It’s hard to believe that someone could forget about their Platy fish for so long, but it does happen. Have you ever had to go on a trip but didn’t know what to do with your pet fish? Well, this blog post is for you! While you’re away on vacation, your pets are left at home with a sitter. And if you have a pet Platy fish, there may be some anxiety when you leave them behind. But how do they handle it? How long can Platy fish go without food?
A Platy fish can last for 1 to 2 weeks without food. Therefore, when feeding them before leaving your home, try not overfeeding them and feed them 1-2 times per day. You may also want to use an automatic fish feeder or vacation feeder/pyramid while away from home if they are too small to eat solid foods in the time frame we previously discussed.
What should you do before leaving your Platy fish for a trip? I will answer all the questions and many more in this blog post! Please read it till the end!
How Long Can Platy Fish Go Without Food?
Platy fish can go for nearly 1 to 2 weeks without food. If you are going on vacation for longer than that, make sure to feed your fish while on the trip, and once you’re back from it!
It is important to feed them. Otherwise, they will starve and die. Therefore, it would be best to feed them twice each day that you are away from home for more than a few hours.
What Should You Do Before Leaving Your Platy Fish For A Trip?
Before leaving for a trip, make sure the water is clean enough so that when they go without feeding, there will be no spikes in ammonia levels.
Ask Your Friend Or Neighbor To Feed Your Platy Fish While You Are Away
If you’re going on a trip but don’t know what to do with your fish, for the time being, ask your friend or neighbor.
They will most likely be happy to help out and feed them for you! If they agree without hesitation, then great!
However, if it takes much convincing before they say yes, you may need to rethink your friendship.
Water Changes:
To make sure that there is no debris in the tank, do a 20% water change before leaving for your trip. Do not empty the tank and refill with clean water. Just use conditioned tap water that has been treated with a conditioner/dechlorinator or left for 24 hours without moving and change a little bit of water. Too much water change will do more harm than good.
It is recommended to do a 20% water change before leaving. You should do two 20% water changes to the tank before leaving for a long trip that lasts more than one week.
Cleaning The Filter:
If your filter is an internal or undergravel type, change 25% of the substrate with each water change.
If you have an unstable pH balance in your aquarium, make sure to use a buffer to maintain the proper pH.
Removing Decaying Matter & Debris:
If the substrate is sand or gravel, remove any decaying matter and debris from it.
Remove any decaying matter or debris from the tank. This includes dead fish, plants that are not doing well, and uneaten food items.
Slightly Lower The Water Temperature:
Before leaving for a trip with your platy fry in the aquarium, make sure to lower the water temperature by two degrees Fahrenheit (F).
Do not lower the temperature by more than a few degrees. You want to avoid rapid fluctuations of water temperatures that can be harmful to your fish.
You should lower your temperature to about 72 degrees Fahrenheit for a week before you leave so that they can adjust more easily when you return home. This will also make them less active, which decreases their chances of eating the tank decorations.
Don’t Overfeed Your Platies Before Leaving:
Before leaving for a trip with your platy fry in the aquarium, do not overfeed. Overfeeding will cause the water to become cloudy and increase ammonia levels.
Platy fish are susceptible to overfeeding and will not survive for long if you leave them with food in the tank.
Since you will be leaving them without food, not overfeed them before leaving on vacation or a business trip is important.
It is important not to overfeed them before leaving for a trip. It can cause health problems and death if the water quality isn’t good enough.
A good rule of thumb for feeding is twice each day you are away from home. Feeding them more than this will create excess waste and ammonia.
Aquarium Lights On Timer:
Platy fish are sensitive to changes in light and will not do well if the lights go out while on a long trip.
You can use a timer that will automatically shut off after 12 hours of light exposure or have someone check in daily and leave the lights on.
Set up an automatic timer for your aquarium lighting system. This way you can leave without worrying about it turning off by accident.
Ensure that you have all of the lights on timers so that when the light goes off, there is still some time before it turns back on and alerts them to available food.
