Going on Vacation

[Adamw327]

A friend asked me up for drinking at his house and offered his couch to crash on. My response? "I dont want to leave my tank alone for that long!"

Then it occured to me, how the hell do you guys/gals go out of town?

Does a reef tank also mean you can't ever leave town again?

I know there is lighting and feeding automation, but i still could not imagine leaving for 3+ days without being home to make sure nothing is happening

My only thought is training someone on how to take care of it, but i am talking to my family constantly about all the amazing things i am learning about reefs and chemistry and such and they look at me like im speaking gibberish, so how can i trust someone i know to take care of it when i still dont even trust myself and learn something new almost everyday!

[rachelcb80]

I often go out of town for three to four days at a time. It's a gamble but I have everything automated so aside from feeding the tank runs itself. Not to say something bad couldn't happen but I can't stay home for the rest of my life to constantly watch my tank. I would trust automation more than a non-aquarium keeping family member.

[Adamw327]

Well I honestly think i COULD sit at home for the rest of my life just staring at my tank... But my wife feels otherwise =]

I suppose a good mixture of automation and a family member to come "check on things" would be nice. I think i would lock up any chemicals or fish food tho, and if they do call with something wrong, there is nothing they will be able to do about it anyway

[anbosu]

The only serious problem I've ever had leaving my tanks is when I had a prolonged power failure one year when I flew back to Ohio for Christmas. I came back to my two large, very dead eels stinking up the condo.

[thegrun]

I have my tank set up for a two week vacation, but i have someone check in at the one week mark.

[Adamw327]

I feel like i would come home to a brown or dead tank, even though matienence is minimal and i have had no problems so far what-so-ever

Do you guys have auto top-offs or do you just let the salinity swing up from the time your gone?

[rachelcb80]

Most definitely have an auto top-off. It's the easiest thing to set up automated. Well maybe lights are a bit easier but it's easy none the less.

An extended power outage would probably be your worst, unforeseeable problem. Thankfully we (south east MS) really only get those during a hurricane, which is known well in advance. Other areas of the country are not so lucky though I realize (like New York in the summer months). A heater sticking or your top-off pump jamming would be two other things that would cause problems if not caught quickly. In all reality there are a thousand things that could go wrong. You set things up to avoid problems as best you can but things can and will happen no matter how careful you are, or how often you're home.

[Adamw327]

Originally Posted by rachelcb80

Most definitely have an auto top-off. It's the easiest thing to set up automated. Well maybe lights are a bit easier but it's easy none the less.

An extended power outage would probably be your worst, unforeseeable problem. Thankfully we (south east MS) really only get those during a hurricane, which is known well in advance. Other areas of the country are not so lucky though I realize (like New York in the summer months). A heater sticking or your top-off pump jamming would be two other things that would cause problems if not caught quickly. In all reality there are a thousand things that could go wrong. You set things up to avoid problems as best you can but things can and will happen no matter how careful you are, or how often you're home.

Which is why i do not think i will ever be able to go on vacation again!

Maybe i will move to a popular reef keeping region, and start a buisness for taking care of tanks while people leave for vacation

[EasyEd77]

I have a pellet feeder and a couple of IP cams the I set up when I go on vacation. I can check my tank on my phone or ipad whenever I get that uneasy feeling. I keep the cabinet door open so I can see the calcium reactor dripping and the skimmer working. You can also see the water level. I put the other camera near by calcium reactor controller. As long as the ph is in line I know it is dosing correctly. They cameras can pan and tilt to so I can also make sure the display looks happy. Have a friend on call just in case, but unless something goes wrong you don't have to bother anyone.

[TheAquatect]

I've left my tanks for 9 days without worry, but I admit I was freaking out about doing it. Here is what I had done:
1. Auto feeder to feed a small amount every day to sustain the fish. Healthy fish can go days without food.
2. Auto top off for water with enough ro for that time. The key here is limit the amount so if something gets crazy, I won't come home to a freshwater tank.
3. Make sure you're set up handles power outages well. I can get small outages for a few minutes on occasion so I am damn sure that when the power goes out, my sump will not overflow. I test this scenario on occasion to give me peace of mind.
4. Run your tank in "away mode" for a week or so before you go so you can have some confidence in the setup.

[Adamw327]

Originally Posted by TheAquatect

4. Run your tank in "away mode" for a week or so before you go so you can have some confidence in the setup.

Very good idea!

[NeilFox]

I just had to work in Myanmar (Burma) for 2 1/2 months. The wife and kids looked after everything. I wanted to quit my job a few times LOL. When I got home everything was fine.

[turtlespd]

I leave for 2-3 months at a time and I get scared every time I leave but I taken every precaution I could think of. Everything is ran off my apex and if that went down my tank wold be done. I have 110g or top off and is topped off using two sets of float switches and two pumps. I run three heaters. I have two automatic feeders, ehiem. I don't change the water. I have a lot of extra parts like a second impeller i put in my skimmer and return pump when I travel and use the old ones when I return. I have an IP camera to see what is happening in my sump and display. I clean everything a week prior to leaving in case some thing stalls or breaks, sometimes thins take time to fail, especially when u just clean them. I have a magus doser andi always swap the heads before I leave. I also increase my ca and alk dosage up 20ml and run my tank at its max, 480 10dkh so in case my my doser can't keep up and that gives me a buffer. I have a 30 g sps tank and I run an swc 160 skimmer cause I travel and it never over flows. I run vortech only cause it has an easy batter option that I love. I use my car battery and bring it inside my house and this sits in case I lose power and that keeps my water moving, normally I have a small 4x5 batter. I also have window fans installed on a timer and extra ones that I run power to the apex and can switch on if I see temps have gone up too high. Also run a 1/10 hp chiller with a house fan on a timer. I also have a 5g reservoir with a maxi jet in it connected to my apex also and if for any reason my top off trips and something is wrong I switch the pump on and this helps reset the switches and its back to the 110 reserve. I now leave my tank days, weeks, months. For the most part I thinking covered but u know reefing anything that can go wrong , can and will go wrong so I keep that in mind. If I come home to a crash, oh well ill buy another.

