My 18 month low maintenance experiment.

aquaman67 · 04/28/2006, 02:47 PM

I've been recalled to active duty (Army) for 18 months. My wife is going to keep my up tanks while I'm gone. I'm flying out Sunday.

I took down my nano cube at work.

So I have a 70 gallon FO and 45 gallon reef for her to take care of.

She'll be able to keep the water level up with a make up water system I made. I got a 26 gallon square Rubber Maid Brute trash can from US Plastics. I had them install a 3/4 bulkhead for me too. It was shipped the same day and I got it in two days.

Rigged up a Kent float switch to my RO/DI. I replaced the RO membrane, prefilter, carbon and DI. All this is on a table in the Master Bathroom. I tapped the cold line for the tub and just have the waste line draining into the tub so she can use the water if she wants to was the dog or water flowers.

All it took to get the ok for this rig in "her" bathroom was a 1/2 carat diamond circle necklace from Zales.

So for the next 18 months my fish will get fed, tanks will get topped off, skimmer cups might emptied if she doesn't breathe too deeply while do it and MAYBE a water change now and then. Hopefully I'll get to come home once or twice but I'm not counting on it. Well, actually if I'm going to hope, I hope they send me back home. But I have a feeling I know exactly where I'll end up and I have a good chance of keeping Camel Spiders instead of fish for a while.....

aquaman67 · 12/12/2006, 07:54 AM

Update;

I get to go home in a few weeks for two weeks R & R.

According to the wife, all is well. There is a small leak in the top off tank I rigged up. I'm not sure from where, but I'm sure it's just a loose fitting somewhere.

As for the tanks, I will do some test to see where levels are. My wife has a web cam now and this weekend I hope to be able see my tanks, especially the reef tank. I wonder how the corals are doing after all these months.

More later...

Luv'reeftank · 12/12/2006, 07:59 AM

good luck

jasper24 · 12/12/2006, 08:00 AM

Keep us posted. Interesting to see.

ChloroPhil · 12/12/2006, 09:31 AM

God Bless and keep alive. Don't forget there are those of us back stateside who are proud to be named Americans because of people like you.

aquaman67 · 01/08/2007, 02:47 PM

I'm home now and I don't get it.

I left my wife the 16 oz bottles of Kent's Tech CB to add while I was gone. I picked them up and most (90%) is still in the bottles. I asked and she said she forgot about that part. Ok, I'll wait until she's at work to test. This should be good. No water changes or anything added except top off water since August, 2006 when I got a four day pass.

I tested my calcium and it was 400 (salifert) the kit is new, expires 06 / 2009.

The Alk was low, at 7 dKH.

Everything looks pretty good. The monti cap has lost some color.

I have no idea why my calcium even measures at all but it's at 400. I tested it twice. And then again after I did a small water change. I'm going to do small (5 gallon) water changes on both tanks until I go back in two weeks.

I guess everything will survive until I get back for good late this summer.

aquaman67 · 08/30/2007, 04:46 PM

I'm home for good now and this is the final update.

I tested the salinity in both tanks. What a miracle. They are both right were I left them, eight months ago when I came home on mid-tour leave.

In the fish only tank, my trigger died about two weeks before I came home. Bummer.

The wife wants new carpet so I have to move both tanks as they are both in the living room. Since the FO tank is almost empty of fish now, I am going to take it down and take it to my wife's office to replace the 29 freshwater tank she has there. The fish in that tank are 10 years old and are the fish I started with. It has two silver dollars and a marble angel in it. They deserve a new home.

As for the reef tank, the Monti cap didn't make it. I have some hair algae, but nothing I can't fix.

The branching hammer and frogspawn look good. The Kenya tree has doubled in size. The toadstools haven't grown much. Which is weird, they used to grow like weeds. The mushrooms are much smaller than they were. The coral banded shrimp and blood shrimp made it. All fish in the reef are accounted for.

I've been doing massive water changes in the reef, the first water changes in eight months. I haven't touched the FO as I'm taking it down and making it freshwater.

So all in all it's not too bad.

I don't recommend only topping off your tank for eight months and I don't recommend going to Iraq...

So that's it then. I might set up the nano-cube as a freshwater tank with neons or something when I get back to work.

ratherbefishin · 08/30/2007, 05:08 PM

first of all, its amazing how much tougher corals, fish, and invertebrates are than we hobbyists want to give them credit. the fact that they pretty much all survived with only top-offs makes me question religious water changing.
more importantly, glad you made it back safely as brave american lives are much more valuable and irreplacable. really puts the devotion to a fish in perspective. thanks for serving.

PrivateJoker64 · 08/30/2007, 05:14 PM

Glad to have you back.
We appreciate the job you do!

purebullet417 · 08/30/2007, 05:20 PM

hope you get your tank running good again
and thank you for your service

ricsreef · 08/30/2007, 05:40 PM

Glad to have you home safe,and thank you for your help in keeping this country safe.God bless you and your family and all others who serve this country.

