How Long can you Leave a tank without food?

Ok, so i'm having some trouble finding a tank sitter for the holidays (student thats going home, tank is at my college house). I have someone feeding and checking until the 23rd or 24th, but how long can they fend after Christmas. I would like to spend as much time as possible at home. I have a 28 gallon, biowheel filter, and protein skimmer. I also have a UPS unit hooked up in case of power outages (it has been tested). Still trying to find out if one of my friends that lives close by can do it, but this may not be an option.

 

I would think it would be fine for 4-5 days depending on livestock, which you haven't listed. Options:

Buy an inexpensive automatic feeder
For most fish you can put a clip in there with a peice of broccoli. Most fish will eat it and it will last for a long time. I would trust my tank for 10 days with some broccoli in there and an ATO.

 

I would have no problem leaving mine for ten days. Just feed them good right before you leave. Something nutritious. That's what I plan on doing when I leave on vacation. The only thing my sitter is going to do is monitor the water level. That's it. With your ATO, that is taken care of.

 

His sig is

28 Gallon Bowfront
2 False Perculas
1 Long Tentacled Anemone
1 Scarlet Skunk Shrimp
1 Royal Gramma


Will Clowns and/or Royal Gramma eat Broccoli?

I don't like automatic feeders for normal use, but for a vacation, they're worth their weight!

 

I'd go auto feeder, make sure to try it out a few days before to make sure it is dispersing the right amount of food and working well.

 

most healthy fish can live for a week with out food no problem. if you have live rock they fish will probably eat pods.

i didn't feed mine for 2 weeks when the power went out.

 

My true percs do. The only thing in my tan that won't is the mandarin. I wouldnt know about the gramma, but he could always try ahead of time I would say at least a week without food would be fine. Specially if you start working on fattening them up a little now I left for 4 days and mine were fine. Heck, the lights were left off as well and all my corals were unaffected. I would be more concerned with the water level and top offs, or something else going wrong (yes I worried about my tank constantly when I was gone).

 

well thanks for all the info guys, i feel a little better now. I've left them for 3 days before with no problem, just wasn't sure. I'll take all your advice into consideration

 

No prob. Most clowns will eat broccoli, not sure about the Royal. As mentioned above you could try it before hand. But if you fed well before you left then put some broccoli in they would definitely eat it if they got hungry enough guaranteed!