What To Do If You Go On Holiday!

[timmystood]

Ok, so you've got a nice holiday planned and are wondering what to do with your fish? It's easy! Just follow the information below!
Choose the holiday that best applies to your next trip...

HOLIDAY 1 - 1-5 Days

Water Change - On day or day before you leave

Feeding - Feed as normal up to leaving day (they'll be OK for 5 days without food) - try to resist the temptation to overfeed like many people do!

Lighting - If your tank is not on a timer, then get one! If you cannot then try to provide as much natural light on the tank as possible (espically if you have live plants). This may mean leaving curtains and blinds open etc. If your tank is in a dark room then try to arrange for somebody to come and turn on lights and turn them off as you would normally.

HOLIDAY 2 - 6-10 Days

Water Change - On day or day before you leave and when you get back

Feeding - This is really your choice. Fish will survive 10 days without food but it is better for them to eat within this time. If you cannot get somebody to come and feed them (make sure you trust them not to overfeed) and you don't have an automatic feeder... then leave them. However, it is worth paying the small amount for a holiday feeder Similar to this one (obviously, there are blocks that provide for longer holidays)

Lighting - Again, this depends greatly on weather you have live plants or not... if you do then try to get somebody to come and turn them on/off. If you do not, then enough natural lights should be OK --- It is worth investing in an automatic timer though.

HOLIDAY 3 - 10-20 Days

Water Change - On day or day before you leave and when you get back

Feeding - You need somebody to come and feed your fish periodoically or again, invest in some holiday feeders (make sure they are reliable though - test them out for a few days beforehand). Some people will say fish can survive 20 days without food, but I really wouldn't recommend it.

Lighting - Again, this depends greatly on wether you have live plants or not... if you do then try to get somebody to come and turn them on/off. If you do not, then enough natural lights should be OK --- It is worth investing in an automatic timer though.

HOLIDAY 4 - 20 Days +

Water Change - You need to train somebody up to come and do a water change for you! Especially if you're gone longer than 30 or so days. Make sure you can trust them and that they will not make mistakes.

Feeding - You will definately need someone to come and check on your fish and feed them. Even if they don't feed them, then you still need someone to come and check that the holiday blocks etc. are still working OK.

Lighting - Again, this depends greatly on wether you have live plants or not... if you do then try to get somebody to come and turn them on/off. If you do not, then enough natural lights should be OK --- It is worth investing in an automatic timer though.

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Thought this could be a topic in the TFF Topics section... please feel free to add stuff and I will edit it so that it can be helpful to other users!

 

[Trance2006]

Nice tutorial very informative A+

 

[timmystood]

Thanks!

 

[mark.w.jones]

This is dead useful, especially for a newbie like me. Should be pinned in beginners sectioned I think. Was going to write something similar myself about photographing fish but not sure if it's worth the effort

 

[timmystood]

This is dead useful, especially for a newbie like me. Should be pinned in beginners sectioned I think. Was going to write something similar myself about photographing fish but not sure if it's worth the effort

Aww, thanks!
You should write about photographing fish - it would be useful.

Could I get a Mod to put it in the TFF Topics section?

 

[Teelie]

Good except I wouldn't use holiday feeders. All they do is cloud the water and make for a mess, assuming the fish don't die from it. Have someone feed the fish if you're going to be gone a while. Set out a proper amount in a container to be fed to the fish and instructions on when to feed them instead.

I'd add that it's practically mandatory to use an automatic timer if your aquarium is in a place that does not get adequate natural lighting or only sparse indoor lighting. Plus it saves having to remember to turn on/off the lights all the time.

 

[SamUK]

h8 to burst your bubble but i think theres already a thread like this.


cnt remember where it was but i remember reading something.

good effort tho!

 

[timmystood]

I've searched all the topics and pinned sections and I cannot find one...

 

[dwarfgourami]

Good stuff. I would just add:

a. that cheap automatic feeders can be VERY unreliable, either overfeeding or clogging- mine did both in the same week, so I came back to a filthy tank and hungry fish

b. that the easy way of making sure your fishsitter does not overfeed is to measure out each serving in the compartments of a pill dispenser and hiding all the other fish food! I give instructions to my fishsitters only to feed one compartment every other day, to balance out the fact that I am not there to do water changes. As I have several tanks I also number the tanks+pill dispensers, so they can't get mixed up.

 

[jkrekord]

hey thanks for that im going on holiday for a fortnight soon so that was realy usefulthis shuld definatley be pinned in the begginer section

 

[ncjharris]

Good topic,

my tupence worth from experience;

as mentioned, holiday blocks are not good. The consituant material is usually ash or some other filler designed to hold them togeter while in the water so they disolve slowly. This stays in the water and at best will make your water very cloudy, at worst will upset your parameters.

Lights, you don't have to have a timer, if your tank is mediumly stocked leaving the lights off, but the curtains open should be fine - you may experience a little algea growth (either green or brown depending on the light levels)

Water changes aren't neccesarily compulsory for longer stays (Holiday 4). We went on holiday for 25 days last year and the fish survived without a water change. If you fast your fish for a few days before you go and then get them fed on every third or forth day they will be fine and their waste products will be reduced accordingly.
I believe this is quite dependant on the tank and the inhabinents though. At the time we didn't have any very messy fish (i.e plecs) and the tank was quite heavily planted.