The gel blocks are better than the old-style kind at not clouding the water. For a planted tank of adult omnivores or herbivores, I wouldn't have any qualms being gone for 2 weeks without feeding. For fry, an unplanted tank, or for predators, that might not work.
I've never used the feeders, but you should be able to put in a mix of dry foods that will drop in, including pellets or tabs.
I've used the newer gel based feeders by Tetra I think for trips of a week to 10 days. Now when I return, the fish all seem fine and the feeders (except for being snail bait) seem almost untouched. It seems to me that fish can go for very long periods w/o food suggesting that most of the time, just maybe we feed them too much routinely?!
I've used the newer gel based feeders by Tetra I think for trips of a week to 10 days. Now when I return, the fish all seem fine and the feeders (except for being snail bait) seem almost untouched. It seems to me that fish can go for very long periods w/o food suggesting that most of the time, just maybe we feed them too much routinely?!
I'm primarily looking out for my 3 small rams, making sure they have food to eat. I just bought and dropped in the tetra gel block as a test to see if the rams are interested. My barbs, platies and corys are all over block. But rams, tetras and glofish are not interested at all. I'll leave it in there for a couple days and see if my rams pick at it. If not, I'll just use my auto feeder with flakes and pellets in it. I think my rams were raised on flakes because they aren't good at locating pellets once it lands on my sand. My barbs run circles around my rams and grabs the pellets off the floor. The pellet can be right next to the ram but it won't touch it most of the time. But if another one is falling close by it quickly swims to it and will eat it. Looks like this feeding block for me is not the way to go, rams will get less food using this method...
Yes, fry and "needy" fish are certainly a different story. But if that is the case then I'd certainly stress finding someone to help when you're gone over an "automated" method...
