What do you do (tank wise) while on vacation?

[y-not]

In a few weeks, we'll be headed off to FL for vacation.
This just so happens to be the 1 year anniversary of our getting into saltwater. Coincidence? Nope. Not really. My son (9 at the time) discovered snorkling and well...a year later we have 4 saltwater tanks.

So, here's the question, I'm sure it's been addressed but just as each tank is different, this question might be as well.

Tanks:

<ol>
<li>BioCube 29 with 2 clowns, 1 Watchman Goby, 1 Cardinal, 1 Firefish, 1 spotted Mandarin.</li>
<li>Frag tank (in the making) with nothing in it. It\'ll be fully cycled by the time we get back so it\'s really not part of the question.</li>
<li>4 gallon tank with a Mantis Shrimp.</li>
<li>The main tank is a RedSea Max 250 (66 gallon) with...2 clowns, 1 watchman, 1 Fire Hawk, 1 Blue/Green Mandarin, 1 Royal Gramma, 1 Bi-Color Blenny, 1 Sand Sifter, 1 Red Serpent, 1 Fighting Conch, 3, Emerald crabs, 1 Fire Shrimp, 1 Clam, 1 Tube Anemone, various Mushrooms, Green Star, Blastos, Birds Nest, a big fat Aussie Elegance, Red & Green War Coral, some other War Coral, Button Polyps, various Zoanthids, some sort of Acropora, Duncan, a softball sized Candy Cane colony, Sun Coral and a few others that I do not know what they are called or have forgotten about.</li>
</ol>
Nothing new has been added to any of the tanks in over a month. They are the definition of stable. About the only reason I do water changes is for the trace elements and just to keep the routine of monitoring the tanks.


The RSM has a full Apex controller and ATO. The others are stand alone, monitor by sight & sound. Except for the BioCube. It has a lighting timer on it. All get tested weekly just before water change day.



It's the RSM that we have the real $$ in. So of course, it's the one that I'm financially concerned about the most but the BioCube and the Mantis tank belong to my son (now 10 years old) and I would hate for anything to happen to those tanks as well.


As far as what to do while I'm gone, I've heard everything from, change the water the day you leave, feed the tanks and they'll be just for for 7 days, to get a auto feeder and/or have a neighbor feed them (pre-measured amounts of course). The neighbor idea concerns me. The auto feeder, while possible, will not keep the frozen foods that we feel the corals (fish eat it too). Nor will an auto feeder hold the live food for the mantis.


Good grief...what to do, what to do...


What do you all do when you have to leave for a week (or more).

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

I was recently gone for almost 2 weeks. I put an 18g tank in as an ATO and that still wasn't enough for that time period (I lose about 1-2 gallons a day through evaporation). I have an auto feeder and 99% of my fish would've been fine with that except for my copper banded butterfly....she will only eat frozen foods. While she probably would've made it if fed right before I left, I decided not to risk it.

I did a 20g water change the night before I left (left at 4am so the day of wasn't practical). Then I had a friend (who has a tank) just do a visual every other day. I do have a webcam on the tank but right before leaving lost connectivity and didn't have time to figure it out (still haven't). Other than those couple of things, my controller took care of the rest.

 

[jdavid]

Best to have a friend who has a tank stop by. Cover their gas and return the favor if they ask! That's what I did.

Edit: Best to have a friend who has a tank stop by. Cover their gas and return the favor if they ask! That's what I did.

 

[y-not]

JDavid;893211 wrote: Best to have a friend who has a tank stop by. Cover their gas and return the favor if they ask! That's what I did.

Edit: Best to have a friend who has a tank stop by. Cover their gas and return the favor if they ask! That's what I did.

Yeah, that would be best but...the only one I know that has a tank (anywhere near me) is pretty young and just started getting involved with saltwater. I'm not sure that he fully understands 99% of what I tell him.

The biggest PITA is having 3 different tanks.
I'm thinking of doing a decent water change, feed everyone just before walking out of the house and hoping for the best. I hate the risk but...if something horrible happens I can only blame myself. If the neighbor's kid screws something up, I might have to shoot him in the foot or something. :wow2:

 

[cutman1975]

I'm in same situation but I'm trying to show gf how to do it all I'm having back operation Sep 5th in north Carolina she really has no idea want I'm saying or telling the only good thing with me is she can send pics and I can explain over phone I guess

 

[y-not]

Yeah, I'm rethinking (over thinking??) this whole thing. I have two other possibilities.
1) Ask my other neighbor to come over, call me when he walks in and I can control the RSM from my cell phone and the others are already set up with push button controls. I can walk him thru the processes.
2) Have someone that I know from a LFS come over and handle it.

I'm leaning toward #2 at this point. If she's willing, it would give me and my wife a great piece of mind knowing that someone that knows saltwater and that we know, will be looking in on our creatures while we are out.

Edit: Perhaps I can use this as a reason to convince my wife that we need a (three) web cams? :shades:

 

[tbub1221]

If it were me (it is I'm going to fl in a few weeks as well ) watch the water levels and determine how much water you loos daily , my Biocube looses 1.5 qt a day with the feeding lid and back lid open and set up a quick DIY for whichever tank/tanks loos the most or if possible all , I'm using a new 5g paint bucket with snap lid , and I'll keep my lids shut maybe only run one light to keep heat down so it evaporates a bit slower.
The feeder is not nesecery for 7 days , just pre measure 1-2 cups of food and have the neighbor or possibly another local member drop in and feed either once in the middle of the week or every 3 days w/e you prefer.
Remember to hide the fish food , #1 vacation fish killer is the baby sitter because the fish looked hungry.

 

[supermancrv]

Make sure your ato is full and if you don't have one get one I usually get my brother to feed once or twice during the week and tell him not to touch anything else unless he calls and sends me pictures first

 

[saltbubbles]

I would have an experienced reefer friend coral sit my most valued corals in his/her tank. Have read horror stories on equipment going crazy while ppl are on vacation.

 

[silver surfer]

How close are you to a lfs. Might be able to pay for that type of service.

 

[elfloyd]

I travel often... sometimes up to two weeks. I only have one tank. Here are my rules / steps:
1) 48 hours before I leave, my tank goes into moratorium: Don't touch the tank except for:
- Make sure the ATO is full.
- Make sure the feeder is full.
2) I have someone come in and top off the ATO tank every three days. I have containers of RO/DI prepped and setting next to the ATO tank.
3) Rely heavily on the Apex for monitoring and alarms.

 

[fishdude]

<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">Most fish can go seven days without eating; my biggest concern would be evaporation without an ATO on the smaller tanks. The change in SG will not be enough to cause serious problems but if the return pump runs drive for a significant period of time you can have all sorts of problems. </span></span>

 

[y-not]

On the RSM, there is an ATO as well as a chiller. Between the chiller and the closed top, it will consume about 5 gallons every other week. There's a 5 gallon container. Now worries about water top off on that one.

The BioCube has a cover as well. It'll consume about 3 gallons a week. The Mantis tank uses about a quart a week.

I was discussing the possible options with my wife and she reminded me that my exterminator's (reef/fish guy) wife does this sort of things for a living as well.

Perhaps she can drop in and do a quick water top off & feeding one day while we are gone.