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.
Choose your time-away plan to see the key facts. Each one 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.