In this blog we will discuss how long do angelfish go without eating. We will also discuss their feeding frequency,overfeeding, starvation and even types of feeding equipment when you are on holiday for weeks.
Overview
In this blog
- How long can angelfish go without food?
- How often do you need to feed angelfish?
- How to know if angelfish is hungry?
- What do angelfish like to eat?
- Is overfeeding good for angelfish?
- Can you starve your angelfish?
- Can angelfish go without food for a day?
- Can you feed your angelfish every alternate day?
- What are automatic fish feeders and how does it work?
- Types of automatic fish feeders available online
- Summary
- Frequently asked questions
- Reference
How long can angelfish go without food?
Healthy angelfish are said to be about 6 inches or 15.24 cm long, and fins can grow to 8 inches or 20.32 cm long. And a healthy angelfish can live up to 3 days without eating.
However, if you have a healthy adult angelfish, they can live much longer than that for up to two weeks.
Healthy, adult aquarium fish can go without food from 3 days to 1 week.Some types of fish can even live without food for more than 2 weeks.
Whether in the wild or in the aquarium, an adult fish has enough body weight and fat reserves to skip a couple of meals from time to time.
How often do you need to feed angelfish?
As angelfish grow older, they can be given more pellets and flakes than live food. As a general guideline, young angelfish should be fed 3-4 times a day.
However,after growing to full size, reduce the amount of food and stick to a tight schedule.Angelfish eat too much and become overweight.
How to know if angelfish is hungry?
- Angelfish start digging their substrate in search of food.
- They wait on the top of their tank,exactly during their feeding time.
- Changes in behavior ,that is they become more aggressive.
- Noticeable changes in weight/size.
- They become sluggish.
What do angelfish like to eat?
- Frozen or dried blood worms
- Frozen or dried brine shrimp
- Live food-blood worms, brine shrimp, black worms, and mealworms
- Flakes and pellets
- TetraMin plus tropical flakes fish food
- Aqueon tropical flakes freshwater fish food
- Tetra bloodworms freeze-Dried Fish Food
- API fish food flakes
- Fluval bug bites granules
- Hikari first bites
- Angels can eat fresh vegetables from your garden like zucchini, spinach, boiled peas, lettuce, lettuce, cucumber, etc.
- So feeding them vegetables along with meaty foods is very beneficial for their healthy growth.
Is overfeeding good for angelfish?
Angelfish are omnivorous and need to be fed daily, but like any other fish, it should be emphasized that angelfish should not be ovefed.You should give everything they can eat within up to three minutes.
Giving them more will not result in faster growth rates.Overfeeding is very harmful to angelfish in the aquarium environment.
Overfeeding them can cause digestive issues, constipation, which can cause bloating. Due to their narrow body, angelfish are more prone to digestive problems, so it is a big no to to overfeed them.
How to feed your angelfish when you are on holiday?
Automatic fish feeder for angelfish
The automatic feeder distributes food to the Angelfish Aquarium according to the feeding schedule. It’s a great way to keep your angelfish well fed when you’re away from home.
Open the dispenser daily and fill the aquarium with the food in the compartment for the day. Even if you normally feed the fish twice a day, it is usually sufficient to feed the fish once a day while you are out.
However, problems can also occur if the automatic fish feeder fails for some reason or starts feeding more than necessary.
Therefore, it is very important to choose a high quality automatic fish feeder.It’s good that it’s inexpensive and very cheap to get.
You can feed slow release fish food to angelfish
Slow release fish food is nothing more than a large chunk of fish food that can be placed in an aquarium,when you are away for vacations. It slowly dissolves, decomposes & releases fish food for your angelfish.
As the name implies, weekend feeding chunks last for weekends, or up to 3 days, so if you’re going out for a couple of days, just use these chunks and put these chunks in the tank,they will disassemble slowly and will nourish the angelfish well for 2-3 days.
If you are planning an extended vacation of up to two weeks, you can use vacation feeding kits to keep your angelfish well fed when you are away from them, as these chunks disintegrate and release food slowly over the course of two weeks.
Can you starve your angelfish?
Yes, they can starve,and the good part is they don’t starve quickly because their energy needs are low.
