Reference
Leaving your aquarium: plans for a weekend, a week or longer
Pick how long you will be away to see what automation can cover, what it cannot, and what to set up and test before you leave.
- A weekend away
- Up to a week away
- One to two weeks away
- Longer than two weeks
- Away where outages are likely
Choose your time-away plan to see the key facts and what fits. Each fact links to its source on the full page.
All time away
- A weekend away A weekend away: why no source gives a safe time without food, the daily checks Merck lists, and what to test before you go.
- Up to a week away Up to a week away: what feeder makers say about capacity, batteries and portions, why no reliability data exists, and the water checks to make first.
- One to two weeks away One to two weeks away: what Fish Mate's 14 meals and 14-day test mean, continuous ammonia monitoring, and why someone should check the tank.
- Longer than two weeks More than two weeks away: a water change falls due, airline and pump diaphragms wear, and feeder capacity is not trip length. What makers and Merck say.
- Away where outages are likely Planning for a power cut while away: battery-backup air pumps and their stated runtimes, check valves against back-siphoning, and unknown smart-plug behavior.