Vacation, Not feed?????

briangg57 · 07/29/2008, 08:12 PM

I'm going on a 5 day camping trip and my auto feeder just feeds twice a day and way too much. I've heard of others that have not fed their fish for five days. I have a 75 gal mixed reef with a six line, yellow tang, yellow tail and talbots damsel, one clown and a royal gramma. What do you guys think????? PS. last year when I let someone take care of the fish, I could tell someone went through draws and snooped around. It wasn't worth losing a friendship over,so I let it go. Very nice people but obviously nosy.

Mariner · 07/29/2008, 08:20 PM

The fish might do OK for 5 days, assuming your reef is healthy and they've been well fed. I'd be worried more about salinity and calcium/alk, unless you have an auto-topoff auto-dosing system.
FWIW,
Mariner

cook · 07/29/2008, 08:21 PM

I have went 2 weeks w/o feeding my clownfish. he is in a 60 gallon reef by himself though. Tons of things for him to eat on his own. Now i rarely feed him more than cyclopeeze. prime reef twice a week.

briangg57 · 07/29/2008, 09:12 PM

I do have a healthy tank with a 20 gal sump which I keep 15 gal. in. I plan to add 4 or 5 gal. more which will allow for evaporation. My sal. will drop to about 1022 but will increase to about 1025 with the evaporation. I will add the 5 gal. slowly over the course of a few days

luvreefs23 · 07/29/2008, 09:19 PM

id get a sitter. someone to at least add water and check fish and feed for a day half way thru yer vacation. I just got back from south carolina and had my mother look after my 90 for 7 days

Macimage · 07/29/2008, 09:30 PM

We pay someone to come in and feed the tank and check the top off whenever we leave.

Joyce

majawestphal · 07/29/2008, 10:07 PM

tank sitter is the way to go.

flyyyguy · 07/29/2008, 10:33 PM

get a tank sitter. once a day you want someone to poke their head in and have somewhat of a clue on what they would do or who they would call should they show up and one of the basic things be awry. they can easily feed the fish a little and top your wter off and basic dosing if necessary

trust me. this happened even with a daily tanksitter......one that I didnt educate well enough about the few vitals that needed to always be in check and what to do should one be off-temp in this case

dont ever take it for granted. I dont wish learnign that the hard way on anyone

crvz · 07/30/2008, 08:04 AM

Agreed, even though my tank is all but automated, I have my sister poke her nose in every day or two when I'm out of town. She likes to feed the tank, so I don't bother with the auto feeder (though I have one), but she also checks for the most critical thing to me... water on the floor.

Granted, my tank is hooked up to the RO/DI setup, so my fear is a bit more elevated than others, but it's nice to get someone to look at what's happening.

phish guy · 07/30/2008, 10:41 AM

ouch flyyyguy, that sucks.

for me, someone does poke their head in to make sure its ok. but i ussually go away for more than 5 days.
lights/fans are on timers, auto-feeder.

smoothlarryhughes · 07/31/2008, 09:55 AM

that is ashame...i go a few days at a time without feeding my fish...but i always have someone there...mainly bc i do not have an auto topoff.

Chef Reef · 07/31/2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by flyyyguy
get a tank sitter. once a day you want someone to poke their head in and have somewhat of a clue on what they would do or who they would call should they show up and one of the basic things be awry. they can easily feed the fish a little and top your wter off and basic dosing if necessary

trust me. this happened even with a daily tanksitter......one that I didnt educate well enough about the few vitals that needed to always be in check and what to do should one be off-temp in this case

dont ever take it for granted. I dont wish learnign that the hard way on anyone

damn i remember that thread. that was sad.

Chef Reef · 07/31/2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by flyyyguy
get a tank sitter. once a day you want someone to poke their head in and have somewhat of a clue on what they would do or who they would call should they show up and one of the basic things be awry. they can easily feed the fish a little and top your wter off and basic dosing if necessary

trust me. this happened even with a daily tanksitter......one that I didnt educate well enough about the few vitals that needed to always be in check and what to do should one be off-temp in this case

dont ever take it for granted. I dont wish learnign that the hard way on anyone

damn i remember that thread. that was sad.

xtm · 07/31/2008, 10:35 AM

So if your autofeeder dumps a lot of food, then maybe you should configure it to only run once a day? Also, for Tangs, I would tie maybe 3 small pcs of nori on a rubble rock (using a rubberband) so the tang can pick on it all day for about 2 days. He can then go on without feeding for the rest of the week.

You can also "gut load" them 3 days before you leave... kinda like a buffet before sailing out to sea.

good luck

nickterp · 07/31/2008, 10:51 AM

Gotta agree with the tank sitter, even if its every other day, or so. It's nice to come back from vacation and the only thing wrong with your tank is too much algae on the glass and a skimmer full of gunk...

