Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Holiday blocks, are they any good?

Options
  • 23-12-2014 5:29pm
    #1
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭


    You know the ones I mean, the white pyramid blocks that say they'll feed your fish for up to 7 days.

    I'm going to be away for 4 days over Christmas and while I wouldn't usually worry about the fish for a couple of days I have 6 teeny-weeny cardinal tetras, they're about 25% the size of the adult. I can get a weekend-away block but I'd be concerned that my stock level (7 tetras, 1 juvie C. Apisto, 1 bn pleco) is too small and it'd wind up polluting the water.

    What do you think? Should I get a holiday block or do you think they little ones would be ok Thur-Sun?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Viriconia
    Registered Users Posts: 47 ✭Viriconia


    Nope, they're basically fish food in plaster of paris, designed to slowly dissolve and release the food. Wouldn't put them near my water in case anything goes wrong and it just sits there polluting the water. 4 days would be ok I'd say, but if you don't want to risk it I'd break up a block and put a small piece in


  • Options
    #3
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    These blocks are a nasty shortcut. Fasttrack to poluted water.

    If it's only 4 days then i wouldn't bother with anything at all.

    I'd question a week, but i regularly leave my fish for 3-4 days unfed with no ill effects.


  • Options
    #4
    fred funk }{
    Registered Users Posts: 6,827 ✭✭✭fred funk }{


    Young fish need to be fed more often. When I go away I get a neighbour to feed the fish. I put food in little bowls covered in clingfilm ready to be given to the fish so there's no fear of over feeding.

    Stay away from those feeding blocks.


  • Options
    #5
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Thanks folks, I'll steer clear of them so.

    I would ask a neighbour to drop in but last time I asked her to feed my fish she decided that the amount I'd left was nowhere near enough, got some food, and I came back to a disaster so I just don't trust her any more. I'll feed them before I leave and cross my fingers for while I'm away.


  • Options
    #6
    Magenta
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭Magenta


    I use them, but I have a good 30+ fish and I only use half as much as it says on the packet, so for a week away I will leave 3 days worth of food. Like the other posters say, it is worse to overfeed with these.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    corkgsxr
    Registered Users Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭corkgsxr


    Better if you could get someone to call in once and leave them after that


  • Options
    #8
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    In the end I made my neighbour promise to only use the food I left out and I hid the food so that she couldn't overfeed, but she forgot to call round anyway. Thankfully all the fish made it through ok. I fed two very small meals, one this morning and one just now and everything looks good.


Advertisement