CStrickland
New member
Hey all,
I'm gearing up for a summer internship, so I will be away from my tank for about 2 1/2 months. My husband has promised to really do his best to keep up the husbandry
while I'm gone, but I not sure how to best support him?
My tank is a 55g with a chalk bass, some chromises (chromii?), a Randall's pistol and next week a yellow watchman. I might add a blenny, I didn't think all the chromii would survive the trip but saltwaterfish.com seems to have bucked the chromii reputation as fragile fish so I think I'll hold off on additions as long as they hold off on fratricide. I tried a torch coral but it brown jellied, I think it got banged up shipping so I'm gonna iodine the next one. I don't have a good lfs or reef club so I'm at the mercy of UPS.
It's 6 months old, but the first couple was the same rock in a little tank with a big sump, then I switched to the current one. I've been lucky so far with algae, just a few tufts of a soft kind that I can suck off the rock with a baster (like a golf ball size clump each week) and some hardier stuff that only grows right in front of the power heads. I got about 2/3 of my sand (2") from a beach, thats when I got some green but I don't mind it. Some diatoms still, but my snails are keeping it in check.
I made a C2C and a eshopps-style overflow, but I just run a filter sock in a 5g bucket right now. I was planning for more, and have plenty of room in the stand for whatev. I just haven't expanded cause things seem ok, I figured by now I would be needing at least a skimmer. I made a cool ato that I had on the little tank, but because I only run the overflow when I'm home so the sock isn't nitrating everything up, it's just been easier to add a gallon everyday when I turn it on.
Wow, that's a lot of info :wildone: I guess that'll do. Let me know if there's anything else that's important. I'm mostly wondering if a few easy corals would make the tank more interesting to hubs so he takes better care; and if I should add equipment to make it easy, or KISS and just disconnect the overflow until I get back. I asked him what he preferred but he didn't know what to say and when I tried explaining it his eyes glazed over. I don't want to come home to a disaster, but I want it to be fun for him too.
All advice appreciated!
I'm gearing up for a summer internship, so I will be away from my tank for about 2 1/2 months. My husband has promised to really do his best to keep up the husbandry

My tank is a 55g with a chalk bass, some chromises (chromii?), a Randall's pistol and next week a yellow watchman. I might add a blenny, I didn't think all the chromii would survive the trip but saltwaterfish.com seems to have bucked the chromii reputation as fragile fish so I think I'll hold off on additions as long as they hold off on fratricide. I tried a torch coral but it brown jellied, I think it got banged up shipping so I'm gonna iodine the next one. I don't have a good lfs or reef club so I'm at the mercy of UPS.
It's 6 months old, but the first couple was the same rock in a little tank with a big sump, then I switched to the current one. I've been lucky so far with algae, just a few tufts of a soft kind that I can suck off the rock with a baster (like a golf ball size clump each week) and some hardier stuff that only grows right in front of the power heads. I got about 2/3 of my sand (2") from a beach, thats when I got some green but I don't mind it. Some diatoms still, but my snails are keeping it in check.
I made a C2C and a eshopps-style overflow, but I just run a filter sock in a 5g bucket right now. I was planning for more, and have plenty of room in the stand for whatev. I just haven't expanded cause things seem ok, I figured by now I would be needing at least a skimmer. I made a cool ato that I had on the little tank, but because I only run the overflow when I'm home so the sock isn't nitrating everything up, it's just been easier to add a gallon everyday when I turn it on.
Wow, that's a lot of info :wildone: I guess that'll do. Let me know if there's anything else that's important. I'm mostly wondering if a few easy corals would make the tank more interesting to hubs so he takes better care; and if I should add equipment to make it easy, or KISS and just disconnect the overflow until I get back. I asked him what he preferred but he didn't know what to say and when I tried explaining it his eyes glazed over. I don't want to come home to a disaster, but I want it to be fun for him too.
All advice appreciated!