(This is especially important for some of the more sensitive fish like bettas, gouramis, and certain species that do not eat much when they are sleepy) Set your aquarium lights on a timer so that they turn off every day after the tank is dark.
Should You Use An Automatic Fish Feeder?
If you are going for a trip that lasts more than one week and won’t be able to feed your fish manually, it is best to use an automatic fish feeder or pyramid.
Some people prefer not to use these. They believe that the fish will eat too much food and cause an ammonia spike.
However, if you feed them correctly with a daily amount of their regular diet, then this should not happen.
If your tank is heavily planted, using these may help avoid algae overgrowth if you don’t come back for more than one week or until the plants start to die off.
This should be a last resort if you want your fish to survive, but it is definitely better than not feeding them at all and letting them starve. Fish Mate F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder will help you with this. Do consider!!
How About Vacation Feeder/Pyramid?
An automatic fish feeder or vacation feeder/pyramid can be a great option for those who want to leave their home but have pets.
Some people might not even know that pet water bowls will need refilling while you are gone, and others may worry about the food in your house; what if there is an emergency?
You can buy a vacation feeder/pyramid at some pet stores or online, but you may also be able to make your own.
The pyramid’s best thing is that it automatically refills when it senses water levels have gone down. They are great for those who cannot tell how much food their fish will eat while gone for a week or so.
Can I Take My Platy Fish With Me On Vacation?
Sometimes, we are usually not that willing to go on vacation at all-we want our pets to come with us!
However, this is more difficult than it seems when you have an aquarium full of fish.
If you decide to take your pet fish with you on vacation and place them in a hotel, you should consider the following.
- The water temperature is likely to be much warmer than what your pet fish are used to in their home aquarium. For example, You may need to turn up the thermostat or invest in an air conditioner when they return home from vacation and adjust accordingly.
- Fish tanks in hotels are often not cleaned as frequently. So, you may need a water purifier or antibiotic for your fish.
- You will most likely be sharing the room with other people who have pets and allergies to pet hair; you should consider this before taking your own fish on vacation.
How Long Can Platy Fish Fry Live Without Food?
They cannot survive a day or two if they are not fed.
It is important to remember that baby fish are more sensitive than adults and should be fed three times daily.
Try feeding your fry small amounts of food until they grow larger. But don’t overfeed them or feed them for too long; they will quickly start absorbing the water in the tank as well!
FAQs
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Platy Fish:
How Often Should I Feed My Platy Fish?
Platies are generally fed twice a day in most cases. But if you have them with other fish or they’re starving at the moment, feeding them three times per day is fine too. But it’s always best to feed them twice a day in most cases.
Feed twice a day, morning and night. Remember to feed them vegetables or high-quality pellets in addition to their regular food once every other week for optimal health! Feed them good fish food and only as much food as they eat in about three minutes.
You should feed your fish at least once a day, but it’s best to do two or three feeds depending on what type of food you are using.
If the food is high in protein and low in carbohydrates like spirulina flakes, they can go longer without this type of food. Feeding your fish properly will ensure they get the appropriate nutrients they need to live a healthy life and grow.
Do Platy Fish Eat Algae?
Yes, they do eat algae.
Algae can be a good meal for your fish, but it may not always agree with their stomachs and cause them to regurgitate or have diarrhea. It would help if you only fed algae once per week as it is high in protein but low in other nutrients.
If you notice that your tank is cloudy for an extended period of time or if there are white balls in your tank, it could be because one (or all) of your fish are eating algae. This can even help you clean algae naturally from the tank to some extent.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is essential to take care of your fish and ensure that you manage things to feed them while you’re gone.
Some people might not know how often a pet water bowl needs refilling or what kind of food their fish will eat when the owner is away. So, it’s best to be safe than sorry!
The best way to keep your fish fed while you are gone is to make your own pyramid or feeder. Fill it up with dried worms, bloodworms, shrimp pellets, freeze-dried baby brine shrimp, plankton flakes.
This should keep them full for a few days without any problems until the owner returns home!