Keeping Your Fish Healthy When You’re Away

You’ve made kennel reservations for your dog and arranged for a neighbor to water your plants -- but don’t forget about your fish. All it takes is a little pre-planning to make sure your aquarium stays in good shape while you’re gone, says David Banks of the Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies. Banks advises aquarium owners who are going on vacation to follow these steps:

     - DO get your tank into good condition before you leave -- “Make sure that you’ve done your water        changes ahead of time.  Also perform any necessary maintenance on your filters, and check to        see that your heater is working properly.”
     - DON’T Overfeed Your Fish -- “If you’re going away for a week or less, it’s probably best not to        feed your fish at all while you’re gone. Most fish, with the exception of very young ones, can go        that long without food.  A more serious potential problem when you’re away is over-feeding,        because any food that’s left uneaten will decay and add to the ammonia and nitrate problem in        the tank.” 
     - DON’T forget that young fish require more feedings -- “The one exception to the above rule are        tanks with young or baby fish, since they can’t go more than a couple of days without food.  If        you have young fish in your tank, you should arrange for someone to come in and feed them at        least every two days.”
     - DO provide your “fish sitter” with pre-sized food portions -- “Remember, even if the person who        will be feeding your fish is experienced with aquariums, they’re not familiar with your tank        and how much your fish normally eat.  So you should leave them pre-measured daily portions of        food in paper cups or other containers. This way you can be sure your fish are getting fed the        proper amount.”
     - DO use a timer on your aquarium light -- “You shouldn’t leave your aquarium light on the whole        time you’re gone, because this can promote algae growth.  But you don’t want to leave your tank        dark either, especially if you have live plants. A timer is the ideal solution. Set the timer so that        the light will be on for as many hours a day as it normally would.”
     - DO have someone check your tank -- “If possible, you should have a friend or neighbor look in        on your tank to make sure everything’s ok, even if this person won’t be feeding your fish.  It’s a        good idea to leave a back-up filter and other extra components in case something breaks down.         You should also leave the phone number of someone your neighbor can contact if there are any        problems, such as a pet store or member of a local aquarium club.”
     - DON’T turn off your air conditioning or heat --  “Getting too hot in the summer (or too cold in the        winter) can be a danger for your fish.  When you go on vacation, you should leave your        thermostat at or near its normal setting to provide your fish with a comfortable room        temperature.”