Manage your fish and your aquarium during the holidays
When you have an aquarium, it is predictable that you will not be at home. Feeding the fish, managing the quality of the water, compensating for a possible rise in temperatures during the summer, all of this cannot be improvised at the last minute.
How to feed your fish during an absence of a few days
If you are only away for 2-4 days, you can definitely consider fasting your fish. Most species tolerate it well. You just need to be sure before doing so. This solution cannot be used if you have minors or fragile people. For these people, daily food intake remains essential. So they are the ones who decide what kind of rules the whole aquarium adopts. If you are in this situation, you can choose food blocks designed for 3 days. Their design limits algae growth and reduces fish droppings.
If you only have healthy adult fish in your aquarium, you can absolutely fast during your absence, provided you feed them once a day for 3 days before the absence. Stick to your usual dose and don't try to overeat, as this can cause health issues that you can't handle while you're away.
How to feed your fish during a week's absence
If you'll be away for at least a week, you can choose to have a neighbor, relative, or trusted friend come over to feed them at least every other day.
However, there are also food blockages that can last longer than 3 days if you are hesitant to ask someone for help. You can find blocks designed to feed up to 25 fish for almost two weeks, giving you peace of mind without worrying about house keys, alarms, etc. Fasting is possible, but the practice is riskier than more than a few days a week.
And if you are absent for more than a week
Absence of more than a week, ideally using an automatic food dispenser.
These devices offer the possibility of distributing 60 meals, 2 meals per day for one month or 1 meal per day for two months. Their main advantage over the compact food blocks we talked about above is that the way you distribute food is closer to how you would by hand, especially if you do it that way, where you can mix flakes and pellets to make things right. Thus the habits of your fish will not be disturbed
If you are raising fingerlings, it is better to have someone take care of them rather than using a feeder, as they require special attention. They are unlikely to fast and often require specific diets.
Automate aquarium management
Owning an aquarium does not prevent you from going on vacation, provided you can equip yourself.
The automation of aquarium management is now accessible to as many people as possible. It is even possible that going on vacation will lead you to invest in equipment that you will continue to use, in particular to amortize your expenses. The daily management of your aquarium will then be easier for you.
Depending on the insulation of your home, it is not excluded that the outside temperatures increase the temperature of the aquarium. However, you know that the warmer the water, the lower its oxygen saturation, which directly threatens the survival of your fish. Some devices can solve this problem. The simplest and most economical is the aquarium fan, which allows you to lower the water temperature by 4 degrees. The price of these devices is generally around 30 euros. A chiller is a more expensive system.
Many aquarists have a timer that automatically turns the lights on as it is a device that provides excellent service without causing disturbances. You may also be aware of the existence of CO2 kits that adjust the pH of the aquarium. Solenoid valves are an interesting addition to avoid overdosing and save money. If the holidays are absent, it is advisable to completely reduce the CO2 kit or invest in a solenoid valve, the average price is around 50 euros.
In addition to your investments, there are some good answers you can provide:
- The quantity of water changed one week before departure is slightly greater than usual;
- Check that all equipment is working properly and replace batteries if necessary;
- Clean the filter and the entire aquarium (especially the plants) two weeks before departure;
- If you have just purchased a vending machine, test it out a few days in advance.