup a laptop with a web cam, so I can remote in into that computer and see my fish while I'm away.
5. Got a ph meter to check the ph, if ph is dropping I will ask my mom to do a 50% WC if needed. Again I don't trust her doing this stuffs, but if needed I have trained her how to push a button to drain the tank (about 75%) and a button to re-fill it up gradually so the fish won't get ph shock.

Note: We will be on Facetime or Skype when she's doing this :D

I hope every thing works. I will keep you posted.

DiscusBR
03-25-2013, 06:24 PM
I will be away for a week... though my mom is at home, I would not trust her feeding my fish :) Here's what I have decided to do.

1. Cleaned up the tank 2 days before and did a massive WCs.
2. My fish are on pellet diet 3 days before I leave.
3. Got an auto feeder, load some pellets (good think I have trained my discus to eat color bits) and program it to feed once a day.
4. I setup a laptop with a web cam, so I can remote in into that computer and see my fish while I'm away.
5. Got a ph meter to check the ph, if ph is dropping I will ask my mom to do a 50% WC if needed. Again I don't trust her doing this stuffs, but if needed I have trained her how to push a button to drain the tank (about 75%) and a button to re-fill it up gradually so the fish won't get ph shock.

Note: We will be on Facetime or Skype when she's doing this :D

I hope every thing works. I will keep you posted.

So many experienced people in tis forum have insisted: do not feed adult discus while you are travelling (juvies is another story). Didn't you read dragon1974 post? He did not feed for 24 days and the fish were OK when he returned. One week is nothing. I have also left my fish for 3 weeks with no food. Is is better to have hungry fish than dead or sick fish due to amonia spikes. Stop feeding the day before you leave and do a big WC just before leaving. That is all.

ltgoof
03-25-2013, 08:38 PM
So many experienced people in tis forum have insisted: do not feed adult discus while you are travelling (juvies is another story). Didn't you read dragon1974 post? He did not feed for 24 days and the fish were OK when he returned. One week is nothing. I have also left my fish for 3 weeks with no food. Is is better to have hungry fish than dead or sick fish due to amonia spikes. Stop feeding the day before you leave and do a big WC just before leaving. That is all.

Thanks DiscusBR.

Sorry I forget to say that they are Juvies and Entries to a local Discus Grow Out contest. I wont feed my adults.

BODYDUB
03-25-2013, 10:54 PM
The longest I've left my fish alone is for a week. I did as close to a 100% w/c before I left with no feeding for the week I was gone. They all were fine when I returned and their normal feeding habits resumed that day. IMO the nonfeeding let them clean out their digestive track. I wanted to use a automatic feeder, but I was worried that it would've malfunctioned and dumped too much food thus creating water quality issues................

ltgoof
03-30-2013, 01:46 AM
Day 3 of being away.. All my fish seems happy.

ltgoof
04-03-2013, 04:13 PM
Got back from holly days :) all fish are well, they were all hungry when i came back ;)

Guess what the ph drops from 6.2 to 5.2