How to tend for a reef when you can't be home?

reefkeep3r · 11/01/2013, 08:15 AM

Everyone,

I currently have a 29G Biocube that has a CUC and 2 clowns. The cube is stock with the addition of a JBJ ATO, custom temp controller hot/cold, all lighting and PH are on timers, Tunze 9002 and CPR nano reactor running Seagel and a custom poly filter to start the filtration changed weekly. The tank has been running for 6-7 months now with no major problems. Everything has stayed sable and is only getting better as for as stability is concerned. Ammonia, nitrite = 0, Nitrate 2-5, phos 0-.003, PH 7.8-8.2. I dont test for calc, alk or mag yet but plan to start soon and add 1-2 corals to start for a while.

My problem is both me and my wife are pilots for 2 different airlines. I am just starting with the airline so this is becoming a concern now. With both of us working like this, the time we will be at home will consistently be changing. It could go to neither of us home for 5 days, to both being home for 5 days and everything in between. I think my biggest problem is how to manage feeding since the ATO reservoir will keep the tank for over a week.

The plus side is she has no problem getting her hands dirty with the tank. She will even do water changes if she has to.

. We cant afford a controller yet.

What does everybody think is the best way to tackle this.

Thanks

IowaReefer · 11/01/2013, 09:59 AM

Get an automatic feeder and you will be fine. Most tanks will be fine for 5 days without any tinkering.

Rutrag · 11/01/2013, 10:08 AM

+1 to the auto feeder.

I travel a lot with work myself, and recently invested in one for each of my salt tanks. (The four freshwater tanks I don't worry about too much.) I am not gone as much as you are, and there's generally someone home who can call and tel me if something major goes wrong, but my better 2/3rds are not very good about feeding. I have wrasses, and I lost a few due to what I suspect was malnutrition. I got a PetCo branded programable feeder set to feed four times a day at the second lowest setting, and it seems to be keeping everyone fat and healthy. (It was cheap at $20.)

ca1ore · 11/01/2013, 10:11 AM

5 days without feeding is no problem, but if you were to have a few 5 day periods in rapid succession with no opportunity to 'catch up' on feeding, that might - particularly with more active fish. I'd echo an automatic feeder and ahead of trips just feed the fish a bit more heavily.

Ciwyn · 11/01/2013, 10:37 AM

Agreed with everyone. Auto feeder for the 4 or 5 day trips. I'm a pilot as well and live by myself and while my tank is still young (less than 5 months) I don't sweat leaving it for 2-3 days. I am actually about to do just that in a few hours here.

Would highly recommend a controller though when you can afford it though. When I was at recurrent training this summer my tank hit the overheat thresh hold on my controller and had the pumps off for a couple days, aside from a film of algae on the glass everything was ok. I think I finally have port forwarding set up properly on my wifi attachment so now I can even be alerted of that type of thing, and then reset the controller so everything turns back on.

raybyrne67 · 11/01/2013, 11:13 AM

+1 on the auto feeder and controller. My Apex gives me peace of mind when on vacation. If configured correctly you can control the tank anywhere you have a mobile signal.

BossHoggin · 11/01/2013, 11:31 AM

Make sure you test the auto feeder first so it isnt set to dump way too much food or potentially clog. Fish that readily eat flake/pellet foods and are not high metabolism, active, finicky. Often times these characteristics over lap in neat fish i.e. anthias. Resist the urge.

reefkeep3r · 11/04/2013, 08:05 AM

Thanks for the advise everyone. Looks like I will be investing in a auto feeder. I would like to get a controller but that will have to wait. I do have the temp set up on a DYI setup that controllers heater and a fan. So far it seems to be keeping temps +- 1f.

