Leaving killies outside....

[Debbbear]

To all,
My husband is leaving for Mexico for three weeks in the middle of August. He would like very much if we as a family go with him.
Now what to do with the killies, has been going through my mind for the last few days.
I have been thinking of putting them outside at the back of the house where they would only receive morning light,as August came be very warm here. I would put lots of floating plants on top,with java moss and ferns for food and protection.
Now the question to you folks is.... do you think that they will can live that way for 3 weeks unattended?
My Mom will be taking care of my bigger tanks of other fish which can handle flake food. She doesn't want to mess with the creepies.
So what would you do in my shoes?

[whuntley]

Debbbear wrote:
******
Now the question to you folks is.... do you think that they will can live that way for 3 weeks unattended?
My Mom will be taking care of my bigger tanks of other fish which can handle flake food. She doesn't want to mess with the creepies.
******

Tanks that are not overstocked will do just fine if left alone for 3 weeks. Oleg Kiselev once toured Russia for that long, and actually had less fish die than any normal 3 weeks at home! He had a huge fishroom, too.

Babies need a chunk of floating lettuce to slowly produce infusoria, but adult fish can do very well with a period of little or no food if they have adequate plants.

The only thing I never do when leaving for a couple of weeks is let *anyone* attempt to feed my fish. That has always been a disaster.

YMMV.

Wright

[timebomb]

Debra,

I'm sure your fish will be just fine. There was once when I left a pair of Angelfish in my tank for more than 3 months without any food but they didn't die from hunger. They became real skinny though.

I'm not sure about this but I was watching the "Life on Earth" series by David Attenborough on TV and he said that unlike mammals which are warm blooded, cold blooded animals like fish and reptiles can go for very long periods without any food. Seems like over 75% of the food we mammals consume is used to keep our body temperatures constant. Cold blooded animals do not need to keep their body temperatures warm so they don't need as much food as we mammals. I've kept birds before too and they being warm blooded animals like us will die if not fed for even just a day.

Loh K L

[RonWill]

Hi Deb, here's my 2-cents...
For fry or young fishes, dump in loads of java moss with a generous turkey-baster squirt of daphnia. This will see them through your absence.

Adult killies are tougher than we give them credit for. They'll have to make do with daphnia and other organisms until they see your smiling sun-tanned face! :wink:

[Debbbear]

Thanks alot Wright, Loh K L, and Ronnie,
I will be sure to have the fish in comfortable planted tanks. I will
inform Mom that she need not worry about the fish..I can hear her sigh of relief.
ahhh..now I can relax and enjoy myself. Be a good time to put a killie on canvas
by cross stitch.