When on Vacation

[Caribbean Jake]

Ok Guys

Once you have few reef systems running in your house with sumps, power heads, etc. and you decide to go on vacation for a week.  What do you do?  Do you call one of the lfs to provide service?  Do you call a friend and hope he does not drink all the beer in your fridge? Or do you just let it go and wait till you come back?  

 

Honestly, what do you do?  Because we are going Bahamas soon and we need to know.

 

Jacob

]]]hlp

[HowardofNOVA]

Jacob,

It's called asking for help

I went to Florida for a week and had my landlord just feed them once a day and check the water level every 3 or 4 days.

Of course, he didn't check the water and my algae went wild with the salinity skyhigh, but in a week, they survived!

I'd ask either a local trusting neighbor or family member who is close to do the same while your gone.

Generally, from what I've heard, missing a day or two of feeding, not adding additives or forgetting to check water levels for a "Couple" of days won't wreck your tank.

If you haven't already done so, get a timer for the lights!

I never used one of the vacation feeders, which I'm sure will work, but that could work in a pinch.

Make a list for who ever does this for you with emergency numbers of someone who can help in case a main pump goes down, etc. After the hurricane, my system kept going fine after no power for 3 days, but I was there. Let us know if you need help?

Howard

[miller]

i would try to find a club member or someone with reef expierience that could keep an eye on it for you also try to automate things as much as possiblesuch as timers for lights reactors for aditives float switch for top off so that whoi ever you do end up with watching the tank may be able to get away with just adding a little food

[Guest tgallo]

this is when becoming a member of a reef club becomes priceless. I think besides meeting great people that are into the same hobby as myself, i have piece of mind when i take a vacation knowing that  my tanks will be looked after, thanks mike. Hawaii, here i come.

[GaryL]

tony i would gladly frag... oops i mean watch your tank :p

[mutley29]

Ok, which one of you guy's i gotta sleep with tng  to look after mine for 3 weeks at Christmas, coz i gotta go back to the UK and see the Parents (mine and worst of all hers) [tr]

 

]]]hlp  ]]]thx  

 

Anton

[xeon]

(mine and worst of all hers)

 

I hear ya... don't mention that little comment if I ever find my way over to see your tank with the wife... PLEASE.  

 

As far as being out of town, I try to automate everything I can.  I went away once and my water topoff system at the time went kaput.  My neighbor was nice enough to dump enough water to keep the water above a line.  I left him pretty detailed but simple directions.  I have a better system now with 10 gallons or so in reserve.  Other things to think about are items like the overflow for you skimmer or any other items that fall into the potential trouble category.  The biggest item for me was water topoff.    

 

When I'm out of town all I need is for someone to drop in some flake and a piece of Nori every other day or so.  I'll be gone a week at the end of August and I have a house sitter.

[Grav]

4 or 5 days and I just let the tank ride on it's own.  Better to have nothing done than the wrong thing done.  6+ and you gotta have some one check on it, but IMO once every 3 days is fine.  Water top off, feed and filter/skimmer cleaning is all you need.

 

Muttley, you limey Brit with your: " you are running windows 2000, IE....." sign.   You gonna trust us with your tank for 3 weeks? Might not be much left.  

 

Cheers,

 

Phil

 

:rock: :rock:

[tree]

I have been considering this as well.  I am looking at auto topoff methods.  Currently I use the reliable drip method.  But the container I have space for in the house for this is way too small for an extended vacation.  I want to put a storage container of RO/DI water in the garage.  Since this would put it at or below the sump level I would have to pump the water over.  This seems to me that it would require a float switch.  Does anyone have any recommendations?  I have looked at Tunze & Aquasense

[Lee Stearns]

I saw Grav's five gallon top off method- What a sweet easy thing to set up and get you through almost a week if you only evap 1 gallon a day- and it adds kalk as well. I am going to set up something like it--

Xeon- tank sitting for you would be a pleasure if you didn't live about 1.5 hours out in the hinterlands.

Jake- If you really need a hand let me know- I am watching Eddi's tanks now.

[Guest Houshan]

this is when becoming a member of a reef club becomes priceless. I think besides meeting great people that are into the same hobby as myself, i have piece of mind when i take a vacation knowing that  my tanks will be looked after, thanks mike. Hawaii, here i come.

Hey Tony,

 

Where in Hawaii?  I'll be in Maui for 2 weeks in October.

 

- Jose

 

BTW ... I may just call one of you guys for help. :p

[mutley29]

Your welcome anytime Xeon, family included.

[hro

 

Grav, thats ok, i'll buy a fish, bypass quarantine and dump it straight in so as to taint the tank, (sort of like spitting in your own beer) just kidding. ]]]bdwn

Everything is pretty much automated on my reef except the feeding, do they make an auto feeder that keeps the frozen mysis,Brine & Bloodworm frozen until its dropped in???.

