Tips for Keeping Your Aquarium Fish & Plants Healthy While on Vacation

Planning a trip? Whether you'll be gone a few days or a few weeks, fish and live plants rely on consistent care — but with a bit of planning, your tank can stay healthy until you're back.

Feed Smart, Don't Overfeed

The biggest mistake before a trip is overfeeding "just in case." Uneaten food decays quickly and clouds the water. Use an automatic feeder programmed for small, regular meals, or pre-measure portions if someone else is feeding. Most healthy fish handle 3–5 days without food just fine, and shrimp or scavengers in a planted tank will happily graze on biofilm and algae in the meantime.

Set Lighting on a Timer

Consistency matters for both plants and fish. Use a timer to keep an 8–10 hour light cycle steady, and avoid leaving lights on around the clock — that just invites algae.

Do Light Maintenance Before You Leave

A few days out, change 25–30% of the water, rinse the filter media in tank water (not tap), trim overgrown plants and remove decaying leaves, and top off water levels to offset evaporation. Avoid a major clean or hardscape rearrange right before leaving — the tank needs time to settle after big changes.

Check Equipment

Verify the heater holds a consistent temperature, the filter runs without clogs or rattling, the air pump maintains steady bubbles, and a CO2 system (if you run one) isn't leaking and has enough gas for the trip.

Choose Hardy, Self-Sustaining Plants

Live plants stabilize the tank while you're away by consuming waste and producing oxygen. Slow-growing, low-maintenance options like Anubias Nana 'Pangolino', Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green, Bucephalandra Pink Malawi, and Willow Moss thrive in stable conditions with minimal intervention.

Manage CO2 and Fertilization

Turn CO2 down slightly to reduce pH swings, skip fertilizing for short trips under a week, and use root tabs or slow-release fertilizer for longer ones. Tissue culture plants in particular can go one to two weeks without liquid fertilizer as long as conditions stay stable.

A Good Starting Point

Our Anubias Nana 'Pangolino' is about as low-maintenance as it gets — a good addition before a trip, not just during one.

Keep an Eye on Stability

Sudden changes in light, temperature, or chemistry cause more harm than a few days of underfeeding. Keep the lid closed to limit evaporation, avoid direct sunlight while you're gone, and if you'll be away more than a week, ask someone to check on the tank with clear, simple instructions and pre-portioned food.

Keep Reading

• Why Anubias Melt, Rot and How to Prevent It
• Quieting Your Noisy Aquarium: Tips and Tricks