mpfeiffer1 · 11/04/2013, 08:34 AM

I think that it is a good investment to have a service provider or friend that is a reefer help you when you are out of town for 5 days. Yes, i agree that for 5 days - you can make it with a full ATO (depending on size) even without an automatic feeder. However, you really need to have someone check the system as Murphy always hits. For example, a snow storm in Chicago without electricity for even a few hours and you are done without someone firing up your generator. This is just one example of many... even a small dead fish or turbo snail can throw major Ammonium into a 29. You have too much invested both financial and emotionally by now (at least if you are like me) to risk an auto-pilot strategy (pun intended). I am sure there are a ton of reefers in Chicago that will help you and when you are in town- you can help them... Contact your local MAS to get some ideas or names of reliable people. I would rather throw some live rotifers or copapods in before your leave for the fish to hunt and munch. Nothing better than natural foods. Just my 2 cents. Safe flying... +1 on controller as well...

Ciwyn · 11/04/2013, 07:17 PM

Look at it this way. When you're making captain pay and upgrade to a much larger tank the controller you've invested in will transfer over to that tank as well. That may the only piece of equipment that actually does.

Best of luck to you and your wife in your careers and if you're working for a major can you walk me resume in?

ZoeyLovesZoas · 11/04/2013, 09:51 PM

All I know is that if you ask someone to feed your fish for you, you better leave them specific and rigid instructions. Apparently "X pellets a day" isn't clear enough. My neighbor was feeding mine for a week last year and thought the fishies swimming up to check her out meant they were still hungry. The algae growth that resulted from all that over feeding... oh god... oh gawd... I'll try to get an auto feeder next time I go out of town. Gotta be worth the money to save the mess, right?

Aquafred · 11/04/2013, 10:16 PM

Someone to watch over the tank when you're away is high on the list.
The some automation like ATO, automatic feeder, added temperature controllers for redundancy...

11/01/2013, 08:15 AM	#1
reefkeep3r Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 146	How to tend for a reef when you can't be home? Everyone, I currently have a 29G Biocube that has a CUC and 2 clowns. The cube is stock with the addition of a JBJ ATO, custom temp controller hot/cold, all lighting and PH are on timers, Tunze 9002 and CPR nano reactor running Seagel and a custom poly filter to start the filtration changed weekly. The tank has been running for 6-7 months now with no major problems. Everything has stayed sable and is only getting better as for as stability is concerned. Ammonia, nitrite = 0, Nitrate 2-5, phos 0-.003, PH 7.8-8.2. I dont test for calc, alk or mag yet but plan to start soon and add 1-2 corals to start for a while. My problem is both me and my wife are pilots for 2 different airlines. I am just starting with the airline so this is becoming a concern now. With both of us working like this, the time we will be at home will consistently be changing. It could go to neither of us home for 5 days, to both being home for 5 days and everything in between. I think my biggest problem is how to manage feeding since the ATO reservoir will keep the tank for over a week. The plus side is she has no problem getting her hands dirty with the tank. She will even do water changes if she has to. . We cant afford a controller yet. What does everybody think is the best way to tackle this. Thanks

11/01/2013, 09:59 AM	#2
IowaReefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 609	Get an automatic feeder and you will be fine. Most tanks will be fine for 5 days without any tinkering. __________________ Patience! Current Tank Info: 60 gallon cube mixed reef

11/01/2013, 11:13 AM	#6
raybyrne67 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 353	+1 on the auto feeder and controller. My Apex gives me peace of mind when on vacation. If configured correctly you can control the tank anywhere you have a mobile signal. __________________ Ray, Current Tank Info: 75G, Salinity 1.025, Temp 80.5, Ca 430, Alk 9, Mg 1260, mixed reef, Radion XR30w Gen 2 x2, MP10w ES x2,Vertex 130, Eheim 1260 return, Apex, Tunze ATO

11/01/2013, 11:31 AM	#7
BossHoggin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Compton, CA Posts: 198	Make sure you test the auto feeder first so it isnt set to dump way too much food or potentially clog. Fish that readily eat flake/pellet foods and are not high metabolism, active, finicky. Often times these characteristics over lap in neat fish i.e. anthias. Resist the urge. __________________ Josh 60B mixed reef w/ 33G sump/refugium 125G FOWLR w/ Eshopps R_300

