Crazy Question-Taking a fish on vacation

[SeaHorseQueen]

Hey Everyone, this will sound absolutely crazy but I'm seriously considering bringing my mandarin dragonet with me on my 10 day vacation. Reason being is I don't have anyone to fish sit for me and he's obviously not going to eat from the automatic feeder like I just bought. I supplement feed with BBS along side his copepods. I just re-seeded the tank a week ago which obviously isn't ready for him to just go for it without the extra feedings. I'm not sure what else to do except bring him with me that way I know he's fed and isn't running out of food in two nights since the population isn't exploding in the tank yet. I can definitely hatch bbs and gut load with phyto-feast no questions and bring some of my culture's pods. But would he be ok with constant water changes from all the feedings I would be giving? I've read they can't go past a few days without food and I don't want to risk him starving while I'm gone. I'm really not sure what to do right now.

 

[drolmaeye]

Sounds like a good plan save the salt creep in your suitcase. But seriously, can you hire a fellow reefer or a local maintenance service to look after your fish? It might do best in its regular, stationary environment.

 

[bushdoc]

Make a travel blog and include many photos and videos. The one with Eiffel Tower in the background will be Picture of the month.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey Everyone, this will sound absolutely crazy but I'm seriously considering bringing my mandarin dragonet with me on my 10 day vacation. Reason being is I don't have anyone to fish sit for me and he's obviously not going to eat from the automatic feeder like I just bought. I supplement feed with BBS along side his copepods. I just re-seeded the tank a week ago which obviously isn't ready for him to just go for it without the extra feedings. I'm not sure what else to do except bring him with me that way I know he's fed and isn't running out of food in two nights since the population isn't exploding in the tank yet. I can definitely hatch bbs and gut load with phyto-feast no questions and bring some of my culture's pods. But would he be ok with constant water changes from all the feedings I would be giving? I've read they can't go past a few days without food and I don't want to risk him starving while I'm gone. I'm really not sure what to do right now.

While I could recommend having an LFS hold fish for you, I have seen this done mainly with people with RV vehicles who setup up a small tank on the road. The challenge I see is maintaining a food source for these constant eaters but with good planning is do-able. Water changes should go well if you take your own RO water that it is used to and even a premix in jugs as below.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

Sounds like a good plan save the salt creep in your suitcase. But seriously, can you hire a fellow reefer or a local maintenance service to look after your fish? It might do best in its regular, stationary environment.

I would have to see if there is one local. Not exactly sure how much one would be? I mean that's multiple feedings a day plus making new brine shrimp cultures.

 

[Fish Styx]

Okay, this may sound blunt and callous, so I'm sorry in advance. If you feel it is going to die either way, then bring it with you. At least he'll have an adventure before he goes. If the inevitable does take place, we'll have a memorial service here on the forum for him and console you in your time of need. Plus, I really want to see cool pics of a mandarin on vacation. This will likely be a first.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

While I could recommend having an LFS hold fish for you, I have seen this done mainly with people with RV vehicles who setup up a small tank on the road. The challenge I see is maintaining a food source for these constant eaters but with good planning is do-able. Water changes should go well if you take your own RO water that it is used to and even a premix in jugs as below.

I use this jug but never seen one with a spout. That's intriguing. I totally get it on the food not being as plentiful besides bringing cultures etc... But at least I would know he was getting fed if I did bring him. Most of our LFS don't keep their mandarins fat so I'm not sure if that would be a good route.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

Okay, this may sound blunt and callous, so I'm sorry in advance. If you feel it is going to die either way, then bring it with you. At least he'll have an adventure before he goes. If the inevitable does take place, we'll have a memorial service here on the forum for him and console you in your time of need. Plus, I really want to see cool pics of a mandarin on vacation. This will likely be a first.

At this point, I feel like it's my only option. That would be a first for me as well. I didn't exactly ever think I'd bring a fish on vacation or even consider it.

 

[Fish Styx]

...

 

[Tired]

Being taken on vacation with you will be highly stressful, not something a fish will enjoy. You really, really should hire a petsitter.


