Feeding Fish When On Vacation | Learn More | Modern Aquarium

What To Do With Fish On Vacation

If you’re planning a vacation, you’re probably worried about what to do with your fish while you’re gone. At Modern Aquarium, we’re here with solutions to ensure your fish are healthy and happy, even when you’re not around to care for them! So check out our guide on feeding your fish when you’re out of town or going on vacation today!

Vacation Feeders

If you plan to be away for an extended period of time (e.g. two weeks or longer), the easiest way of feeding your fish when on vacation is with a long-term feeder. These blocks are made of calcium or gel and have fish food embedded within them. The blocks dissolve slowly in the water, time releasing food particles for your fish. Vacation feeders are often available in increments, including two, seven, and fourteen days.

If you have a non-filtering aquarium of a fish bowl, vacation feeders are not for you, as water circulation is necessary to dissolve the block and keep the water clean.

Auto Feeders

Automatic feeders are a great answer to the question of what to do with your fish on vacation. Instead of a dissolving block that sits in the water the whole time, these are machines that release food on a timer. On most of these feeders, you can set time intervals and food amounts to guarantee you’re feeding your fish correctly when on vacation – just make sure it’s full before you leave and holds enough food to release throughout your entire trip.

Basic Tank Maintenance

Don’t forget that feeding your fish when you’re out of town isn’t your only concern! You also need to maintain your entire aquarium without even being there. We recommend setting up timers for your aquarium lights to give fish and plants a consistent day and night cycle. We also suggest double-checking your aquarium heater to ensure a consistent temperature – especially if there are chances of extreme weather. You should also set your air conditioning to kick in if the room gets too hot and your heater to start when it gets too cold.

Your basic tank maintenance needs to include a checklist that gets done before you leave, including:

• Figuring out a gameplan for feeding your fish when on vacation
• Cleaning your tank one week before the start of your trip
• Topping off your tank with water the day before leaving
• Checking that your water temperature is stable
• Cleaning and testing filter capacity
• Examining fish for any health concerns

In Case of Concerns

If you’re extremely concerned about the health and wellness of your aquarium fish or feeding your fish when on vacation, you can always get a pet sitter to check in with them. Even if your sitter is inexperienced, with a quick rundown of essential care and the number to your local pet shop, you can rest easy with someone there to keep an eye out for any potential problems.

Looking for more aquarium guides? Explore the rest of our blog for tons of tips and tricks.