How Long Can Fish Go Without Food? Top Fish Care Tips For Your Next Vacation

In This Article

Additional Tips
FAQ

If you are traveling for the holidays or planning to go on a vacation soon, one of the top questions you may be wondering is how long can fish go without food? Fortunately, there are several easy options to feed your fish during holiday and vacation periods.

Learn more about how to care for your fish while you're away.

01 of 07

Purchase a Vacation Feeder

The simplest option for feeding is to use vacation feeders. They are available in 2-day (weekend), 7-day, and 14-day sizes. There are two basic types: one where the food is embedded in a calcium block, and the other style has the food in a gel. In each case, the block gradually dissolves in the water, releasing food particles for the fish to eat. Make sure that the number of blocks used in the aquarium is sufficient for all of the fish in the aquarium. But it is better to underfeed the fish than overfeed them for the time you are away.
02 of 07

Use an Automatic Feeder

You can also purchase an automatic fish feeder, which comes in electric plug-in models and battery-operated models. They have timers that can be set to dispense the proper amount of food one or more times per day. The opening in the food-holding dispenser can be adjusted to deliver a certain amount of food at each feeding. These are great to use anytime, and if you have it before you go on vacation, you can adjust the timing and dispensed food quantity to feed the fish correctly every day. As long as the food dispenser is full before you leave, and holds enough food to dispense for the duration you will be gone, these work well for feeding your fish while you are away.
03 of 07

Hire a Fish Sitter

If you are going on an extended vacation or holiday (more than a week), you should have someone tend your fish. The most important thing to impress upon your helper is that they should not overfeed your fish. Excess food will foul the aquarium and can prove lethal. Many fish will "beg" for more food even when they are well-fed (Angelfish are notorious for begging), but should not be indulged. In order to prevent your house sitter from giving too much food, you should pre-measure each meal in a small container or plastic bag.
04 of 07

Hold Off On Feeding Your Fish

Living in a watery environment has its advantages—fish don't have to wait for you to give them a drink. As for food, freshwater fish are quite capable of going for several days without a meal. Healthy adult fish can go for a week or two without feeding. However, young fish don't have the fat stores of adult fish and they cannot go without eating very long.

Continue to 5 of 7 below
05 of 07

Get a Timer

Aquarium lights normally should be turned off at night and turned back on in the morning. Lighting is easy to handle by purchasing a timer. There's no need to get a fancy or expensive one, as long as it will turn the aquarium lights on and off once each day. Put the light on a timer and leave it that way all the time. Then, your fish will have a consistent day/night cycle, and you have one less thing to do each day.
06 of 07

Preset Your Air Conditioner

During summer vacations, set your air conditioning to kick in if the room temperature rises above 80 degrees, and your fish will be quite comfortable while you are away. If you do not have air conditioning, it is wise to arrange for someone to come in and check the fish in the event of a heat wave
07 of 07

Give Your Fish an Exam

Another important factor is the physical condition of your fish. Just before leaving on your holiday or vacation, examine them to ensure that none of them appear to be sick. If you notice any abnormalities, consult a fish shop or an aquatic veterinarian before leaving. Otherwise, you risk coming home to an aquarium of sick or dying fish.

Additional Tips

Here is a final checklist of things to do before you leave:

Clean the aquarium a week before you leave.
Completely top off the aquarium with water the day before you leave.
Check the water temperature to verify it's in the proper range.
Check the filter and make sure it's running at full capacity.
Carefully examine all the fish to ensure they are healthy.
If you have a fish sitter, measure food into a dispenser for them.
Give your fish sitter your number and the number of the local pet shop.

Now, go enjoy the holidays!

FAQ

Do fish need to be fed every day?

It largely depends on the type of fish you keep, so your best bet is looking into the species of your fish before deciding on feeding habits.
How many days can my fish go without food?

This also depends on the type of fish you have. Some fish can only go a couple days without food while others can go a week or more.
How long can fish survive without a filter?

Having a functional filter at all times is ideal, but things happen. Your fish should be okay for a few days without a working filter, but you'll want to find a replacement as soon as you can.