Vacation

[ThangaMean]

I've 2 Orandas about 4 inches each. I don't know how old are they, but have them for about 6 months. I'm planning to go on vacation. But not sure how long I can be away without changing water. I've 2 connected tanks 29L & 20L with Aquaclear 70&50. Any response is appreciated.

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[Nils]

How long are you going to be gone? I like to do a big water change, 30-50%, if I go on a vacation for more than a week. Since goldfish have a huge bioload, I would just do a big water change if you're going to be gone for more than a week.

 

[ThangaMean]

Any where between 2 to 4 weeks.

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[Nils]

Ok, that's a pretty long time. I would do a 75% PWC on that tank with the goldfish the day you leave (or the day before) and hope for the best. Will you have somebody feeding them? If you do, make sure that they know to only feed a little bit as to not contaminate the water too much. Also, if you have an extra filter lying around, you shuld hook that up on the tank just to be safe.

 

[ThangaMean]

I'm currently working out the plans. I don't have anyone nearby who keeps fish. I'm thinking of moving the 29g to one of my friend's house and ask him to feed couple of pellets every other day. And only top off once right in the middle of my vacation period. I know I can trust the person with feeding. I don't want to trouble him with water change. Do you think that will work out?

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[Coyne]

You'll be ok I think. Some folks manage to justify going longer periods without water changes.
This might be overkill, but here's how I'd do it:
A couple large, back-to-back PWCs a day or two before leaving. I'd want to get the nitrates as close to zero as I could.

Very light feeding. Goldfish store fat to get them through lean times, so I'd think that 2-3 light feeding a week would keep water parameters in check without putting much of a strain on the fish.

A series of smaller water changes when I returned. A dramatic drop in nitrates can sometimes cause problems, believe it or not. Check nitrates when you return to see where you're at. I'm not aware of any hard and fast rules, but if they're over 100ppm then I would limit PWCs to 10-20% every 12-24hrs until they're back down to where you want them.


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[ThangaMean]

Cool Thanks both Nil & Coyne. That is really helpful and encouraging.

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[ESeck]

Another thing to consider doing is to buy some plant that you can float (anacharis, hornwort, etc.). They are cheap and will help keep the nitrates down while you're away.

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[ThangaMean]

Sure thanks Eseck, will check that as well.

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