04/28/2006, 02:47 PM	#1
aquaman67 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 7,629	My 18 month low maintenance experiment. I've been recalled to active duty (Army) for 18 months. My wife is going to keep my up tanks while I'm gone. I'm flying out Sunday. I took down my nano cube at work. So I have a 70 gallon FO and 45 gallon reef for her to take care of. She'll be able to keep the water level up with a make up water system I made. I got a 26 gallon square Rubber Maid Brute trash can from US Plastics. I had them install a 3/4 bulkhead for me too. It was shipped the same day and I got it in two days. Rigged up a Kent float switch to my RO/DI. I replaced the RO membrane, prefilter, carbon and DI. All this is on a table in the Master Bathroom. I tapped the cold line for the tub and just have the waste line draining into the tub so she can use the water if she wants to was the dog or water flowers. All it took to get the ok for this rig in "her" bathroom was a 1/2 carat diamond circle necklace from Zales. So for the next 18 months my fish will get fed, tanks will get topped off, skimmer cups might emptied if she doesn't breathe too deeply while do it and MAYBE a water change now and then. Hopefully I'll get to come home once or twice but I'm not counting on it. Well, actually if I'm going to hope, I hope they send me back home. But I have a feeling I know exactly where I'll end up and I have a good chance of keeping Camel Spiders instead of fish for a while.....

08/30/2007, 05:20 PM	#10
purebullet417 Rimless Reef Club Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: long island ny Posts: 1,509	hope you get your tank running good again and thank you for your service __________________ My 57 Gallon Rimless Build Thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2341582 Current Tank Info: 57 Gallon Rimless

12/12/2006, 07:54 AM	#2
aquaman67 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 7,629	Update; I get to go home in a few weeks for two weeks R & R. According to the wife, all is well. There is a small leak in the top off tank I rigged up. I'm not sure from where, but I'm sure it's just a loose fitting somewhere. As for the tanks, I will do some test to see where levels are. My wife has a web cam now and this weekend I hope to be able see my tanks, especially the reef tank. I wonder how the corals are doing after all these months. More later...

12/12/2006, 07:59 AM	#3
Luv'reeftank Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ohio Posts: 51	good luck

12/12/2006, 08:00 AM	#4
jasper24 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 2,120	Keep us posted. Interesting to see.

12/12/2006, 09:31 AM	#5
ChloroPhil Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Elysburg, PA Posts: 327	God Bless and keep alive. Don't forget there are those of us back stateside who are proud to be named Americans because of people like you.

01/08/2007, 02:47 PM	#6
aquaman67 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 7,629	I'm home now and I don't get it. I left my wife the 16 oz bottles of Kent's Tech CB to add while I was gone. I picked them up and most (90%) is still in the bottles. I asked and she said she forgot about that part. Ok, I'll wait until she's at work to test. This should be good. No water changes or anything added except top off water since August, 2006 when I got a four day pass. I tested my calcium and it was 400 (salifert) the kit is new, expires 06 / 2009. The Alk was low, at 7 dKH. Everything looks pretty good. The monti cap has lost some color. I have no idea why my calcium even measures at all but it's at 400. I tested it twice. And then again after I did a small water change. I'm going to do small (5 gallon) water changes on both tanks until I go back in two weeks. I guess everything will survive until I get back for good late this summer.

08/30/2007, 04:46 PM	#7
aquaman67 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 7,629	I'm home for good now and this is the final update. I tested the salinity in both tanks. What a miracle. They are both right were I left them, eight months ago when I came home on mid-tour leave. In the fish only tank, my trigger died about two weeks before I came home. Bummer. The wife wants new carpet so I have to move both tanks as they are both in the living room. Since the FO tank is almost empty of fish now, I am going to take it down and take it to my wife's office to replace the 29 freshwater tank she has there. The fish in that tank are 10 years old and are the fish I started with. It has two silver dollars and a marble angel in it. They deserve a new home. As for the reef tank, the Monti cap didn't make it. I have some hair algae, but nothing I can't fix. The branching hammer and frogspawn look good. The Kenya tree has doubled in size. The toadstools haven't grown much. Which is weird, they used to grow like weeds. The mushrooms are much smaller than they were. The coral banded shrimp and blood shrimp made it. All fish in the reef are accounted for. I've been doing massive water changes in the reef, the first water changes in eight months. I haven't touched the FO as I'm taking it down and making it freshwater. So all in all it's not too bad. I don't recommend only topping off your tank for eight months and I don't recommend going to Iraq... So that's it then. I might set up the nano-cube as a freshwater tank with neons or something when I get back to work.

08/30/2007, 05:08 PM	#8
ratherbefishin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 51	first of all, its amazing how much tougher corals, fish, and invertebrates are than we hobbyists want to give them credit. the fact that they pretty much all survived with only top-offs makes me question religious water changing. more importantly, glad you made it back safely as brave american lives are much more valuable and irreplacable. really puts the devotion to a fish in perspective. thanks for serving.

08/30/2007, 05:14 PM	#9
PrivateJoker64 Moved On Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Huntington, WV Posts: 1,145	Glad to have you back. We appreciate the job you do!

08/30/2007, 05:40 PM	#11
ricsreef Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Louisville Posts: 138	Glad to have you home safe,and thank you for your help in keeping this country safe.God bless you and your family and all others who serve this country.