Away for 6 weeks preparation

[Shilpan]

Hey guys just needed advice in case you guys have tips,

In a month's time I'll be out of the city for 6 weeks. My family will manage the tank. Here is what I've instructed them:

-feed every day frozen (I've precut the quarter cubes which I feed each day)
-feed alternate day seaweed (precut squares on clip)
-do a waterchange at 3 week mark (normally I do 10% biweekly, but doing it like this so they only have to do once. I've watched my brother do it so I trust him to do it correctly)
-top off rodi water every week as I normally do
-harvest macroalgae at 3 week mark like I normally do
-clean skimmer biweekly as I normally do
-I'll be removing filter sponges I use which I normally clean biweekly to reduce maintence for them

They know how to check salinity, temp, ph, amm and nitrate.

Any other things you guys know from experience I need to tell my tank sitters? Any advice? I only have 3 soft corals so no dosing worries

 

[lmforbis]

I made my husband actually do the chores for a few days before I left on a dive trip with my sister last year. He did ok but I got a lot of emails (no phone where I was). He sent pics with his questions. Things weren't perfect when I returned but everything was alive. He did manage to get RO water everywhere one day while topping off the ato.

 

[2quills]

6 weeks? Good luck lol.

Last time I entrusted my tank to a buddy a came home to find a spot fin butterfly in my 55g reef that conveniently was caught in a channel near by and he thought he would make a nice addition to my tank.

No quarantine, no preventative dips or treatments. Just right from the ocean, into a bait bucket and then into my tank.

Freshwater rookies, go figure lol.

 

[Shilpan]

Oh my hahaha...

Well I shall see what happens then. I've had them looking after it for the past 2 weeks as a test and it seems ok, definitely can't let dad feed them though, he tells me the fish keep begging him for food so he has to feed them...

 

[jay0705]

Lol ha ha , i had a $50 dollar wrasse jump out while i was at work. The kids where home. Called mom " the fish is flopping on the floor" what fish? " the new orange one" pick it up and put it back. "Iam not touching it!!!" PICK IT UP!!!!!!!! do u know how much he paid for that thing!!!!. Needless to say i got home to him scared but alive lol.
Detailed lists, and a good walk thru your process

 

[Shilpan]

Hahahahaha

 

[florida joe]

Saying is one think showing is another invite them over with time to spare before you leave and give them hands on experience. Tell them if they feel they need to medicate CALL you first and then follow your instructions to the letter. AND double check the dosage they are administering, hopefully you have a LFS you trust or someone in the area knowledgeable and have their phone number readily available for an emergence

 

[Shilpan]

Thanks Joe! Actually good point I should get my hospital tank up and running just in case they need to emergency Transfer for some reason

 

[florida joe]

Saying is one think showing is another invite them over with time to spare before you leave and give them hands on experience. Tell them if they feel they need to medicate CALL you first and then follow your instructions to the letter. AND double check the dosage they are administering, hopefully you have a LFS you trust or someone in the area knowledgeable and have their phone number readily available for an emergence

I added some more things i feel you need to consider

 

[jay0705]

+1

 

[Shilpan]

Thanks team!
I appreciate all the advice