Great advise. I travel a great deal and yet with this advise I have been able to sustain six tanks of discus with very few issues. Hope everyone listens to this advice.
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This time of year the forum gets asked "what should I do before going on vacation."
I tried to do a write up for everyone to review as a "basic" guideline on what to do.
Remember, adult discus can survive without food for a week
If you do not have someone to take care of your fish before you go then do this; if adults, don't feed 48 hours prior to leaving and do as big of a water change as you can before you go. If someone can feed your adults but not change the water, it would just be best to not feed at all.
If juvies, (not advisable to purchase small fish before you go on vacation. If your source has them now, they will have them when you get back.) you have a few options. If you have someone who can feed them and do water changes, have that person knowledgeable of your setup before you leave. As we know the key to juvenile growth is good food and clean water.
If you have fry on parents, they should be fine if gone 7 days (depending on how long and how many have been attached, the fry could eat too much and hurt the parents), any longer than that, you could have dead fry when you get home. Again, the importance of having someone look after your spawning pairs.
Always check your equipment before leaving (heaters, air pumps, filters, sump, etc.)
If you have a sump, make sure someone can monitor and fill because their will be evaporation.
DiscusLoverJeff
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius
Great advise. I travel a great deal and yet with this advise I have been able to sustain six tanks of discus with very few issues. Hope everyone listens to this advice.
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Great advice and nice to see it as a sticky. I would only correct the statement that adult discus can survive without food for a week. I have left mine for 3 weeks with no food and no WCs and found them in great shape after I came back.
This what I do & have had no problems. Currently on day 8 of 13 day trip. Will see how things are when I get back next week.
Great information.
When I go on a long vacation, I do a big water change two days before I leave. I think doing a water change the night before you leave on a vacation is not a good idea in case you have a problem after the water change.
Yun-
- 265G Wild Discus Community- 90G African Cichlids- 56G Reef- 20G, 20G, 29G Community- 20G, 26G, 36G empty
That's very true, two days before leaving is best. I will be doing this next month, for a ten days trip... )
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Thanks. I will be going on a camping trip. I will follow this advice and hopefully they will be fine when I get back.
I was away for 3 weeks. 8/02-8/25. Did water change two days before and put new floss inside filter. Stopped feeding same day as well. Came back everything was good.
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Great advice. Didn't have much luck with pet sitter.
The only thing I would add is if you know when you're going on vacation, condition your discus so that when you leave they are healthy. I did 21 or 25 days without feeding or WC. I knew when I was going on vacation, so I did 2 day/1 day WC and doubled the feeding so that they were healthy and fat. Changed water the day before and cleaned the filters etc. Went on my vacation and had a good time. I have my brother in law pop over once a week to check on the equipment and that was it. Came back and all was good. Did a 80% WC and that was it.
very nice Jeff ! and great addition there Dragon
- Marnie
www.bootcamprescue.com
Thank you. will do a WC two days prior to my trip and stop feeding.
If you do need to use the services of a pet sitter or neighbor, it helps to put out the food in individual containers. I purchased a bunch of small plastic containers such as often used for serving tartar-sauce or salad dressing in restaurants. They come with the container and a cover in packages of 50 or 100 or so. I put in the appropriate amount and type of food for each tank's individual feedings in individual containers, and the pet sitter or neighbor just needs to open the appropriate container and drop in the food.
So if I am gone for 10 days, and I am feeding one time per day, I might leave ten containers near each aquarium. If it is 2 times per day, I would leave 20 containers near each aquarium, etc. Most often I cut back on the feedings so that the water and filters would remain okay. I might leave one container for every other day or every third day ....
I have the sitter save the containers and tops for re-use at the next vacation.
Philip
Today is 100 percent water change on all seven tanks. I will be gone for almost one week. All the discus will not be fed in that amount of time. I have done it many times and always come back to clean tanks and healthy discus. I used to have someone come in and feed them once a day on long trips. It ended in disaster every time. I caution that I do have adults in most of the tank and no juveniles. Juveniles would take more water changes and frequent feedings. Rufus