Traveling? Here's How to Prep Your Aquarium Before You Go
Vacation! It's when you take a break from your day-to-day life and get away from it all. But what about your pet fish? You can't exactly put them in a boarding facility or take them with you like you could a dog or cat.
If you're fortunate enough to have a friend or relative nearby who's also knowledgeable in aquarium keeping — and can check in on things every day or two — you're in luck. However, this isn't always possible or even practical. Enlisting someone who's not familiar with aquariums may lead to overfeeding. In small or newly set up tanks, this causes water issues and health concerns for the fish.
Before you leave, create a care plan for your tank. To help your fish have a safe and stress-free staycation, consider:
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How long you'll be gone
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The size of your tank
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How long your fish tank has been set up
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How heavily stocked it is
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What types of fish and other critters you keep
Larger or well-established aquariums are, by nature, more stable and can withstand longer absences of their owners.
Small, new set-ups, or heavily stocked aquariums are less stable and are more susceptible to problems while you're away.
How to Feed Your Fish While You're on Vacation
The biggest concern for vacationing aquarium owners is, "How will your fish be fed?"
Large fish, especially carnivores or older fish, don't need to eat as frequently since they have larger fat reserves than herbivores and smaller fish. Herbivores, small active fish, and baby fish, on the other hand, need to eat every day or two. If you're going away for the weekend, don't worry. Virtually all fish — short of newly hatched fry (aka, baby fish) — can go that long without being fed.
If you're away longer than a weekend, here are some options:
Vacation Feeders: These solid blocks release appropriate amounts of food over time. Vacation feeders work well for most small- to medium-sized fish and are made for specific lengths of time (3 or 7 days) and aquarium sizes.
Since the food is new to your fish friends, it's a good idea to try one out a week before you leave to make sure they like it. It's recommended that you stop feeding them their usual food during this time.
Automatic Feeders: You program these battery-operated devices to release flake or granular foods into the aquarium at set times.
Basic units dispense food every 12 to 24 hours, while advanced versions offer specific programmed feeding times. Most models allow you to adjust the amount of food released at each feeding. And some can even be programmed for multiple releases at each set time to accommodate shyer or slower-feeding fish.
(Tip: When using vacation or automatic feeders, it's still smart to have someone stop by every few days to ensure it's functioning properly.)
Fish Sitters: A professional aquarium maintenance company that offers tank-sitting services can assist while you're away. If you choose an aquarium-savvy friend or family member, write out specific instructions and have them visit beforehand to feed the fish under your guidance.
(Tip: Prep each meal into individual food packets to avoid confusion or over/underfeeding.)
Prepare Your Aquarium Before Vacation
If you're going away for 2 to 3 days, you're in luck! No special preparation is needed.
For longer absences, do a 25% water change and clean your filter about a week before you leave. Avoid a major cleaning or moving the substrate when doing your water change. And don't disturb the biological media when cleaning your filter.
Check to make sure your heater works and maintains proper water temperature. Some heaters have a thermometer built into the unit. Or, use a separate aquarium thermometer to verify your readings.
Update your lighting set-up. If the aquarium light does not have a built-in timer, purchase a timer from your local hardware or home improvement store and set it for the tank's normal day/night cycle. Or, consider upgrading to a programmable OptiBright SMART LED Light Fixture.
You can control the OptiBright SMART LED through the Aqueon BlueIQ app to keep tabs on many aspects of your fresh or saltwater aquarium. Simply connect an OptiBright SMART LED Light Fixture to your home Wi-Fi and use the app to turn the light on/off, adjust the intensity, change the color channels, or update the timer schedule.
Note: Do not add new fish or make major changes to your aquarium a month before an extended absence since you won't be home to make adjustments, such as separating fighting fish or removing failing aquatic plants that don't adjust well to your environment.
Teach Your Sitter to Care for Your Aquarium
If using a sitter, write down a few instructions, keeping them as simple as possible. Simple instructions are more likely to be carried out correctly. Include basics like feeding, checking for water on the floor, and possibly emptying a protein skimmer cup (for saltwater tanks), and have them stop by every 2 to 3 days around the same time of day for each visit to provide routine for your pets.
If your sitter is an aquarium novice, keep your tasks realistic. Don't expect them to scrape algae, change out CO2 cylinders, or tend your baby brine shrimp hatchery. If topping off for evaporation, leave buckets of treated water next to each tank and mark aquariums, sumps, and reservoirs with the correct fill levels.
Finally, leave the sitter a phone number to reach you, along with the number of an experienced aquarist, your local aquarium store, or a reliable aquarium maintenance company to contact in case of an emergency.
How to Care for Your Fish Tank When You Return From Vacation
With proper preparation, your fish should be alive and well and happy to see you when you return home.
After you unpack from your trip:
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Check on your aquatic friends for signs of injury or disease.
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Make sure your heater is functioning properly.
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Perform a water change within a few days of returning.
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Check filters for proper flow, rinse fiber pads, and service as needed.
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Remove vacation/automatic feeders and resume your normal feeding regimen.
Live plants may need trimming, and there will undoubtedly be some algae that needs scraping, but these are positives. Plant and algae growth is nature's way of purifying water and balancing chemistry.
Finally, make note of anything that did not turn out as expected so you can make your next vacation even more enjoyable and stress-free for yourself and your fish!
Learn more about creating a lighting schedule and why testing your aquarium water helps to keep your underwater world in tip-top shape.