 

The FOWLR isn't, doesn't have any fish yet either, so no probs yet.

 

My neighbour keeps Oscars, i might ask him, Xmas is a busy time for all, so asking someone to check on the tank couple times a week is a big undertaking for anyone.

 

Anton [beer2]

[quazi]

I do not let an inexperienced person feed my tanks while I am gone.  Fish and critters can live a long time on the stuff in the tank.  For up to 3 weeks, I think you are better off not have anyone feed them.  Perhaps a club member can come by once week to feed/check and a neighbor can check/add water once a day or 2?

[Grav]

Anton,

 

That is good stuff man.  You know that is where the tradition of a "toast" before drinking comes from.  Prior to taking a drink with the "bad guys" you had just reached a treaty with, everyone would slam their drinks together sloshing all the drinks in the air and into each others glasses.... so nobody would poison the drinks.

[AquariaUSA]

Auto feeders and top offs (battery backups too)

 

Club member that lives near you (and that you trust won't borrow your frags indefinitely)

 

Service Company / LFS (payment & guarantee?)

 

Friends, relatives, neighbors (hopefully they know something about the system)

[Caribbean Jake]

When on vacation: this is a well of knowledge !!

[Guest buffy]

<font color='#000000'>I saw Grav's five gallon top off method- What a sweet easy thing to set up and get you through almost a week if you only evap 1 gallon a day- and it adds kalk as well. I am going to set up something like it--

Xeon- tank sitting for you would be a pleasure if you didn't live about 1.5 hours out in the hinterlands.

Jake- If you really need a hand let me know- I am watching Eddi's tanks now.</font>

6846[/snapback]

Hi! I live in Springfield VA and have a 59gallon tank. Usually when my husband and I leave town for a week or so a neighbor comes in to feed the fish once a day. However, now we need to drive to Texas for 10 days (July 3-13)and our neighbors will be out of town during the same time period. I am trying to find someone who is familiar with salt water aquarium care who lives close. Of course I will pay someone or share some coral frags for a little help. Even though I joined WAMAS two years ago I am sorry to confess I have not ever made the time to become an active member. I am hoping someone will take pity on me and come to my rescue.

Thanks. Buffy Phone # (703)455-1482 Deb/David Buffington

or email me @buffineart@hotmail.com

[Guest Pandora]

I don't understand the distrust with auto feeders? I have an Eheim that works full time very well (when I am home or not) and automate everything (lights, topoff). Only thing that isn't self sufficient is the water changes, but usually that's ok if only a week. The times I returned, tank usually looked none worse for wear except in need of a little water change/supplement duo.

 

I add live food or nori maybe once a week in addition to the auto marine flakes. The setting I have on the Eheim feeder isn't very wide (just a pinch) and it is probably more consistant small feeding than I would be tempted to give, which is good. I certainly trust it more than an inexperienced neighbor (though I'd put lots of trust in a fellow WAMAS member with experience).

[Guest D33rex]

I would do it but i live in manassas, which is a little far. I gave my friend Drew your number who lives a little closer so he should be calling you.

Derek

[scott711]

<font color='#000000'>Hey Tony,

 

Where in Hawaii?

[lmeyer]

To be honest I never worry about it. I feed a little extra before and after and go on my merry way. I do have an auto top off system, so I don't worry about the water level. I have a neighbor's kid check the tank and they will give me a call if a disaster strikes (300 gallons on the floor, that kind of thing). I don't have him so much as feed the tank, I'd prefer to let them fend for themselves for the week. Never yet had a problem while on vacation and I've been doing it this way for nearly a decade.

[Caribbean Jake]

When on vacation... feeding is not as important as keeping the water level and top-off. Fish can fend for themselves for a week, after all is a reef tank and the ecosystem should be established to support their habitat and food supply.

 

make sure you have a top-off system or someone available to replenish RO/DI water.

 

Jacob

[dhoch]

Having a dog (an older one... she's 12 this year) my wife and I decided to go with a dog-sitting service (rather than taking our dog to the kennel) when we go away.

 

The critter sitter also takes care of my tank on her twice daily trips over. (and it's no additional cost over care for the dgog)

 

She feeds and adds additives, etc (allthough I make it simple as possible for her by leaving out amounts to feed in small tupperware containers and addative info).

 

I also have a web cam that I set up when I am away so i can check on relative health of the tank, and if she has problems she can call me and show me whats going on.

 

Dave

[fishface]

I like the idea of the web cam but I haven't set mine up yet, it still sitting in the box. Forget vacations, it must be great to be able to have a look at your tank(s) occasionally from work.

 

FF