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Leaving Your Aquarium During Vacations
An aquarium that is well kept needs little preparation to endure a short vacation. On the opposite end of the spectrum, an aquarium that is neglected won't miss the attention it doesn't get anyway while you're gone. A few days before you leave, do an equipment check to make sure everything is operating as it should be. Pay close attention to the temperature to ensure it is stable and adjust the heater or chiller accordingly. Rinse or brush off filter strainer intake tubes and check filter pads to make sure they are in good condition and make sure there is no uneaten food in the aquarium. If someone is going to watch your aquarium and feed your fish while you are gone, it is a good idea to familiarize him or her with your routine. Portioning off the amount of food you normally feed a day in small, sealed bags will ensure the tank isn't overfed in your absence. If no one is going to attend to the aquarium while you are gone, your best bet is to invest in an automatic feeder. Some models are more elaborate than others, but a basic model will work quite well in this situation. Be aware that prolonged exposure to high humidity levels will cake flake food to the point it will not pass through the dispenser. A small granular food can be used instead if you expect humidity levels to be high while you are away. Otherwise, flakes should work fine. There are also vacation feeder blocks designed to slowly release 3 to 7 days worth of food. Food released from the block that goes uneaten will spoil quickly and foul the water, which can spell disaster for the aquarium in your absence. A prudent course is to use less than what you need to lessen the chance that there will be uneaten food. The fish may be a little hungry and eager to see you, but that is a better scenario to return to in comparison with an aquarium of fouled water and stressed, diseased fish. Upon returning home, it is a good idea to do a partial water change with a gravel siphon to remove any excess food and rinse whatever medium is used for mechanical filtration.