11/01/2013, 10:08 AM	#3
Rutrag Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: North Chesterfield, VA Posts: 195	+1 to the auto feeder. I travel a lot with work myself, and recently invested in one for each of my salt tanks. (The four freshwater tanks I don't worry about too much.) I am not gone as much as you are, and there's generally someone home who can call and tel me if something major goes wrong, but my better 2/3rds are not very good about feeding. I have wrasses, and I lost a few due to what I suspect was malnutrition. I got a PetCo branded programable feeder set to feed four times a day at the second lowest setting, and it seems to be keeping everyone fat and healthy. (It was cheap at $20.)

11/01/2013, 10:11 AM	#4
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	5 days without feeding is no problem, but if you were to have a few 5 day periods in rapid succession with no opportunity to 'catch up' on feeding, that might - particularly with more active fish. I'd echo an automatic feeder and ahead of trips just feed the fish a bit more heavily.

11/01/2013, 10:37 AM	#5
Ciwyn Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 118	Agreed with everyone. Auto feeder for the 4 or 5 day trips. I'm a pilot as well and live by myself and while my tank is still young (less than 5 months) I don't sweat leaving it for 2-3 days. I am actually about to do just that in a few hours here. Would highly recommend a controller though when you can afford it though. When I was at recurrent training this summer my tank hit the overheat thresh hold on my controller and had the pumps off for a couple days, aside from a film of algae on the glass everything was ok. I think I finally have port forwarding set up properly on my wifi attachment so now I can even be alerted of that type of thing, and then reset the controller so everything turns back on.

11/04/2013, 08:05 AM	#8
reefkeep3r Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 146	Thanks for the advise everyone. Looks like I will be investing in a auto feeder. I would like to get a controller but that will have to wait. I do have the temp set up on a DYI setup that controllers heater and a fan. So far it seems to be keeping temps +- 1f.

11/04/2013, 08:34 AM	#9
mpfeiffer1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 240	I think that it is a good investment to have a service provider or friend that is a reefer help you when you are out of town for 5 days. Yes, i agree that for 5 days - you can make it with a full ATO (depending on size) even without an automatic feeder. However, you really need to have someone check the system as Murphy always hits. For example, a snow storm in Chicago without electricity for even a few hours and you are done without someone firing up your generator. This is just one example of many... even a small dead fish or turbo snail can throw major Ammonium into a 29. You have too much invested both financial and emotionally by now (at least if you are like me) to risk an auto-pilot strategy (pun intended). I am sure there are a ton of reefers in Chicago that will help you and when you are in town- you can help them... Contact your local MAS to get some ideas or names of reliable people. I would rather throw some live rotifers or copapods in before your leave for the fish to hunt and munch. Nothing better than natural foods. Just my 2 cents. Safe flying... +1 on controller as well...

11/04/2013, 07:17 PM	#10
Ciwyn Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 118	Look at it this way. When you're making captain pay and upgrade to a much larger tank the controller you've invested in will transfer over to that tank as well. That may the only piece of equipment that actually does. Best of luck to you and your wife in your careers and if you're working for a major can you walk me resume in?

11/04/2013, 09:51 PM	#11
ZoeyLovesZoas Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 6	All I know is that if you ask someone to feed your fish for you, you better leave them specific and rigid instructions. Apparently "X pellets a day" isn't clear enough. My neighbor was feeding mine for a week last year and thought the fishies swimming up to check her out meant they were still hungry. The algae growth that resulted from all that over feeding... oh god... oh gawd... I'll try to get an auto feeder next time I go out of town. Gotta be worth the money to save the mess, right?

11/04/2013, 10:16 PM	#12
Aquafred Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 203	Someone to watch over the tank when you're away is high on the list. The some automation like ATO, automatic feeder, added temperature controllers for redundancy...