Taking Care Of Your Aquarium If You Go On Vacation

Water temperature, lighting, feeding and cleanliness are some of the key factors to consider before leaving fish alone for a considerable period of time.

Taking care of your aquarium if you go on vacation

After a year of hard work, the holidays come. When you think that you have finished with 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. In this way, your fish will be grateful and you can relax, since everything will be in order when you return.

Prepare your aquarium

Among the main care of your aquarium, in addition to the proper temperature, is cleaning the tank by doing a partial water change 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 in the water level. If the aquarium is in a cool environment, the evaporation levels of the water will be low, the water level will be optimal and the fish will be healthy.

The aquarium filters must be cleaned or replaced with new ones; If a clogged filter occurs while we are not at home, the system will not work properly.

Condition your aquarium water

Before leaving we must check the quality of the water.  You have to use different tests that exist on the market for this. The most used is the pH test to measure the acidity of the water and the nitrate test to measure the level of waste it contains.

By controlling the pH, when you return your tank will be cleaner ; With less food waste and less fish waste, the water will be in better condition even if it is summer.

Who is going to feed the fish?

Fish can generally go several weeks without food, which means they can survive while you are gone. But it is not recommended at all.

One of the best options to feed your fish are automatic feed dispensers ; It is an economical and adjustable alternative to different types of aquarium.

Simply fill the container with your regular food  and its battery operation will take care of providing the right amount of food.

In the choice of food, everything will depend on the type of fish you have in your aquarium; fish can be herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Each of them requires a certain diet.

What do my fish eat?

Herbivorous fish consume vegetables and plants; if they admit algae and dried vegetables, the automatic dispenser is ideal. In the event that the food is fresh vegetables and plants, a helping hand during your vacation will be the solution.

The same happens if they are carnivores; they will require live food and then you should ask a friend, neighbor, or family member to feed your fish during your absence.

If our fish are omnivores, food blocks could work very well; These are mineral blocks that slowly dissolve in the water in our aquarium as the days go by. The dispenser will also be of great use.

Caring for the saltwater aquarium 

To take care of the saltwater aquarium while on vacation, it is essential that we check that the lid fits perfectly. This will not only prevent the fish from jumping, but it will slow down the evaporation process of the water, preventing increased salinity.

Aquarium lighting

Do I turn my aquarium light on or off? That is the question. For this, there are light timers for aquariums on the market, with which the fish tank will turn on and off at the right time.

Ideally, fish should be provided with 10 to 12 hours of lighting per day. Adequate light also benefits the plants you have in your aquarium, whether they are freshwater plants or saltwater corals; Check before you leave that the bulbs of your light timer.

Invite a friend to give your fish a spin

If your vacation is longer than three weeks, you could invite a friend, relative, or neighbor to check the conditions of your aquarium in your absence. Tell him the tricks for caring for your fish and inform him of the daily needs of the aquarium.

Alerts

Before leaving, check the temperature of the aquarium, because it should not exceed 29ºC. You also have to check that around the tank there are no signs of water leaks, and be sure to check the air pumps.