Planning a vacation? As an aquarium hobbyist, you’ve got more obligations than others.
Most fish got to be ate up a day to day , so you would possibly constantly be worried about your Betta fish while you’re away.
In this guide, you’ll determine how long betta fish can survive without food and tons more so you’ll plan your trip accordingly.
As we’ve just mentioned, betta fish can survive between 10-14 days without food. However, there are some major factors you ought to consider before leaving your betta fish unattended for such an extended period of your time .
Leaving your betta fish during a well-established aquarium to which it’s already accustomed is vital if you would like to return back to a minimally-stressed pet fish.
If hiring a fish sitter is out of the question, and you’re departure for quite 3-4 days, there are some critical steps you would like to require before leaving.
How long a betta fish can go without food depends on three major factors:
- Tank size;
- Filtered vs. Unfiltered Tank;
- Betta’s general health.
Betta fish aren’t generally considered hardy fish, and although they’re easy to worry for under normal circumstances, they’re higher maintenance than most.
They sort of a relatively narrow water temperature range (75-80°F); they’re sometimes picky eaters, and finding them the perfect tank mates are often a challenge.
All things considered, betta fish will efficiently self-sustain for 3-4 days, but there are often some worrisome side effects to being left unattended for 10-14 days.
Let’s mention the three factors that have the foremost influence on how long you’ll safely leave a betta aquarium unattended:
Major Factor 1: Tank Size
A smaller aquarium (no smaller than 3 gallons for a betta fish!) will got to be cleaned more often.
So, if you’re leaving a betta into a smaller tank, water conditions might become more harmful to the fish than fasting for an extended period of your time .
If your betta fish already lives during a bigger tank or maybe during a community tank, water conditions are going to be slower to say no while you’re away.
Major Factor 2: Filtered vs. Unfiltered Tank
Similar to how smaller tanks require more frequent maintenance, so do unfiltered betta tanks.
The unfiltered “fishbowl” trend among betta fishkeepers isn’t typically harmful to pet fish if the bowl features a reasonable size, and bettas have unobstructed access to the water surface for oxygenation.
But, if you’re planning on being away for 10-14 days, the water quality during a n unfiltered betta tank is far more likely to drop to dangerous levels than it might in a filtered aquarium.
Major Factor 3: Betta Fish General Health
You have to recollect that bettas are individual creatures at the top of the day, and not all betta fish will respond an equivalent even when faced with an equivalent environment.
Their age, metabolism, and general health will inherit play, and that they will determine how the fish reacts to increased stress levels, being hungry, and having but ideal water conditions for 10-14 days.
A younger betta fish might handle stress better, but a mature individual may need more fat reserves to tap into when hunger sets in. No two fish will react precisely the same!
Keep in mind that allowing your betta fish to fast for extended periods of your time shouldn’t become the norm, neither should it become a routine occurrence. you ought to only leave your betta aquarium unattended only absolutely necessary.
Read: What Food Should Be Avoided If Creatinine Is High?
How Long Can Betta Fish Fry Go Without Food?
Betta babies are relatively high maintenance and may easily die prematurely if their needs aren’t met.
Betta barbeque can go three days without food once they’re free-swimming (48 hours after hatching).
They’ll get their nutrients from the egg sack for the primary three days of their life, but then , they’ll got to be fed 3-4 smaller feedings per day.
If you propose on being faraway from a tank of betta barbeque , an automatic fish feeder might save the day.
What Do Betta Fish Eat?
Betta fish are carnivorous. they have to be fed a protein-rich diet.
Fishkeepers typically have a tough time finding store-bought pellet food blends that these picky eaters will actually accept.
As with most aquarium fish, offering a spread of food is that the healthiest practice when it involves feedings. Here’s an inventory of betta fish approved food:
- Bloodworms;
- Brine shrimp;
- Mosquito larvae;
- Wingless fruit flies;
- Mysis Shrimp;
Pellets/flakes designed to satisfy the nutritional needs of betta fish.
How To Feed Your Betta Fish While you’re Away
If you would like to go away your betta fish alone for a couple of days, there are a couple of belongings you can do to stay them fed while you’re faraway from home.
Feeding Blocks
Feeding blocks can help keep your betta fish fed while you’re gone and may also provide you with some peace of mind. they will keep your betta fish fed for several days thanks to their ability to dissolve in water over time. the quantity of feeding blocks you’ll need will depend upon how long you’ll be faraway from home. These feeding blocks can keep your betta fed for up to five days:
Automatic Fish Feeder
Using an automatic fish feeder might be worthwhile if you’re gone for quite 4 days at a time. they’re going to release food periodically and in adequate amounts to form sure that your betta is fed but not overfed.
How To Prepare A Betta aquarium Before Leaving It For a couple of Days
You can influence how long betta fish can go without food by minimizing all the opposite stress factors that your pet fish may need to affect while you’re away.
Leaving your pet fish’s aquarium in a perfect condition has more to try to to with keeping stress levels at a minimum than with influencing your betta’s resilience to fast for quite 3-4 days.
Stress-induced diseases, or simply general poor health, are often prevented albeit you’ve got to go away your betta tank unattended for 10-14 days.
You’re more likely to return back to a healthy betta fish if you’re taking these seven precautionary steps:
Optimize your betta tank’s conditions
If you’re leaving your betta aquarium unattended due to an emergency, it’s likely you won’t have the time to try to to much before departure . Vacations are, of course, easier to plan ahead for.
Depending on what proportion time you’ve got available before leaving, you’ll divide these necessary tank-condition prepping steps into three timelines:
A week before leaving:
- Check the tank’s filtering system and change/clean clogged-up filtering media.
- Siphon the gravel to get rid of leftover food and debris.
- Check water quality using aquarium test kits (pH level should be between 6.8-7.5).
- Trim aquatic plants and take away dead plant matter.
- Check all the gear in your betta tank to make sure they’re working properly (filter, heater, air pump, automatic feeder, lighting fixtures , etc.).
Final Thoughts
Betta fish are among the rarest species which will survive without food for an extended period.
Yet, you would like to supply a perfect living environment with perfect water conditions to make sure your fish stays healthy and thrives while you’re away.
While Betta fish may survive for 14 days without food, don’t leave your pet unfed for quite 5 days.
A couple of days trip should be okay but you want to assign someone to feed your Betta if you’ll be away for extended . Also, don’t believe vacation feeders or plant matter for feeding your Betta.