07/29/2008, 08:12 PM	#1
briangg57 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 634	Vacation, Not feed????? I'm going on a 5 day camping trip and my auto feeder just feeds twice a day and way too much. I've heard of others that have not fed their fish for five days. I have a 75 gal mixed reef with a six line, yellow tang, yellow tail and talbots damsel, one clown and a royal gramma. What do you guys think????? PS. last year when I let someone take care of the fish, I could tell someone went through draws and snooped around. It wasn't worth losing a friendship over,so I let it go. Very nice people but obviously nosy. __________________ Ain't like goin down to the pond, cetching bluegills and tommy cats. Current Tank Info: 75 gal.,20 gal. sump with wet-dry, also run carbon,75 to 100lbs live rock. 3&1/2 inch sand bed, 390 Watts PC. lighting and loving it!!!

07/29/2008, 08:20 PM	#2
Mariner Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: North Alabama Posts: 3,952	The fish might do OK for 5 days, assuming your reef is healthy and they've been well fed. I'd be worried more about salinity and calcium/alk, unless you have an auto-topoff auto-dosing system. FWIW, Mariner __________________ DESIGN DEMANDS A DESIGNER. ~The perception is that perception is reality, but the reality is that it isn't. Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef; 135g mixed reef

07/29/2008, 09:12 PM	#4
briangg57 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 634	I do have a healthy tank with a 20 gal sump which I keep 15 gal. in. I plan to add 4 or 5 gal. more which will allow for evaporation. My sal. will drop to about 1022 but will increase to about 1025 with the evaporation. I will add the 5 gal. slowly over the course of a few days __________________ Ain't like goin down to the pond, cetching bluegills and tommy cats. Current Tank Info: 75 gal.,20 gal. sump with wet-dry, also run carbon,75 to 100lbs live rock. 3&1/2 inch sand bed, 390 Watts PC. lighting and loving it!!!

07/29/2008, 10:33 PM	#8
flyyyguy King of the white corals Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,239	get a tank sitter. once a day you want someone to poke their head in and have somewhat of a clue on what they would do or who they would call should they show up and one of the basic things be awry. they can easily feed the fish a little and top your wter off and basic dosing if necessary trust me. this happened even with a daily tanksitter......one that I didnt educate well enough about the few vitals that needed to always be in check and what to do should one be off-temp in this case dont ever take it for granted. I dont wish learnign that the hard way on anyone __________________ I like holding hands, snuggling, and long walks on the beach

07/30/2008, 08:04 AM	#9
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 7,989	Agreed, even though my tank is all but automated, I have my sister poke her nose in every day or two when I'm out of town. She likes to feed the tank, so I don't bother with the auto feeder (though I have one), but she also checks for the most critical thing to me... water on the floor. Granted, my tank is hooked up to the RO/DI setup, so my fear is a bit more elevated than others, but it's nice to get someone to look at what's happening. __________________ -Chris- You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?

07/29/2008, 08:21 PM	#3
cook Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Harmony,fl Posts: 1,292	I have went 2 weeks w/o feeding my clownfish. he is in a 60 gallon reef by himself though. Tons of things for him to eat on his own. Now i rarely feed him more than cyclopeeze. prime reef twice a week.

07/29/2008, 09:19 PM	#5
luvreefs23 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 758	id get a sitter. someone to at least add water and check fish and feed for a day half way thru yer vacation. I just got back from south carolina and had my mother look after my 90 for 7 days

07/29/2008, 09:30 PM	#6
Macimage Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Quartz Hill Posts: 4,078	We pay someone to come in and feed the tank and check the top off whenever we leave. Joyce

07/29/2008, 10:07 PM	#7
majawestphal Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 50	tank sitter is the way to go.

07/30/2008, 10:41 AM	#10
phish guy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South NJ Posts: 1,003	ouch flyyyguy, that sucks. for me, someone does poke their head in to make sure its ok. but i ussually go away for more than 5 days. lights/fans are on timers, auto-feeder. __________________ Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people. Current Tank Info: 150 Gallon Reef, Reeftech LEDs ( on their way out for reefbreeder Photons), Reef Octoput NWB250, Custom made Sump/Refufium, Mp40wES, Koralia's. SPS, LPS, Zoas/Palys

07/31/2008, 09:55 AM	#11
smoothlarryhughes Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Perkiomenville, PA Posts: 134	that is ashame...i go a few days at a time without feeding my fish...but i always have someone there...mainly bc i do not have an auto topoff.

07/31/2008, 10:35 AM	#14
xtm Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Panorama City, CA Posts: 4,703	So if your autofeeder dumps a lot of food, then maybe you should configure it to only run once a day? Also, for Tangs, I would tie maybe 3 small pcs of nori on a rubble rock (using a rubberband) so the tang can pick on it all day for about 2 days. He can then go on without feeding for the rest of the week. You can also "gut load" them 3 days before you leave... kinda like a buffet before sailing out to sea. good luck __________________ Function before fashion Current Tank Info: 120g SPS Tank (48x24x24)

07/31/2008, 10:51 AM	#15
nickterp Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 263	Gotta agree with the tank sitter, even if its every other day, or so. It's nice to come back from vacation and the only thing wrong with your tank is too much algae on the glass and a skimmer full of gunk...