If the angelfish owners are away for a few days or even weeks, the fish should be fine and need not be fed.But starving them for a longer time can reduce their weight and can even kill them if left unattended.
Can angelfish go without food for a day?
In most cases, feeding the fish once or twice a day is sufficient.Some enthusiasts fast fish 1-2 days a week to clean their digestive system. Water temperature regulates the metabolism of fish and affects how often and how much it needs to be given to the fish.
Many aquarium enthusiasts suggest fasting their fish once a week (i.e. not feeding the fish one day each week).Benefits of doing this include, decreased chance of constipation/bloating that may lead to air bladder disease.
Benefits of not feeding angelfish for a day:
- If the fish is constipated, fasting can give the intestines the necessary rest.
- Gastrointestinal cleansing clears all the toxins accumulated in their bodies.
- Better aquarium water quality, ammonia pollution will not occur.
- Not feeding for a day, gives them a break from some of the artificial foods, as commercial or prepared food are filled with things that fish never eat in the wild.
Can you feed your angelfish every alternate day?
Generally, most fish work very well with a once-daily diet.However, some owners prefer to feed the fish twice a day.
Young growing fish may need to be eaten at least 3 times a day, most fish work well with twice a day meals,i.e alternately.
This will help to clear their digestive system and keep them healthy and will make them more interested to have their food, if they are bored of eating that same regular food.Alternate day feeding is not harmful for your aquatic friend.
What are automatic fish feeders and how does it work?
An aquarium fish feed box is an electrical or electronic device designed to feed aquarium fish on a regular basis. It is often used to feed fish when aquarists are on vacation or when they are too busy to maintain a regular feeding schedule.
Each feeder has a different number of chambers for pre-filling food. The feeder uses a clock mechanism to rotate the chamber to allow food to fall into the aquarium at a given time. This allows the fish to be fed regularly without overfeeding.
Types of automatic fish feeders available online
I will list few automatic fish feeders for angelfish, for feeding them when you are on vacations or away for a day:
SOBO timed auto feeder DA-08
- Three modes of time adjustment.
- Auto feeding every 8 / 12 / 24 hours.
- Comes with 100g & 60g food barrels.
- Can feed flakes & granules as per your need.
Auto fish feeder with timer
- An automatic fish feeder with a timer that you can set.
- You can choose between 12-hours and 24-hours feeding intervals.
- Two installation methods: using screws and using suction cups.
Warmtone WT-180A aquarium food timer automatic fish feeder
- For the majority of fish food /flakes and pellets, up to 6 feedings a day.
- Simple and easy to use and program.
- Manual feeding available Quartz watch inside to control feeding time.
- Adjustable clamp to fix on different tank sizes.
Other best automatic feeders for your angelfish:
- Eheim everyday fish feeder
- Current USA aquachef aquarium fish feeder
- Fish mate F14 aquarium fish feeder
- Penn-plax daily double II automatic fish feeder
- Hydor automatic fish feeder
- Boxtech fish dispenser
Summary
How long an angelfish can live without eating depends on their size, age, diet, and genetics.
As per the discussion above, the answer to the question of how long an angelfish can go without food is 3 days to weeks but they might end up losing their weight too.
Therefore, if you are going on a vacation, ask your neighbors to feed the angelfish or you can choose an automatic fish feeder or a fish feeder block with a slow release feature to feed the angelfish well during the holidays. All of these methods are cheap and easy to use.
Almost all aquarium fish can go long without food. However, if you’re going to be away for a longer period of time, some preparation and planning is required to keep them healthy and happy.
You cannot leave your pets just like that,if you have bought them home, it is your responsibility to give them proper care at home and if you are away, else don’t get a pet.
Frequently asked questions
Why do angelfish stop eating?
Angelfish may have been bullied by a larger aggressive fish or they may not like the food you are giving him.
What is the feeding frequency of juvenile and adult angelfish?
Juvenile angelfish should be fed 3 to 4 times a day,while an adult angelfish should be fed twice a day.
Where do angelfish eat in their aquarium?
Angelfish feed on the surface or in the middle of the aquarium water.
