How to Ensure Your Aquarium is Maintained While on Vacation
The thought of leaving your aquarium to go on vacation can be very stressful for aquarium owners. Things can go wrong pretty quickly in a fish tank, and monitoring the aquarium is nearly impossible when you’re far away. There are a few precautions you can take before vacation, however. Whether or not you have a pet sitter, there are still a few ways to ensure your aquarium is properly maintained while you’re on vacation.
Automatic Aquarium Maintenance for Vacations
While caring for fish with no one there in person might sound crazy, there are a few options for automatic aquarium maintenance. First, to help keep your aquarium clean, consider having some algae-eaters in your tank such as plecos. Make sure to introduce them well before your vacation, however, so you can monitor their behavior and ensure their compatibility with your tank before you leave.
Whenever it comes to traditionally feeding your fish, consider an automatic feeder. Though they may seem similar, avoid vacation feeders since they are less consistent when it comes to releasing food. An electric automatic feeder designed to release food at certain intervals is your best bet. Make sure to get a quality feeder, and don’t cheap out on this purchase. A good feeder is less likely to break or jam while you’re away.
If you feel you’re going to stress too much while away from your tank not knowing how it’s doing, consider getting a security camera to watch it. There are tons of inexpensive security camera options available now that allow you to view the footage live and remotely. A security camera will ease your concerns about your tank while you’re away. In the worst case where something bad happens to your tank, you’ll know and can then call a local friend to go fix your tank for you if you can’t return from your vacation in time.
How to Instruct a Fish Sitter Before Going on Vacation
If you’re going on a longer vacation, you’ll definitely want to consider getting a pet sitter. Getting a fish sitter is almost always a better option when going on vacation, but it can also be worrisome. Some people say they know about caring for fish but take that with a grain of salt. You want to try to make the process as foolproof as possible.
Leave them a checklist to check the temperature of the water, check for odd fish behavior such as jerky movements or gasping, check the water level, and any other regular maintenance your aquarium requires. It’s also recommended to divide the fish food into servings with dates so that your sitter doesn’t overfeed your fish.
Lastly, you’ll probably want your pet sitter to give you updates. Ask them to regularly send pictures of your tank and ask them if anything seems awry. In the case of something bad happening, you can call them and explain to them what to do for your tank.
Common Mistakes When Caring for an Aquarium Around Vacations
Before you go on vacation, never overfeed your fish. Leftover food from feedings quickly becomes unappetizing for fish and can make your tank dirty, to the point of making the water unhealthy for your fish. Do not leave your tank dirty before going on vacation. Also, you’ll want to do a water change before your vacation to leave your water as fresh as possible but be careful not to change too much water since this can negatively impact your fish.
Maintaining an aquarium while on vacation isn’t impossible, but there is risk involved. Take as many precautions as you can to protect your fish from overfeeding, poor water quality, and accidents. It’s almost always best to hire a sitter or have a friend come check on your fish if you can. Make sure to closely monitor your fish right after you get back from vacation to ensure they’re still healthy and happy.
