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A question we get asked a lot is, “how do I take care of my fish tank when I am on holiday?” Well, fish are relatively simple pets to care for, so the good news is that you won’t need to hunt around for expensive holiday homes for them to stay in but you do need to pay them some extra attention before you leave. Our experts’ top tips will ensure you to come back to a happy and healthy aquarium.
Food
If you're heading away on a mini-break for 2-5 days most fish will be ok with no food. In fact, for healthy adult fish this can help with their digestive track. In the wild fish can go for a few weeks with no food. Just remember that there is no need to overfeed to compensate before you leave if you choose this option.
However, as younger fish don’t have fat stored away you may want to consider asking someone to fish sit for you to tend to their needs. Same goes for sick fish who need that extra care. You are always welcome to visit our in-store experts who can advise further on caring for specific breeds and unwell fish.
If you do ask a friend or family member to look after your fish whilst away, we’d advise either measuring out the food ready for them (zip lock bags or tablet dispensary boxes are ideal) or asking them to pop over in advance so they can familiarise themselves with the tank.
Quality food is vital for the health and happiness of your fish. Shop our range of top brands at great prices!
Many of our stores also stock food blocks which can provide up to two weeks food for tropical or coldwater fish. They also will not produce extra waste in your tank so you don’t need to worry about them affecting your water quality.
For added convenience, how about an automatic feeder? These timed, battery-operated devices dispense food at regular intervals when you are away, and can be used with virtually any dry aquarium foods. We’d advise you use this for a few days before you head off so you can see it working well and tweak any timings or quantities appropriately. Automatic feeders are also really handy now lots of us are back at work in the office and away from home. Feeding the fish can then be one thing less to tick off the list each morning! Check out Oase’s FishGuard Automatic Feeder which is a top seller.
Water Health
Before you head off make sure you change your water in good time and you can test the water to make sure it’s in top condition. Remember, never change more than 25% of your water at a time to make sure you don’t affect the balance.
If you are away for a few weeks, it may be worth asking your fish sitter to change 10-15% of the water as you normally would but remember to remind them to dechlorinate the water before adding. You can also show them how to test the water quality with strips such as these NT Lab ones.
When you return we advise you should do a water change to remove any accumulated toxins. The longer you have left the water between changes the more changes you will have to do before everything is back to “normal”.
Keep your tank clean, safe and healthy by getting the biological balance right with our range of water treatments.
General Maintenance
Before you head off on holiday it would be a good idea to check your heater is working well and filter, to make sure it’s clean and running as it should too. Perhaps the foam needs replacing.
As always please do reach out to our in-store experts who will be more than happy to answer any questions. Click here to find your nearest centre.
With your checklist complete, you can rest easy on your sun lounger knowing that the planning and forethought you put in will mean you don’t need to worry about your beloved aquarium.