This thing makes hatching and harvesting BBS very easy, enough that anyone with basic ability to follow instructions would be able to do it no problem. Get a couple of these, mix up some water in advance, and show the petsitter how to use them. Fill it to the fill line, add eggs, and put the lid and harvesting cup back, then you can harvest for a couple days until the eggs stop hatching. Once they stop, pour out the old water and refill. Getting two means you can start one a day before the other, allowing a continuous supply of BBS as you wait for one batch to hatch. To harvest, all you do is lift the cup out and pour them into the tank- no rinsing or straining required.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

Being taken on vacation with you will be highly stressful, not something a fish will enjoy. You really, really should hire a petsitter.


This thing makes hatching and harvesting BBS very easy, enough that anyone with basic ability to follow instructions would be able to do it no problem. Get a couple of these, mix up some water in advance, and show the petsitter how to use them. Fill it to the fill line, add eggs, and put the lid and harvesting cup back, then you can harvest for a couple days until the eggs stop hatching. Once they stop, pour out the old water and refill. Getting two means you can start one a day before the other, allowing a continuous supply of BBS as you wait for one batch to hatch. To harvest, all you do is lift the cup out and pour them into the tank- no rinsing or straining required.

I have one of those actually. They hatch out faster than the air pump method surprisingly.

 

[vtecintegra]

I would just buy several bottles of copepods and pour them in before leaving.

 

[Reefer911]

You’re in Ft Wayne? Matt at Summit City might help you out.

 

[Lineatus]

What could possibly go wrong. Personally I feel like there’s just too many variables that could go south if you brought the fish with you, not to mention the tremendous amount of stress the fish will go through.

I would just stock the tank with a ton of pods before you go, id be surprised if the fish fully starved in just ten days, unless the tank is like, two months old.

What would the holiday house look like and how long is the journey?

oh well, lesson learned, if you buy an expert level fish, you better be capable of keeping it alive. Poor mandarin, good luck.

edit: felt my comment was a bit harsh, dont take it too personally we’ve all been there. Ive killed more fish than I care to admit due to neglect and stupidity, it’s all part of learning

 

[Crustaceon]

I don't understand why you can't just dump a few bottles of pods into the tank right before you leave and call it good.

 

[Blake509]

I feel like there is so many better options than taking it with you. Load the tank up with copepods before you leave then have someone dump in some more half way through and your good. Honestly taking it with you is probably one of the dumber things I've heard.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

I would just buy several bottles of copepods and pour them in before leaving.

That came across my mind too. Might as well get my order into AlgaeBarn going.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

What could possibly go wrong. Personally I feel like there’s just too many variables that could go south if you brought the fish with you, not to mention the tremendous amount of stress the fish will go through.

I would just stock the tank with a ton of pods before you go, id be surprised if the fish fully starved in just ten days, unless the tank is like, two months old.

What would the holiday house look like and how long is the journey?

oh well, lesson learned, if you buy an expert level fish, you better be capable of keeping it alive. Poor mandarin, good luck.

edit: felt my comment was a bit harsh, dont take it too personally we’ve all been there. Ive killed more fish than I care to admit due to neglect and stupidity, it’s all part of learning

It's my brother's house. We're having a sibling get together in Virginia. No, I'm pretty thick skinned. I've had my fair share of live and learn lessons over the years too. My biggest issue is moving too far away from anyone to help feed my fish. I did find a local store who comes and cares for fish but it's $25/visit and feeding him 3x a day would cost more than I make a day. I might as well save my money by purchase a few bottles of algaebarn pods and hire them to come in and feed the pods every couple days. I have a culture tank that relies on being fed daily too. It bothers me that I might as well empty my culture tank into my display and order more pods and start the culture all over because no one else lives close enough to come up here daily.

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

You’re in Ft Wayne? Matt at Summit City might help you out.

Yes, I'm in Fort Wayne.

 

[Lineatus]

S

It's my brother's house. We're having a sibling get together in Virginia. No, I'm pretty thick skinned. I've had my fair share of live and learn lessons over the years too. My biggest issue is moving too far away from anyone to help feed my fish. I did find a local store who comes and cares for fish but it's $25/visit and feeding him 3x a day would cost more than I make a day. I might as well save my money by purchase a few bottles of algaebarn pods and hire them to come in and feed the pods every couple days. I have a culture tank that relies on being fed daily too. It bothers me that I might as well empty my culture tank into my display and order more pods and start the culture all over because no one else lives close enough to come up here daily.

Sounds like a plan to me . Just hire him to come once or twice to add pods, the fish would 100% not starve and you’d not have the stress/risk of looking after him on holiday

Sucks about the pod culture. Maybe bring it with you on holiday instead of the mandarin!