PlanetCatfish.com

Hello,

I will be out of the country next month for 19 days, just trying to get some ideas to keep my fish alive during that time. I currently have six 40 breeders with different L numbers. During my absence, I will have my niece come over to feed my fish every 5-6 days with dry food individually portioned out. However, no water changes will be performed during that time. I have also acquired some AquaClear filters in addition to the sponge filters currently in the tanks to help with keeping the water clean. Any other ideas or tips to keep my fishies alive?

19 days is a very short time. I would not feed them at all since you are not doing water changes. If anything, just lower the water temperatures a bit and leave them be. Less food, less waste produced. In 2019 I had a work contract which required that I be out of the country for 3 weeks at a time and all I did was ask my wife to top up the tanks with water if they got too low. No feeding at all. When I returned, I did incrementally bigger water changes and starting feeding again. Didn't have any significant losses (lost a few tetras).

Entirely agree with 2wheelsx2, folks feeding your fish are more likely to cause issues than if fish are left alone. Someone to check filters are running and add water is all you need for 19 days.

Enjoy the vacation!

Jools

Thank you for your replies, I did not know that they can go without food for that long. But then again, I have just began keeping Plecos, definitely a lot to learn still. I have kept African cichlids, flowerhorns and guppies before. Every time I went on vacations, I would come home with some dead fish

All my tanks have lids, so evaporation is at a minimum, so at least I won't have to worry about that part of it. Fingers crossed that no casualties when I come back, them Plecos are pricey, sigh.

The other temptation to avoid is a big feed or maintenance day before you go. By all means do this, but do it 48 hours or more before you go so you can spot anything wrong before you leave.

Jools

Once I changed water, nothing special iI do that more often, and the amount was also normal.

But what was not normal was, that an hour later half my headstanders - 3 of the 7 Laemolyta taeniata and 5 of the 9 Abramites hypselonotus started tolling in the tank. I lost them all

Had I been away, this woulkd have led to the dead of all the fishes in the tank, I'n certain of that.

So yes, do change water, but not on the last day

Just agreeing with everything above. I have left my tanks for up to 3 weeks several times without any issues. I'll also emphasize that you do your water changes 48 hours before departing. Never the day or day before leaving. Fish "baby sitters" are well intentioned, but your better off leaving the fish alone if you will be gone less than a month. Last of all, don't come home and do large water changes if that is your normal habit. Instead do a 25% change and follow it up 2-3 days later with a second 25% change to get yourself back on your normal schedule.
-Shane

Got it, I was planning to do a big water change the day before, but I will do it two days prior instead. Good info on the water change upon my return, I will change only 25% instead of my normal 50 %.

All great advices, thank you all!