What if you will be gone for days on vacation and there is no one left at home to feed your bettas?
If you find someone willing to drop by your house to feed them and check on them, then there should be nothing to worry about.
Even if there is no one to look after your betta fish, you shouldn’t worry because your betta can live without food even for the long weekend.
How Long Can Betta Fish Survive Without Food?
Some Betta fish can survive without food for 7 to 10 days, while other bettas can live without food for up to 14 days. However, it is not recommended for them to keep missing their feed frequently because it can lead to susceptibility to some diseases and lead to organ problems.
You may think that they are easily surviving even without feeding them, but you are just slowly killing them by doing so.
If you are to leave your bettas for 2 to 4 days, you can feed them before you leave, and they will be good during those days. You must never place too much food for them to eat while you are gone cause this will just lead to bloating bettas afterwards.
This will also cause the water to get murky or dirty with left-over food. Leaving them for a few days is alright, but if you are going for a week or so, it is best to get someone to look after your bettas.
Even if they can survive without feeding for more than a week this is not the right way to leave them, hoping they will survive.
What To Do If I Need To Be Away From My Betta Fish For Several Days
There are other options if there is no one to take care of them while you are away and includes getting auto-feeders.
You may opt to get the more solid brand that is durable and reliable, though it may be pricey. You can set the timer according to the time you used to feed them, and the auto feeder will do the job of feeding them while you are away.
Most feeders are reliable, and since these are mechanical, it is just right for you to check them out first before you leave, if they are working properly. Sometimes some feeders get a clog, or there is condensation build-up inside the food container preventing the release of food at the set time.
Get the brand with more positive reviews, even if it will cost you more to get one. Test the product first, before anything else.
Then there are the block feeders you place inside the tank as it breaks down and releases food. This will take time to break down, so your bettas will not be chewing more than they should. They have to wait for these block feeders to break down before they can have another fill.
There is a downside to using these block feeders since the leftover food can dirty the water and leave it with high levels of ammonia, which is dangerous for the bettas or any fish, for that matter.
You can still choose this option if you are going away for just a few days, and you can prevent the dirtying of water before it happens. Some bettas also throw up food just because they want to. So if you leave a betta food that is not to their liking, they will throw it up and leave the water dirty.
This will be an added cleanup for the filter, and if you are away for long, you cannot watch out and prevent this from happening.
What To Remember If You Are Going To Leave Your Betta Fish For A Few Days Or More
- Even if they have food available to them, it is not healthy for your bettas if their water suddenly changes temperature while you are away. Bettas will not survive in cold water since they are tropical fish and require 76-81 degree Fahrenheit water temperature for them to be healthy.
- You must change the water before you leave and need a certain percentage of the water changed depending on the tank you have. There is an increase in ammonia caused by dirt and leftover food, and the bettas also add to the ammonia as they expel it into the water.
- Although your bettas can survive for a long period, even up to two weeks, you must not do this frequently cause it will require bettas to use their reserve to survive. It can cause them stress, and diseases in the long run.
- Check the bettas before you leave cause there might be some fish who are not as healthy compared to the other fishes in the tank, and they will not survive without proper care. Sudden temperature change, dirty water, add the incomplete feeding, you may find the vulnerable fish perishing while you are away.
- Place your tank where it is not in direct sunlight, and do not place the tank in a too dark area of the room either cause they need to have the usual day and night cycle. Best to remove canopy light while you are away.
- Your bettas have a better chance of survival if they are in a fairly large tank compared to small tanks.
- Check the filter and clean their tank before you go, so you are sure that they don’t have dirty or contaminated water. A perfectly working filter will collect the harmful chemicals, debris, and any other dirt present in the tank. Food blocks sometimes malfunction and these can cause pollution, which can be dangerous to your bettas.
- Getting plants in your tank will help your bettas live in a fresh environment as it increases oxygen supply, and there is enough hideout for your bettas to choose from. When you are away this will be helpful as some plants can augment the positive environment in the tank such as Java Fern or Java Moss.
If you are leaving for just a few days, it would be best to feed your bettas with fish food that is of high quality and does not have fillers.
