What do you do when you go on vacation?

[canesfan]

I will be leaving my tank for the first time since I started keeping one. I'm a little nervous! I just did a water change and checked the system over. I will be gone for three days. I programmed my auto feeder to feed small amounts 3 times a day. This has also been tested. I normally don't use it because I like to monitor how much food goes into the tank. I have a Naso Tang, Yellow Tang, Foxface, (4) Chromis, Six Line Wrasse, Yellow Tail Damsel, Pajama Cardinal, Bi-Color Blenny, and two Maroon Clowns in a 180 gallon tank with a 125 Sump/Refugium located in the basement.

Am I just being paranoid?????????

What do you guys and gals do when you go on vacation?

 

[LockeOak]

My fish go a little hungry when I go on vacation, I err on the side of less food. They can forage or just get by on rations until I get back.

 

[ShootMe]

I think the auto feeder is not needed for a vacation of just 3 days. I would make sure the ATO works and maybe hook it up to a timer so it only comes on for a few minutes a day.

 

[BLKTANG]

I have a good friend that has a huge reef babysit.

 

[canesfan]

I was wondering if I should use the auto feeder or not. I have so much flow in the tank with two Vortechs that I get a lot of food down the drain. When I normally feed, I turn off the return and put the Vortech in feed mode. The fish consume everything and I get no waste.

The top off is fed from a 40 gallon Brute that is higer than the sump and the level is controled by a float valve.

 

[greenmonkey51]

If the tangs eat nori clip a sheet on before you leave and let them go hungry. The fish go days and weeks when being imported so a couple days won't hurt. When I left for a vacation a couple years ago, I let my FW tank go the entire week without being fed and I even had someone taking care of other things.

 

[Kryptikhan]

when i left for the first time it was hard not to worry. lol. had family watch the tank and that was nerve racking

 

[Kryptikhan]

when i left for the first time it was hard not to worry. lol. had family watch the tank and that was nerve racking

 

[Mattmcf]

I have a reef tank. What's a vacation???

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Dont do any adjustments right before you leave. Adjusting the skimmer etc.. Try to get them set the weekend before and then dont touch it. I learned that first hand

 

[tsr770]

Vacation?.. You have a reef tank, you can't go on vacation... It's just not allowed.... LOL

 

[canesfan]

You spend so much time and money on this addiction.... I mean hobby that it's hard to leave. I don't know what I'll do when I get to take a full weeks vacation.

I removed the auto feeder and they will get a good dinner just before I leave.

 

[mrrrkva]

I had an x10 set up one time and it worked out ok. But nothing works like someone stopping buy. I had a CHECKlist that they checked off

 

[DawnOctopus]

I went to China last year and had my Mother-in-Law check on the tank... I got back 3 weeks later and everything but the mushrooms were dead

 

[Saiyan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11883103#post11883103 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DawnOctopus
I went to China last year and had my Mother-in-Law check on the tank... I got back 3 weeks later and everything but the mushrooms were dead

That's too bad. What was the cause of the crash? Equipment or husbandry?

 

[Snowboarda42]

Well trained neighbor to feed and dose the tank

 

[onano]

I have neighbors who share our addiction. We watch each others tanks when its vacation time.

 

[lakwriter]

fo three days, I wouldn't worry about feeding or having anyone watch the tank. It'll be fine for that long. I routinely leave mine that long for work and have never had any problems.

 

[DawnOctopus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11883230#post11883230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Saiyan
That's too bad. What was the cause of the crash? Equipment or husbandry?

It was a 12 gallon nano, and the only thing I had for water movement was 1 powerhead. At some time during the 3 weeks the pump to the powehead failed... And she didn't notice... So a little of both

 

[darkcirca]

Put a network camera on the tank and monitor it while your away . Then if something goes wrong, call someone to go fix it. We had our ACJr temp probe fail while we were away before, noticed it due to the camera and had to get someone to reprogram the thing...

I setup an autofeeder and make sure my ato is full before I leave, as I generally go away for 1 week and my tank drops 1/2 gallon at least a day...