I recently went away for a week to another country (Gran Canaria if you are asking!) and when booking your holiday you might not necessarily think about what you will be doing with your fish during your vacation.
Here are a few options and ideas which you could consider:
Nothing
Yes that’s right – nothing. Depending on the length of time you are planning on leaving the fish without feeding them and the type of fish you have it is possible to simply leave them without any food during your departure. If you keep cichlids which will graze on rocks such as the Tropheus Ikola or Yellow Lab, providing you have enough lighting to promote algae growth in the fish tank then leaving them for a week or 2 might be an option.
Automatic Fish Feeder
You can get automatic fish feeders which are normally battery powered. These will be on a timer and will dispense food in to the aquarium once or twice per day. There are various automatic fish feeders on the market and they all have their merits. It is a good idea to ensure, if it is under a hood for example that the condensation doesn’t get to the food and clog up the mechanism. Some fish feeders will have the option to plug an airline and air pump in to the to ensure their is always fresh air pumped in to them to prevent any clogging up.
Friendly Neighbour
Advisable only if your friendly neighbour is trustworthy and has experience of fish keeping. Without this knowledge they may read the fish swimming frantically up and down the glass as them being still hungry and over feed them. It is always best to under feed than over feed tropical fish.
Holiday feeding block
Not the ideal solution but you can get a holiday feeding block which is densely packed food and will disperse food over a period of time. These aren’t ideal due to only being designed for a small amount of fish and will often get eaten very early on in the period you are away so you run the risk of the fish gorging which can lead to bloat and over feeding.
Local Fish Store
If you get on well with the guys in your local fish store and are planning a holiday of longer than a couple of weeks then they may rent you a sump or holiday tank to you. The cost of this option is down to the fish store’s policy however you can be sure they will know how much and when to feed. You must consider the stress your fish might encounter with this and as such wouldn’t recommend doing this if you are away for less than 2 weeks. You can take a look at our local fish store review page to see where your local fish store is and see if they are able to help.
In summary there are a few options but it does come down to the type and quantity of fish you keep and duration of your holiday. If you consider that in the wild fish wouldn’t have a set meal time every day and will often go for some time without eating. If we take mouth brooding cichlids as an example, when they are carrying fry they probably won’t eat for 30 days and although they may look a bit thin over this time, it is a long time so 7-14 days probably won’t be an issue.
Petbank Automatic Fish Feeder – Rechargeable Timer Auto Fish Food Dispenser with Display Screen & USB Charger Cable for Vacation or Holiday
Features:- Environmental & Convenient: Equipped with a USB charging cable, this automatic fish feeder is suitable for various charging scenarios. No need to repeatedly buy batteries, energy saving and environmental protection
- Long Work Time: Powered by a large-capacity battery, Petbank auto fish feeder can be charged and discharged up to 800 times. According to the number of feedings set, it can be used for 3-6 months on a single charge
- Large Capacity: 200ml large-capacity feed bucket fish feeder automatic dispenser, suitable for a variety of fish feed such as granules and powders
- Intelligent Design: You can set up to 4 feedings a day, feeding 1-3 times each time. At the same time, you can also feed manually and experience the fun of feeding
- Fish Feeder for Vacation: Fits for 600L (131 UK gallons) fish tank, the feeder can perfectly feed goldfish and turtles on weekends or holidays
Fish Mate 14-feed Automatic Aquarium Fish Feeder (F14) – Quartz Timer Controlled for Precise Reliable Feeding with Ease, Serves Up to 14 Meals
Features:- RELIABLE QUARTZ TIMER: Ensures accurate feeding with 1 to 4 meals per day, keeping your fish nourished while you’re away and maintaining a stable feeding routine
- SERVES UP TO 14 INDIVIDUAL MEALS: Prevents overfeeding and provides controlled portions to support fish health, keeping your aquarium-dwellers active and thriving
- VERSATILE MOUNTING OPTIONS: Easily attaches to the aquarium hood, condensation tray, or glass edge with provided brackets, offering secure placement and convenience
- COMPATIBLE WITH ALL FISH FOODS: Works effortlessly with flakes, pellets, and sticks, allowing flexibility for different types of fish and aquarium setups without hassle
- LONG-LASTING BATTERY LIFE: Runs efficiently for over a year on a single AA battery, featuring a battery condition indicator to ensure continuous operation
Aquarian Holiday Feeding Block, 28g
Features:- Contains one (1) AQUARIAN, 7-Day Fish Food Holiday Block, Aquarium Fish Feeder, 28 g Fish Feeder
- Supplies food to your fish while you’re on holiday for 7-10 days
- Dissolves slowly and starts releasing food after just a few hours
- Fish food holiday block includes ingredients to meet nutritional requirements of goldfish, tropical fish and marine fish
- Place one fish feeder block into aquarium before leaving on holiday, do not use in a fish bowl or a non-filtered or non-aerated aquarium. Feeds 20 average sized fish in a 40 Litre tank
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