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Are you going away for a few days and you are worried about how long can guppies live without food?
Usually, adult guppies can go without feeding up to 2 weeks, while baby guppies can go without food for few days.
I have been going for two weeks vacations without relying on anyone. When I returned, guppies were happy to see me and the water is clean as well as they didn’t look hungry.
So, don’t worry!
I will answer this question and a few more, so you can relax and go
– How to prepare your aquarium before leaving
– How do you feed guppy fish when away on vacation
Let’s find out, how many days guppies live without food.
Table of Contents
How Long Can Guppies Survive Without Food?
Generally, adult guppies can go without eating for 10 to 14 days, but guppy fry can go without food for 2 to 3 days as they are growing.
Keep in mind this all depends upon the guppies age, health, appetite, size and tank condition.
When you are planning short trip, guppies can live without food. For long vacations, use vacation feeder to feed them.
Before you go on vacation, you can use vacation feeder to see how your guppies respond.
When you are away, make sure guppies don’t go without food, so do your preparation correctly.
How To Prepare Your Aquarium Before You Leave For Vacation?
The listed tips will help you to keep guppies healthy before you leave for vacation:
1. Change Water
Guppies can survive without food, but always keep the tank clean before leaving.
Otherwise, on your return, you will find a sick or dying guppy fish.
Normally, to remove all toxins I regularly change 25% tank water every week.
It is good practice to change half of the water with treated tap water before you leave.
When you perform 50% water change, it will remove fish waste and nitrates. It will take time for toxins to accumulate and a week for nitrate levels to reach below 10 ppm.
| Pro tip: Every time while changing water I use API Quick Start to keep live and nitrifying bacteria. |
2. Clean/Change The Filter
Guppy keeper generally follows a routine to clean or change filters.
It is advisable to clean or change the filter just a few days before you leave for a trip because too many dead plants and fish waste will block the tank filter.
The sponge filter should be cleaned by rinsing the sponge for few times.
If you are using a canister filter wash the mechanical filter.
While cleaning the filter in your aquarium be careful not to remove the beneficial bacteria that form on the filter media.
3. Fish Tank Light Timer
When you are on vacation or at home, it is hard to keep the same tank light routine.
If you don’t maintain a light schedule, then it will change the sleeping and eating behavior of your guppies.
Hence, it is important to use a light timer for guppies good growth and health in your aquarium.
When you are away, don’t change your guppy fish routine.
By setting a light timer you can easily manage how long can guppies last without food.
It is suggested to switch on light for 6-8 hours during the day.
This helps to reduce activity and less hungry.
4. Remove Any Dead Plant / Sick or Dying Fish
Before leaving for vacation check for any sick, injured, or dying guppy fish.
If you leave without checking, on your return you will find a tank full of dead guppies.
As dead guppy fish cause water poisoning and a spike in ammonia.
When you have live plants in your tank, you should remove any dead leaves and plants.
5. Keep The Water Temperature Low
Guppies are tropical fish, so they like warm water but when the temperature is lower then guppies are less active so they can go without food for longer periods.
The ideal water temperature for guppy fish is 72°F-82°F.
Lowering the water temperature is a good method but while applying you need to be careful.
To avoid stressing guppies, gradually lower the temperature by 2°F with which they are used to live.
Use of an Automatic Feeder is a good option?
When you are leaving for a long time Automatic feeder is a good choice for feeding fish.
This device helps you to schedule the feeding time for your guppies.
So you do not need to worry about regular feeding when you are at home or away.
One of the drawbacks is if the device stops working or runs out of food then your guppy fish may remain hungry.
Vacation Feeder
If you do not have an Automatic feeder then vacation feeder is the perfect option.
A vacation feeder is a block of packed food that dissolves in water and releases food particles for the guppy fish.
The problem arises with vacation feeder when your guppy is used to eating frozen or live food, then they will probably not like dry food and will starve.
The best way to solve this issue is to try different pre-packed foods and check which one your guppies like.
How Long Can Guppy Fry Go Without Eating?
Guppy fry can go without eating for 2 – 3 days as they are small and sensitive. Food is very important for them to grow.
If you don’t feed guppy fry regularly then it can get sick. They don’t have enough in their bodies to survive without food for a longer time.
Guppy fry can survive more than 3 days in an established tank or pond by eating food and searching for food themselves.
I use an automatic feeder for the guppy fry tank to feed them once a day.
Please avoid overfeeding because it spoils the water quality.
Conclusion
Guppies can live without food for 10-14 days only if you do proper preparation before a long vacation.
The preparation includes changing the water, lowering the water temperature, cleaning the filter, removing dead plants, and sick or dying guppies.
If you use an aquarium light timer, automatic feeder or vacation feeder then you can relax and go on your vacation.
Guppy fry cannot survive more than 3 days without food, so it is important to install a vacation feeder.
I hope with the help of this article you be able to do all the preparation and your guppies will remain healthy in your absence.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comment box.
Happy Guppy Keeping!
FAQS
1. Can Guppy Fish Live Without Oxygen?
No, guppy fish cannot live without oxygen.
2. What do you feed guppies when out of food?
You can feed any vegetables available at home like spinach, broccoli, zucchini, corn, and cucumber when out of food.
3. How often do guppies need to be fed?
Guppies should be fed once a day.
I am Alexa with 5+ years of experience in fishkeeping industry with expertise in taking care of guppies, aquariums, and dealing with diseases. Moreover, I am lovely wife, dedicated mom, and passionate guppy fish keeper. If you are into guppy fish keeping like me, you are in the right place. Explore the blog, ask questions, and enjoy guppy fishkeeping journey with GuppyAdvisor.
