I evacuated and had to leave my gold fish behind do you think he can make it?

Question

They won't let us home until Friday so that would be 5 days without electricity. I left a vacation food block in the tank as well. I really love my goldfish I've had him for 6 years. Please give me your honest opinion.

Also I do have a generator and he will have oxygen and filtration by 2pm friday.

Answer 1

Goldfish are one of the toughest fish, as long as there is a reasonable surface area to the tank there will be oxygen enough. also they have the ability to oxygenate the water by sucking and blowing near the surface. food wise if the fish is healthy a week would not be a problem.

is there plant material in the tank? if so that would also be a food source.

they will also stand a large range of temperature although cold is better than over hot.

Answer 2

He should be fine without the filtration, and the food isn't that big of a deal, I am sure he will be fine

Answer 3

If he has filter and oxygen, he would probably be ok.  With a vacation block his chances are even greater.

How big is his tank?  If it is a 10+ gallon or bigger, there should be no problem.

If he is in a tiny bowl or something under 3-5 gallons, chances are much slimmer, as with the snaller bowl he would need constant water changes.

If you loved your goldfish, he is probably in a fair size tank, food, filter, and oxygen - I am very certain he will do fine.  

My fish are fine when I have to go for away for a week.  

Just make sure you run water for 5 min through the taps before doing a water change, the metals build up when it sits that long.

He will probably just be glad to see you.

Answer 4

Without a filter for 5 days? I don't think so. The bacteria will die without constant moving water on them, so then the ammonia and nitrite levels will rise, and your Goldfish may die. Sorry to say it, but it's the truth.

Now there is a small chance that it can survive the ammonia and nitrite...but since Goldfish p**p alot, I'm not too sure.

E-mail me for any questions!

Answer 5

I have had a carp ,c common carp for about that time and he did not die when I did not feed him for 2 weeks. However, the filter was running, but I doubt that made a big difference. If the water is clean and you fed him before you left he should live

Answer 6

sounds like he will be fine :]

that goldfish is a tough cookie - 6 years!

Answer 7

he should be fine. I threw 3 gold fish in a dam on our property, and forgot all about them. two years later when the drought finally emptied our dam, there they were on the bottom in three inches of water. They were huge! No filter in the dam, no oxygen. I put them back intop a tank and they were fine. gold fish are tough.

Answer 8

Awww. I'm sorry about your having to leave your buddies behind, I have heard of fish being able to survive for 2 weeks without being fed, but I don't know how long they would be able to survive without air or filtration. Hopefully you have a large tank, more water, the more oxygen. I know it's too late to suggest this now, but if this should ever happen again to you, invest in a aspirator that bait shacks use for minnow bait buckets, they are batteries operated, and I have left my better-halves on for 2 days in the back of the boat, that thing still was working when I found it...Hopefully everything goes well for you.

Answer 9

maybe just food he will be right fish can go 14days without food how bigs ur tank if u have a bigger tank it will have air i hope ur water will be pretty gross i can image by them tho good luck

Answer 10

Goldfish can go for a little over a week without food before they start to show severe effects. He should be perfectly fine- especially with the vacation block and filtration.

Even if the filters went out at 2pm Friday and you got home the next day, he would still be alright. They're quite hardy fish.