Feeding you Fish when you are on a Vacation

When you go away on vacation, your fish still need to be cared for. Feeding the fish is always the biggest task while on vacation. The best and easiest solution is to use a battery-operated automatic fish food feeder. The feeder will automatically release food into the water. These feeders are designed to feed once or twice a day for up to two weeks or more at a time.

Following are the simplest options to feed your fish during holidays or vacation periods-

• Place your friends or neighbor on fish food duty.
• Feed your fish with vacation feeders. The feeder will automatically release food into the aquarium.
• There are professional pet-sitting services that will take care of your fish while you're away.

What would I do if I left my Fish for a Week?

• Most healthy aquarium fish can go three days to a week without eating. Plan according to the type of fish you have. Following are the different types of fish that can live without food for about a week.

• Perform a water change and tank cleaning a day or two before you leave is mandatory for all types of Aquariums. 
• Monitor tank temperature before you leave to ensure the heater is working properly. 
• Set lights on a timer (lights on for 6-8 hours a day). We can easily buy these products on Amazon.
• If you will only be gone for 1-2 weeks, do not worry about feeding such fish like betta fish, Oscars, angelfish, etc. These fish can easily survive for a long time without eating.
• If you are leaving in the summer or winter, be sure your air conditioner or heater is set to an appropriate temperature such that your aquarium heater can maintain the water temperature.

How many days can I leave my fish?

A healthy, grown-up aquarium fish can go from 3 days to 1 whole week, without eating any food. Young fish don't have the fat stores as adult fish and they cannot go without eating very long. Some species, like betta fish, can survive up to a week without food. Others, like angelfish, can live for 2 weeks without food. 

As freshwater fish are quite capable of going for several days without food. Most cold-water fish will be fine for one week without food, however, tropical fish usually need to be fed more often.

What tasks to set for the pet sitter?

Before you leave, make sure your pet sitter has a list of things they should do during each visit. Every tank is unique and you should prepare a list that is specific to your tank, fish, and plants. 

• Check the fish, and feed them according to the different types of fish.
• Check power, temperature, filter, heater, and lighting.

What to do when you return from vacation?

The following tasks you should perform immediately include- 

• The first step is a visual inspection of the tank, checking for leaks and ensuring that the water level has not gotten too low.
• Check all the equipment to make sure it is functioning properly-replace filter media if needed.
• Test the aquarium water to check the water quality and chemistry levels.
• Observe your fish and make sure they are all still alive and well-look for any changes in physical appearance as well as abnormal behavior.
• Perform a 25% water change to remove accumulated toxins from the tank and to improve water quality- be sure to use a gravel vacuum to siphon out accumulated waste from the bottom of the tank.
• Resume your normal feeding and maintenance of schedule.