Going on a trip please help..

lessthanlethal

lessthanlethal

Member
Hello everyone,
Okay I am going on a trip for 10 days to Puerto Rico. Dont know what to do with my 90gal my worry is evap. and feeding them. I was thinking of getting a self feeder. can I keep the lights off for that long? Im worried about my tank Its 7months old. Please help.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by EGILL
http:///forum/post/3097731
Auto top off for the water will work.

Not for nealy 2 weeks it won't...you need a tank sitter to feed and keep a watch to call you if something goes wrong...as for lights I use a a timer even when I am home. The lights are on at a certian time and then off the same, every day.
 
xcali1985

xcali1985

Active Member
A few suggestions would be to lower your salinity that way if your water does evap your closer to 1.022 and it can rise to 1.025 or so if the water evaps. Get a Top off and a fresh tash can with R/O water not saltwater.
How much does your tank evap a day, feeding isn't you biggest worry at least I wouldnt think. They will live for quite a will without food. My main worry would be the evap, if possible put plastic wrap over your tank top where possible. and shorten your light cycle a few hours. Timmers are 10$ each and they sell a power strip that is digitally programmable that can server the same purpose.
Feed good before you leave, for instance feed 1.5 times as much as normal as long as they are eating it. and feed 2x normal the day you leave.
Again the evap is the main problem and the better you can cover your tank the less evap you will have also realize that your tank temp will probably increase so putting a fan blowing on even the glass can help. Setting your room temp to like 78 is even better. It wont run all day since no one will be going in and out the house.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
Where do you live?? do you have a local reef club?? ask at your lfs if they or if they know anyone that will check on your tank. dont you have a friend that would come over and add water to your tank??
T
 
pleasants9

pleasants9

Member
I left my tank alone for a month when i had to go to hawaii. I set my lights on a much shorter timing schedule to keep any random algea growth down, my tank loses about a gallon a week, but before i left i filled my sump as I as I could without it flowing over any rims IF THE PUMP SHUT OFF, not with pump running. Then I had a friend come over every 4 days and left a few gallon milk jugs next to the tank so she could pour one in everytime she came over and she dropped in a little food. If you are gone 10 days they can survive that long without food. All you need to worry about it is thelighting schedule and that someone has a key to your house to check on the tank like on the 5th day or something
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
If the covered tank does the greenhous effect, there is nobody there to keep a watch....you will need to have someone come in and check at least every other day, and feed the fish. Over feeding will not help and will cause problems with algae and cyano.
Covering the tank with glass, NOT PLASTIC WRAP! will almost eliminate the evaporation and the tub or plastic garbage can with auto top off will work for 10 days. You will need 2 fans..1 to blow air over the lights and cover and 1 to draw hot air away from the tank. However to leave a tank unattended at all for 10 days is risking everyting in it.
When fish get hungry they will eat each other.
 
bulldog123

bulldog123

Member
Dont be cheap!!!
If you can afford the trip pay a responsible kid to take care of it. You can survive with out food for seven days but do you want to. Offer up a little cash and you can find someone. Dont wait until the day you leave before you train them. Give them a few times with yourself doing the tasks. It seems simple to us be it is confusing to someone new. I tell you this because my house setter tried to feed my blood shrimp to the anemone
.
 
lessthanlethal

lessthanlethal

Member
Bulldog123,
Anyone in this hobby knows it is not cheap!! So be nice! I wanted a feel for what people do in this situation, I am new to keeping a tank and did not know what to do. this board is here for help so that is what I was looking for. I love my tank and critters in it and want to do the best thing I can do for them.
 
bulldog123

bulldog123

Member
I started in Dec. I dont know much either. Not trying to be mean just saying that as much time and money that goes into this you dont want to ruin it.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
I asked this earlier and didnt get an answer. Maybe you live close to someone here, or your lfs has a maintaince service. A lot of them do.
T
 
mpkev31b

mpkev31b

New Member
i dont think 10 days will evap to much water in your tank. i know it doesnt in mine atleast.
also get timer there really cheap you can buy them at any lfs or even petsmart or home depot or lowes and you wont have to worrie about the lights.
not do sure on the auto feeder, mabye a nice option if noone else is alvail to look after the tank.
what kind of fish /corals do you have?
 
tank a holic

tank a holic

Active Member
hard too believe noone can feed once every other day for you but if there aint there aint
my tank loses about 1 gallon a day i think 10 gallons would be a big swing in sg the good thing is it would be a gradual swing and maybe not stress too much
as for the auto feeded, never used one, how do you make sure it doesn't over feed? ........
im thinkin possible major ammonia hazard

%%
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
Just set up a 10 day contract or whatever with your LFS. Most accomplished aquarium stores do tank maintenance. If you cant then look on CL, there are professionals who post want adds all the time. One local guy hear has a truck that hauls 1,000 gallons of RO-DI water as well as a full compliment of gear and equipment. He specializes in people who need maintenance while on vacation.
 
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