Going on holiday / how to keep my fish alive

[QueenBee]

Hi all

I'm planning on going away for 10 days next week, but I'm becoming increasingly worried as to how to manage my fish when I'm away.

I have a pet sitter coming once a day, who will feed the fish (I usually leave the daily fish feeds in medicine containers so it's a set amount, to guard against over feeding and getting the water parameters out of whack), but won't be able to check the water chemistry / change water etc

Last year, I went away for 2 weeks, and all my fish I had survived (community tank, can't remember what fish I had / what size tank), but this time I have cichlids, and I'm really worried about getting the feeds right, namely under feeding, but also over feeding and the water chemistry becoming toxic.

I have a 150L tank, with 5 cichlids (3 larger ones, 10-15cm), 2 smaller ones (5-6cm), a rainbow shark (6cm ish) and a Siamese algae eater (5cm). Water is stable, I usually change approx 10-20% every week to 10 days, sometimes longer). The tank was super stable but had an adjustment period a few weeks ago when I used the bacteria from the filters to cycle another, newer tank. I have live plants, feed twice a day, an have the lights on a timer. I have a cannister filter, for 300L tank.

I'm thinking Its prob better if I get an automatic feeder, so they can be fed twice a day, but how do I know how much food to use? When I'm home, I vary the amount, but have the back up of checking the water chemistry if I'm worried I've fed them too much.

II also have 2 x community tanks - 80L cube tank, and a 65L.

Last year I got my friend to come and do a 30% water change around day 10, and that probably saved the fish as there was some ammonia and nitrates when I got home a few days later.

I will ask my friend if she can do the same, but she's really busy, works more than full time and has kids.... And it's a bigger ask to change the water in 3 tanks, rather than one, and she has no experience with fish, so can't check the water chemistry for me

In an ideal world, I'd have an experinced fish keeper come and check watwr, water change when I'm away, but I don't. ?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

@Colin_T is good with this stuff. Hopefully he can help.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

If you have someone who can stop in once a day ask them to just throw a set amount of food in the tank. Maybe have daily portions measured out so there is no risk of over-feeding. If your tank is established and you don't have issues with spikes in anything, you are fine to go that long without a water change. Sounds like you had some issues a year ago, but hopefully things are stable now. I'd be more worried about someone who was not a seasoned pro doing the water change and possibly putting in too hot or too cold or not adding a water conditioner, etc.

Your fish would probably be fine for several days with no food. If your sitter has to miss a day, don't stress over it. They will be totally fine. I would prefer to have a sitter feed my fish vs. the auto feeder - if I had a choice.

 

[eatyourpeas]

Perhaps cutting the feeding to every other day or every two days will reduce the amount of waste and keep the quality of the water for a longer period of time. I usually go for a weekend without feeding the critters and they seem fine.

 

[Colin_T]

What sort of cichlids?
How long have they been together for?

I would just feed them more often for a few weeks before you go. Do big daily water changes and gravel cleans each day until you go.
Clean the filter a week before you go.
Then let them starve for the 10 days.

If you want someone to feed them, get them to feed once every second day and leave it at that.

Increase lighting times by a couple of hours a day to encourage plants and algae that will help keep the water cleaner and provide food if they get really hungry.

 

[itiwhetu]

Cichlids are tricky to feed, you are better to let them be hungry for a few days. Fish don't need half the food we think they do.

 

[Mick85]

i went on holidays just before new years for around 12 days, did a big water change before it went. My dad came over once a day to feed the fish but when i got home i lifted the lid of the tank and there was a pile of food on the inner ledge of the tank which never made it into the water?‍ luckily my fish were all ok!