Leaving for vacations - Final Preparations !

by George J. Reclos

It's summer time (or Christmas time) and you are about to leave for vacations. Nobody will stay at home except your aquatic friends. Your vacations may last for one week or three weeks but the problem you have to solve is the same. How to ensure (better still: increase the possibilities) that your fishy friends will make it during your prolonged absence.

You have to keep in mind that if you have some losses during your absence this will probably result in complete disaster since the filtration system alone will not be able to cope with the amount of pollutants which will be released in your water. Moreover, a dead fish will become the home of bacteria, fungi and any other microorganism you can think of. Therefore you have to do your best to avoid this. Moreover you have to take some extra precaution measures that will [perhaps] allow your system to cope with this misfortune more efficiently if it happens. In reality, losses can take place anytime, in any system (no matter how well maintained it is) and for any reason. When we recently visited Italy for our annual MCH meeting we were shocked to find our large Parapetenia managuensis dead on our return home. We performed many tests in the water of its tank and nothing seemed abnormal (traces of ammonia and nitrates were the only warning readings we got). Even the rest of the fish in that very tank showed normal breathing and, after a large water change, life went on as if nothing ever happened. We still don't know why this happened (the fish had absolutely no sign of a disease) so we assumed it was a sudden death. However, this is a good example which justifies the need for a good maintenance schedule before you leave. Losing one fish is indeed a bitter moment (especially losing this beautiful guy) but it is far better than losing the inhabitants of a whole tank.

Prepare yourself - plan in advance. Doing water changes while packing your suitcase is not a wise move. Cleaning your filters 10 minutes before you have to go is also not wise. Adding automated feeders in a rush is also too risky. You can do all those things a week before you leave.

Water changes: The importance of water changes can't be overemphasized. Before you leave I recommend the largest water change your fish can withstand. If you happen to keep fishes which do not tolerate large water changes (e.g. Tanganyikan cichlids) or need special water (deionized, R/O, salt water etc.), you can make a moderate water change during the last 3-4 days before you leave. I typically change all the water in all my tanks before I leave. In my discus tanks, I change 25% of the water volume every day for three consecutive days. With some species, these water changes may also trigger spawning (a favorable side effect). Take care of the temperature. Large fluctuations may not be well tolerated. Always remember to dechlorinate the water you add. Better still, overdose a bit. Better safe than sorry !

Filtration : You have to keep in mind that in tanks with very low pH (lower than 6.0) there is practically no biological filtration since there is a very small amount of ammonia. All you can find is ammonium which can not be utilized by the "useful" bacteria. Therefore, such a tank relies largely (or even solely) on aeration and clean water. So, now you know what to do with your south american cichlid tank (discus, angels, dwarf cichlids). Clean your filters as well as you can, using water from your tanks. Clean any prefilters (or foam pads) and if in doubt, remove the prefilters before you leave. It is absolutely essential to clean the canisters at this point. The part that needs to be cleaned (thus allowing maximum flow) is the mechanical filtration system (floss or small pore sponge) as well as the propeller of the motor. This is perhaps the least appealing of all duties but it has to be done. It takes about 15 minutes to clean each canister filter, place it back and check that the water flow is OK. Of course, when you enter your fishroom and see all those canister filters (see below) you have to take a big breath and think positively ! If you use trickle filters or sumps, make sure that the water path is clean and (in the case of sumps) that the water level in the sump is a bit higher than normal since some evaporation will definitely take place and you don't want your main pump exposed in the air.

Temperature : Summer is a warm month in many places so you have to take care of this factor, too. The temperature may rise considerably during your absence which may harm your fish. Some species will have no problem with temperatures as high as 32^oC (or even higher) but it is not a good idea to make a test - especially since you will not be there to stop it in time. We have already covered this issue in "Dealing with Temperature". I will just mention that when I leave for vacations I turn on all the air conditioners in our home and set the temperature at 27^oC.  You have to keep in mind that if there is a power shortcut the air conditioners will not work automatically when the power comes back. I wonder why.. but this is the way things work. As an extra precaution measure I use powerful air pumps in all my tanks. It helps a lot and increases the oxygenation of the water. As you can see in the photo below, each tank has its own air pump. Fish seem to tolerate a bit higher pollutant levels if strong aeration and water flow are present. Despite what I have read in books this is also true for discus. Please note the use of a piece of folded paper under the automated feeder in order to get the desired slope (see photo below).

Hint: In my experience, the long flat plastic / ceramic air diffusers produce a lot of bubbles and will last much longer than anything else I have tried. Wooden air diffusers produce finer bubbles and a stronger water flow but their performance decreases in time. It makes a perfect substrate for algae (which reduces air flow) and is also preferred by all catfish that like to chew / eat wood. Small air diffusers are less efficient. You may use the normal / small air diffusers while you are at home and only change to the long ones before you leave for vacations.

