Everyone deserves a vacation, but you must keep your koi fish happy and healthy while you are away. Luckily, koi are easy pets to care for passively, and you likely won’t need to hire a sitter. If you prepare a vacation fish feeder and a few tweaks to keep them safe, your finned friends will be fine when you return.
How to Feed Fish While on Vacation
Fish can go without food for quite a while—up to two weeks in summer and all season during the cold winter. In fact, it is best not to feed your fish at all while they hibernate over winter. Still, you might not want to hinder their growth by withholding meals during their peak growing season during the warmer months.
You can simplify mealtimes while you are away by using the KoiGrower automatic fish feeder. This solar-powered and timed feeder for fish enables you to provide up to six daily feeding sessions customized for your fish population. The automatic fish food dispenser can hold five pounds of pelleted food and operates for three months on a single charge or indefinitely if placed in an area that receives sunlight exposure.
The KoiGrower makes feeding fish while on vacation a breeze and is also ideal for everyday use. Koi prefer small, frequent meals for optimal growth and vibrance, which the KoiGrower provides. You can take advantage of this convenience to bolster koi development, but ensure it dispenses only what your fish population can devour within five minutes to maintain water clarity.
Are you only leaving for a few days and not yet ready to install an automatic fish feeder? If so, slow-release TetraPond Vacation Fish Food is a simple weekend fish feeder solution for occasional, short trips.
Maintaining a Balanced Koi Pond
If you are planning a trip longer than an extended weekend, you should take measures to ensure water quality throughout your absence. Inspect and service your filtration system and pumps before you go, and top off beneficial bacteria so they can keep the water clean and clear. One application of CrystalClear PondShock provides 30 days of bacterial cleansing for ponds up to 2,500 gallons.
Protecting Koi From Predators
Nothing is more devastating to a hobbyist than returning to an empty pond that was once swimming with a healthy fish population. Humans are the ultimate apex predators, and your daily pondside visits do a lot to keep koi predators away. If you are on vacation, raccoons, herons, and other opportunists may treat your pond like a buffet. You can keep fish safe from afar by installing critical predator control options like decoys and nets to deter them from feasting on your fish.
More Koi Care Tips
Do you have additional questions about how to keep your koi fish safe and well-fed on vacation? Don’t hesitate to contact us online or call 866-POND-HELP to connect with a pond expert who can offer personalized advice for your pond.
Read more koi care tips in the following related articles:
Last Updated: June 5, 2025