One of the great things about fish keeping is that fish can be left alone. They don't need walked, they don't require companionship and they don't need to be cleaned every day.

If away from the aquarium for a few days, no special tasks need to be undertaken before you leave other than to ensure that your fish are healthy. Sick fish should be removed, either to a quarantine tank or the great aquarium in the sky as a dead fish may pollute the tank and cause a mass wipe out.

It does no harm not to feed fish for a day or two. In fact this probably benefits the fish by compensating for any overfeeding they may have had. (Refer to the When And How Much To Feed Tropical Fish page). Also bear in mind that in the wild, fish have to hunt out food and in certain seasons food is extremely scarce. Fish do not get two square meals a day. There is no need to "feed up" healthy fish before a vacation. However, if you are away for more than a week, it is wise to undertake the following tasks.

A few days before leaving the aquarium, clean the tank undertaking a slightly larger water change than usual (up to 40%) and and perform any filter maintenance. You may wish to leave any algae growth on this occasion as it will provide an emergency food source if your fish feel peckish.

Obviously fry and small fish need regular frequent meals and should not go for more than one day without feeding however, healthy adults and sub-adults can survive happily if you you are away for a up to a week and you will possibly return to an algae free aquarium if you keep catfish! If you are away for longer periods of time, an automatic feeder can help but holiday blocks that dissolve over a period of time are cheaper and work well. If you decide to use an automatic feeder, run a test before going on holiday to ensure that it is feeding the correct amount at the correct times.

Asking a neighbour or friend to feed the fish is another option if you are away for longer periods but spend some time with them to explain your feeding routine and write down some instructions. Guaranteed, as soon as you have spoken to your friend they will have forgotten half of what you have told them! One way to ensure that a neighbour feeds the correct amount is to wrap a portions of dried food in tinfoil - one serving per package or to ask them to feed the fish wile you are present the week before. Your friend cannot then go wrong.

If you can't trust a friend to look after your fish, then you local aquatic store may be able to help you by taking your stock in to care. These services are not cheap, but then neither is prized display stock.

If lighting is not controlled by a timer, lights should be left off. Fish are largely unaffected by light but plants are. Although plants need light to grow, continual light is more detrimental than too little light for a short period. The aquarium will probably get some natural light from a window and at this point is worth mentioning the intensity of sunlight. If the aquarium is likely to be in direct sunlight, it may overheat. Drawing blinds is the usual solution to this problem when you are at home but remember to do this before you vacate.