Vacation Tips for Your Tank

[NaH2O]

The weather is getting warmer and soon it will be time for vacations and weekend getaways. I want to know:

What you do with your tank, while you are away?

Do you have a tank sitter? If so, what instructions do you leave? Do you set aside the right amount to feed (if you allow them to feed)? What about evaporation water...is it premeasured? Perhaps you leave your tank without any worry at all?

I'll start the tips off.....

Always leave at least one phone number to where you are going to be.

 

[Desolas]

I plan my trips according to my evaporation. I fill my sump more than I normally do (taking into account the salinity change) and then I put a 5g top off bottle outside of the stand that automatically keeps the water up. It gives me about a 12 gallon evaporation buffer which takes about 8 days for the tank to go through.

To geek it up a bit I also have a web cam setup that I can view through my cell phone and usually once a day or so I check on my tank through my phone. Mostly I'm just looking to see if the carpet in front of the tank is dark from flooding.

I don't feed, but if available I will have a friend drop by half way through the week and make sure everything is else is okay.

 

[Montanarocknreefer]

Vacation? Is this a new word in the English language!

Well if I am gone for a couple of days(heaven forbid) I threaten my son within an inch of his life if anything goes wrong with my tank. Is this a good tip!

Maybe that is why he has not offered to babysit the tank or we have not gone anywhere!

 

[mattseattle]

i don't think Dr. Phil would agree with that tank tip

 

[NaH2O]

LOL, Matt

To geek it up a bit I also have a web cam setup that I can view through my cell phone and usually once a day or so I check on my tank through my phone. Mostly I'm just looking to see if the carpet in front of the tank is dark from flooding.

I think that is a great idea, then again, I get into geeky stuff...all the years as a mathlete (yes, it is true) ...."Hey, has anyone seen my calculator watch?" Too bad I'm lousy with computers

 

[Katchupoy]

I am getting ready to have a 14 day vacation. And I also need anybody's tips.

I recently purchase a used peristaltic doser so I can accomodate the fresh water/kalkwasser drip to my tank. So this will take care of my evap. $40.00

I also purchase an automatic feeder (flake food) at Walmart. $10.00

I'm going to rewire my close loop and heater on my maintank to be connected to a UPS so it can still run for at least 24 hours without power.

The return pump is not a priority to be connected but make sure that you have another heater on the sump. This will keep the temp on the sump at bay. So that when power goes back then you dont have any sudden change in temp.

What else?

 

[Scooterman]

Just add water! Well. I will have a guy come over once a day to look things over and maybe add a little water, I have a 14 day feeder, maybe I'll get another with a battery. I'm thinking when I go, if the main pumps go out, I still will have the Tunze on another circuit for circulation. I may try and add some sort of top off with tubs etc to hold me over while we are gone this summer. On the way out I will say a quick prayer & hope the tank can make it a week!

 

[iamjosh]

I have a roommate that keeps an eye on things for the most part though for longer trips or when he is gone I think I'll have another friend who knows saltwater stop by daily, Any Ideas for hooking up an automatic feeder to an acrylic tank with a closed tank (Sea Clear System 2 Tank)

Thanks,
-josh

 

[Curtswearing]

Great tips.

Here's a pretty good article from GregT

http://www.saltyzoo.com/OutOfTown.html

 

[Alice]

I used to have an excellent tank sitter. She lived just down the street and loved to come down, take care of the tank, and get away from her kids for awhile.

The first time though we went away and left the tank, I had her come down several times and go through the routine. The tank was not at all "geeked out" other than timers for the lights and a wavestrip so I had a line on the sump for evap, jugs of water clearly marked "Fresh" and "Salt" with detailed instructions on how to do a water change and why. She knew to check the pump/PH to make sure they were all running, when the lights turned off and on, and anything she might need was clearly labeled with the what to use it for, when and how much.

Feedings were portioned out and I hid all the rest of the food, just in case the fish looked like they were "starving."

She also had all of my intinerary, with phone numbers, the phone number of the LFS and the URL where my reefing buddies hang out.

I left way more instructions for the tanksitter then I ever did for the babysitter. LOL