[turtlespd]

Originally Posted by EasyEd77

I have a pellet feeder and a couple of IP cams the I set up when I go on vacation. I can check my tank on my phone or ipad whenever I get that uneasy feeling. I keep the cabinet door open so I can see the calcium reactor dripping and the skimmer working. You can also see the water level. I put the other camera near by calcium reactor controller. As long as the ph is in line I know it is dosing correctly. They cameras can pan and tilt to so I can also make sure the display looks happy. Have a friend on call just in case, but unless something goes wrong you don't have to bother anyone.

I don't run a calcium reactor for this reason. How do u adjust the effluent when ur away! I'm switching to brs dosers so I can adjust it while I'm away. I ran a reactor for years and any given day I can get a co2 lock or a clog, it's always something on a reactor but if u leave for a week I guess it's ok. My mind frame is in the months category, lol.

[ReeferKimberly]

We have a 9 day family beach reunion every year. I seriously considered not going this year. Our family has gone for over 60 years to the same hotel right on the sand! I have gone every year for 26 years.....but my tank, my BABY! It is the most it has ever been this year. And I have an eel. That is what worried me most. It is not huge though, 65 gallons, so it is not as hard as these huge tanks.

My top is secure and finally the eel can find the food by himself by just dropping in silversides or whatever. The crabs find it first but he will always steal it from them once he finds it. I was so worried about having the neighbor kid have to feed the eel (he has been taking care of our animals since he was 11 with his dad watching, he is now 18 and we have always had a LOT of animals).

I am just leaving a good amount of top off for him as he will come every day and I will mark a line for it. I will clean it first and change carbon. He can feed a cube a day for the fish and feed the eel 3 times during the 9 days. Lights on a timer....barring a bad accident things should be 'ok'. I have a backup generator I will teach him to use in case of power outage though I live in CA in an area with no earth quakes or other natural disasters.

My tank is softie and LPS and only SPS my clown goby from hell won't eat so dosing is not a big issue. Just do some before I go.

I think I might turn off the heater. Any opinions about that? It won't be a huge swing ever, will be keeping the house about 78. I think I would feel better. Oh, and keep it mind it is already 97 degrees here in May and it will be in the 100s when I am gone. I don't think I need a heater. If anything in the summer it would be a chiller but fortunately my lights are not too hot.

[Adamw327]

Originally Posted by turtlespd

I leave for 2-3 months at a time and I get scared every time I leave but I taken every precaution I could think of. Everything is ran off my apex and if that went down my tank wold be done. I have 110g or top off and is topped off using two sets of float switches and two pumps. I run three heaters. I have two automatic feeders, ehiem. I don't change the water. I have a lot of extra parts like a second impeller i put in my skimmer and return pump when I travel and use the old ones when I return. I have an IP camera to see what is happening in my sump and display. I clean everything a week prior to leaving in case some thing stalls or breaks, sometimes thins take time to fail, especially when u just clean them. I have a magus doser andi always swap the heads before I leave. I also increase my ca and alk dosage up 20ml and run my tank at its max, 480 10dkh so in case my my doser can't keep up and that gives me a buffer. I have a 30 g sps tank and I run an swc 160 skimmer cause I travel and it never over flows. I run vortech only cause it has an easy batter option that I love. I use my car battery and bring it inside my house and this sits in case I lose power and that keeps my water moving, normally I have a small 4x5 batter. I also have window fans installed on a timer and extra ones that I run power to the apex and can switch on if I see temps have gone up too high. Also run a 1/10 hp chiller with a house fan on a timer. I also have a 5g reservoir with a maxi jet in it connected to my apex also and if for any reason my top off trips and something is wrong I switch the pump on and this helps reset the switches and its back to the 110 reserve. I now leave my tank days, weeks, months. For the most part I thinking covered but u know reefing anything that can go wrong , can and will go wrong so I keep that in mind. If I come home to a crash, oh well ill buy another.

Wow... can you come to my house and set something up for me!

[hoooop54]

Originally Posted by TheAquatect

4. Run your tank in "away mode" for a week or so before you go so you can have some confidence in the setup.

Great idea!!!

[EasyEd77]

Originally Posted by turtlespd

I don't run a calcium reactor for this reason. How do u adjust the effluent when ur away! I'm switching to brs dosers so I can adjust it while I'm away. I ran a reactor for years and any given day I can get a co2 lock or a clog, it's always something on a reactor but if u leave for a week I guess it's ok. My mind frame is in the months category, lol.

I have a masterflex peristaltic pump running my calcium reactor. It truly is set and forget. I go 5-6 months without having to tinker with my calcium reactor at all.