Leaving town for week what do I need to do?

rayn · 05/03/2010, 03:21 PM

Well work is sending me out of town for a week to week and a half. I'll be home on the weedend, but not during the week that I know of. My wife will be at home, but she isn't really schooled on how to take care of everything. Could I just shut down my skimmer for the next four days without harm and she just has to top off and feed fish or should I let it run? I'm working on getting HA and cyano under control and the skimmer pulls green watery goop out so not sure if shutting down is smart or not.

thegrun · 05/03/2010, 03:50 PM

I would let the skimmer run unless the wife absolutely refuses to deal with it (simple thing to maintain really). In the future you should look into an ATO and automatic fish feeder. While I still try to get someone to stay at the house while we are away, I can go 10 days without touching the tank if needed. Put the food in little individual baggies, that takes the guess work out of knowing how much to feed.

JTL · 05/03/2010, 04:45 PM

My biggest fear is equipment failure and no one knowing what to do.

Shane Hoffman · 05/03/2010, 04:46 PM

I would clean the skimmer the night before you leave and let it run. If she doesnt regularly feed the fish I would also do as mentioned above and divide the food up before you leave. When I have a tank sitter I use those little plastic shot glasses made for the bathroom. I fill them up then stack them. Very simple. Also be sure she know to top off with fresh water. Maybe giver her a once over or leave a list of what to do in case of an overflow.

BloodyWelsh · 05/03/2010, 05:55 PM

If you are worried about equipment failure, I would contact a good Aquarium Maintenance service and maybe give them a heads up that you are leaving and you may be giving them a call during that week. Good help may be expensive but it really could save you tons a money if you have a system crash.

rayn · 05/03/2010, 07:18 PM

I hope not to have any failure. I showed her tonight how to fill water and I have the frozen cubes cut up for her and how to defrost them. ONly four days, what could happen?

Already cleaned the skimmer and did water change tonight so should be good. Thanks

Lannyrx7 · 05/03/2010, 10:36 PM

4 days.. other than the possible equipment failure. You'd really only need to worry about top offs and fish food. Run dry skim and call it a day or 4.

And really.. in 4 days even without the top offs and fish food couldn't hurt that much if it's a big system with lots of established LR and doesn't evaporate 5 gals a day.

05/03/2010, 03:21 PM	#1
rayn Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pekin, Il Posts: 2,864	Leaving town for week what do I need to do? Well work is sending me out of town for a week to week and a half. I'll be home on the weedend, but not during the week that I know of. My wife will be at home, but she isn't really schooled on how to take care of everything. Could I just shut down my skimmer for the next four days without harm and she just has to top off and feed fish or should I let it run? I'm working on getting HA and cyano under control and the skimmer pulls green watery goop out so not sure if shutting down is smart or not.

05/03/2010, 04:45 PM	#3
JTL Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Venice Island, FL Posts: 2,532	My biggest fear is equipment failure and no one knowing what to do. __________________ John 100 gallon DT and 50 gallon sump with refugium. Reefbreeders Photon V2+.

05/03/2010, 04:46 PM	#4
Shane Hoffman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 45 mins from Chicago Posts: 2,009	I would clean the skimmer the night before you leave and let it run. If she doesnt regularly feed the fish I would also do as mentioned above and divide the food up before you leave. When I have a tank sitter I use those little plastic shot glasses made for the bathroom. I fill them up then stack them. Very simple. Also be sure she know to top off with fresh water. Maybe giver her a once over or leave a list of what to do in case of an overflow. __________________ A wise man once said "Never play leap frog with a unicorn" Current Tank Info: 150 gallon glass with 20 gallon sump, 175lbs of coraline covered live rock, EuroReef skimmer rated for 250gal, 25watt Aqua UV sterilizer, Fluval FX5, Hamilton 3x250watt MH, 160 watt Blue actinic....Mixed reef

05/03/2010, 05:55 PM	#5
BloodyWelsh Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Lancaster, PA Posts: 55	If you are worried about equipment failure, I would contact a good Aquarium Maintenance service and maybe give them a heads up that you are leaving and you may be giving them a call during that week. Good help may be expensive but it really could save you tons a money if you have a system crash. __________________ If you're not living life on the edge, then you are taking up too much space! Current Tank Info: 55 gallon frag tank

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05/03/2010, 03:50 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I would let the skimmer run unless the wife absolutely refuses to deal with it (simple thing to maintain really). In the future you should look into an ATO and automatic fish feeder. While I still try to get someone to stay at the house while we are away, I can go 10 days without touching the tank if needed. Put the food in little individual baggies, that takes the guess work out of knowing how much to feed.

05/03/2010, 07:18 PM	#6
rayn Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pekin, Il Posts: 2,864	I hope not to have any failure. I showed her tonight how to fill water and I have the frozen cubes cut up for her and how to defrost them. ONly four days, what could happen? Already cleaned the skimmer and did water change tonight so should be good. Thanks

05/03/2010, 10:36 PM	#7
Lannyrx7 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Omaha,NE Posts: 96	4 days.. other than the possible equipment failure. You'd really only need to worry about top offs and fish food. Run dry skim and call it a day or 4. And really.. in 4 days even without the top offs and fish food couldn't hurt that much if it's a big system with lots of established LR and doesn't evaporate 5 gals a day.