Replace the evaporated water : Aeration, strong water flow and open tank canopies (things most of us look for especially during the hot summer months) have a serious side effect - water evaporation. If a sump is present, the total water surface is even larger and the phenomenon is even more profound. Sumps rely on water levels to work, thus serious evaporation will result in a lower level (in the tank and then in the sump, too) and may even expose the water pumps. Unfortunately, there are not many (neither cheap) ways to overcome this problem. A small pump designed for this purpose is your best bet. You need a big barrel or other container, made of inert material, full of dechlorinated water. You have to put the pump on a timer and make very careful adjustments well before you leave. I recommend using a marker to mark the water level, let the pump work for 2-3 days and then check again to make sure the water level hasn't changed significantly. Your purpose is to replace the evaporated water and not flood your living room. In the setup shown below, the pump delivers 5.4 liters / hour. The timer is set to 45 minutes / day so only 4.05 liters are added daily. After 15 days the water level in the sump was almost at the same level which means you can enjoy your vacations without any worries. A simple calculation reveals that this tank will lose 40 liters of water in 10 days and almost 120 liters (at least) during a month. For your information, the container shown in the picture can hold 100+ liters of water.

Hint: In order to make sure that both tubes will stay in place, you can either use suckers or (better still) the weights they sell with "air curtains" for aquariums. These weights are not toxic, are manufactured for use in aquariums and will definitely keep your pipe at the bottom. This will also work fine with air tubes and keep the air diffusers in place while you are away. Otherwise, you may see the diffuse floating, especially if you keep fish which love to redecorate their tank.

Feeding : Reduce feeding to the absolute minimum during your absence. I never rely on people feeding my tanks while I am away. They may drop too much food, have dirty hands, drop something in the tank or whatever. You can invest on some automated feeders which give you a good flexibility (up to eight feedings per day at four time points which are set by you). With the exception of fry, one feeding per day is more than enough. Normally I feed my fish at least twice daily and each feeding includes enough food so that even the weaker inhabitants will get something to eat. During my absence, food is sparingly added - once daily. Fish can tolerate a starvation period of 15 days without any problems at all, so, if you plan to leave for 10 days (or less) it is practically better not to feed them at all. Why take the risk ? If you plan to use automated feeders, I would recommend the Eheim model for maximum flexibility. It will allow you to use any kind of food (flakes, poweder, pellets etc.) and set four different feedings per day. Moreover, you can even have two feedings at each time point. Another useful "feeder" is the automated "Liquidoser" manufactured by the same company. Although Eheim sells them for the fertilization of planted tanks this small device works perfectly well for fry raising tanks if you feed liquid foods (like Liquifry).

Hint 1: Whenever you use automated feeders you have to keep in mind that the most commonly reported accident is the feeder falling in the water. This means that all the food will rotten and it is really the worst possible scenario. Always check that the food compartment is not too heavy (which may force the feeder in the water) and that it rotates freely. I highly recommend placing all the feeders in place at least one week before you leave (so you will know which feeder doesn't work properly) and always install fresh batteries (preferably alkaline ones) before you use them. It is preferable to use your own separate supports for them, taking into account the flow of the water. The food will have to stay in the water for some time and be evenly distributed in the tank water. By using styrofoam pieces (see photos below) you can put your feeders at the best possible place.

Hint 2: When you use powder (for feeding fry) you have to place the feeder with a slight slope so that the powder is forced to stay at the front part of the compartment where the feeding hole is. Otherwise, the powder will get to the back of the compartment and the food will stay there. Unlike adult fish, fry will not survive for long without food. You can use a folded paper placed under the back of the feeder to create the necessary slope.

Timers : Timers will help your system components run smoothly and be turned on and off when they should, even if you are not there. I heavily rely on them anyway but during my absence this is extended to cover almost everything, with the exception of filters. They are easy to plug in, relatively cheap and you can use them all the time. They are particularly useful for light fixtures, UV sterilization, air pumps etc.

Hint 1 Automated feeders are powered by batteries while timers are powered by normal A/C outlets. This means that in case of a power failure, the automated feeders will keep their scheduled feeding times while the rest of the system will be "delayed". Since you wouldn't like your feeder to drop the food in the tank while the lights are still off, it is better to arrange feeding time 7-8 hours after the lights are supposed to go on.

Hint 2 You should arrange your timers in such a way that lights are on when you come back from your vacations so you can easily check all your tanks upon your arrival. This is particularly useful when your arrival is late at night when the lights would normally be off. Your fish will have got used to your absence and will already be a little stressed by your sudden arrival. Turning the lights on while they are asleep will greatly increase their stress. I normally add three hours to my estimated time of arrival and set my timers accordingly.

UPS units : If you can afford them, get yourself one unit / tank. Just plug your filter on it and nothing else. Filters consume very little power so they will not drain the battery very soon. I have seen a medium size UPS running two external filters for almost two hours. In most cases, this is more than enough. They will recharge very quickly which makes them very practical in case of repeated power shortcuts. Unless you get a really powerful unit do not plug your light fixtures or heaters on it. It is definitely not a cheap solution but it makes me feel better so I use them in almost all my tanks. It should be noted that UPS will last approximately for 2 years after which time you have to replace the batteries. They are also heavy and produce heat.

Finally, you need luck. In all my years of fish keeping I have come across many good and bad moments. In some cases, I faced losses although I had done whatever was humanly possible to avoid them. On the other hand, taking precautions and making some preparations ensures that under normal circumstances your fish will wait for you happily and losses (if any) will be kept to a minimum. I have met many hobbyists who have come back from their vacations only to face complete disaster. I think that their fishes deserved better than that.