Take Care Of Your Aquarium If You’re Going On Vacation

The temperature, lighting, food and cleanliness of the water are some of the main factors to consider before leaving the fish alone for a considerable period of time.

After a year of hard work, the holidays arrive. When you think you’ve finished the preparations for the long-awaited trip, you realize an important question:  who will take care of your aquarium if you go on vacation?

The solution is not to stay at home. There are different things you can do to prepare your aquarium. This way, your fish will be grateful and you can relax, as everything will be in order when you get back.

Prepare your aquarium before going on vacation

Among the main  cares with your aquarium, in addition to checking if the temperature is adequate, is to clean the aquarium, making a partial change of water before leaving.

This way, your fish will have clean water, which will minimize their stress levels in your absence.

This will also prevent a drop to the water level. If the aquarium is in a cool environment, water evaporation levels will be low,  the water level will be great and the fish will be healthy.

You have to clean the  aquarium filters  or replace them with new ones. If the filter clogs while you are not at home, the system will not work well.

Take care of your aquarium water

Before leaving, we must check the water quality.  You will have to use different tests that exist on the market for this.

The most used is the pH test, to measure the acidity of water, and the nitrate test, to measure the level of waste it contains.

By controlling the pH, when you return, your aquarium will be cleaner.  With less food waste and less fish waste, the water will be in a better condition even if it’s summer.

Who will feed the fish?

Fish can usually go several weeks without eating,  which means they can survive while you are away. But this is not advisable at all.

One of the best options for feeding your fish is automatic food dispensers. It is an economical alternative that can be adapted to different types of aquarium.

Just fill the container with their usual food  and the appliance will be responsible for delivering the right amount of food.

When choosing food, it will all depend on the type of fish you have in your aquarium; fish can be herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Each of them, therefore, have a corresponding diet.

What does my fish eat?

Herbivorous fish consume vegetables and plants. If they accept algae and dried vegetables, the automatic dispenser will be ideal.

In case the diet consists of fresh vegetables and plants, a friend who can feed your fish during your vacation will be the solution.

The same is true  if they are carnivores: they will require live food  and you should ask a friend, neighbor or relative to feed your fish during your absence.

If our fish are omnivores, food blocks can work just fine. These are mineral blocks that are slowly diluted in our aquarium water over time. In addition, the dispenser will also be very useful.

Caring for a saltwater aquarium 

To keep a saltwater aquarium in good condition while on vacation, it’s essential that we make sure the lid fits snugly.

This will not only prevent the fish from jumping, but will slow down the water evaporation process, which will prevent the increase in salinity.

Aquarium lighting

Do I leave my aquarium light on or off? That is the question.

For this, there are light timers on the market for aquariums, which will turn the lighting on and off at the indicated time.

Ideally, fish should receive between 10 and 12 hours of light a day. The right amount of light also benefits the plants you have in your aquarium; whether freshwater plants or saltwater corals. So check your light timer lamps before going on vacation.

Ask a friend to check your aquarium

If your vacation lasts longer than three weeks, you can ask a friend, relative or neighbor to  check the condition  of your aquarium during your absence. Teach him to care for his fish and inform him of the aquarium’s daily needs.

Alert if you are going on vacation

Before going on vacation, check the temperature of the aquarium, as it should not exceed 29°C. 

Also, check that there are no signs of water leakage around the aquarium and don’t forget to check the air pumps.