vacation planning

[macronut]

I am going on vacation very soon and my neighbor is going to manage my tank while I am going. I know she has had some fish at one time, so this is a little more comforting and reasurring! I hate to leave my tank in someone elses care.

I plan on giving detailed instructions on the daily adding of RO/DI water (why it's done) and plan on having all the water to be used stored and ready in 1 gal containers as my tank uses about 1 gal of water top off per day. (Extra water will be available in case it is needed).

Will go over the feeding regimen. (1 time a day while I'm gone (before the lights are out) and plan on showing her how to feed smaller feedings than I would normally do to prevent overfeeding (same for supplements(less is best in this case). :razz:

I also plan on labeling all of the equipment cords with marked tags so she knows what is plugged in where and which timer runs what piece of equipment. (clear as mud?)

Will give detailed instructions on what the equipment does and it's benefit to the tank.

Will also show how to correctly read a hydrometer. :shock: a what?

Will give her my cell number too.

Have I forgotten anything?

 

[jsmkmavity]

be VERY specific about feeding and dont let the fish give her the "hungry eye". they can go a week without food if this doesnt sink in! if you have a place to sit the water jug on top of the tank go to a sprinkler supply or home depot and get a 4 GPH drip emitter, poke a hole in the side near the bottom with a 12 to 16 penny (size measure for nails) nail and push the emitter in the hole. it fits and seals pretty well with no sealant and will drip approximately a gallon per day, leave the cap off so it can flow properly. have her call with ANY questions BEFORE doing anything. if you cant be reached leave another reefers number you can trust. i would be willing but im 26 hours away if a phone conversation cant fix the problem i couldt help beyond that.

 

[Scooterman]

It never is easy to leave home for some time with everything set-up & running & your hoping that nothing wild happens while your gone. Just cover your bases & be through as to what you want do, write a list & put separated daily feedings in baggies or buy a automatic feeder, they work great.

 

[CarlaW]

There is a lady right in your home town that has got the vacation list down. Where are you Nikki????
When I left for vacation a couple of weeks ago, I used her list as a backbone for the list I made. Maybe she could chip in here.

 

[Electrokate]

Hide the magnetic algae scraper
Kate
Whose neighbor said what the heck and mixed the 2 part buffers together before dumping them in the tank. And overfed.

 

[liveforphysics]

I'm on a week long vaccation right now out of state. Before I left, I tossed a slightly larger than normal amount of food in, and tossed a bunch of brine shrimp eggs into the fuges.

I do this leaving the tanks for a week or 2 fairly commonly, and everything looks the same when I get back home as it does when i leave. My tanks do have an abnormally high amount of natural live foods due to a high phytoplankton populations.

Good luck!

 

[Sherman]

How long are you gone?

When I'm gone more than just a couple days, I leave my tank in the care of another reefer. Luckily, I'm able to trust him with 2-part additions, and my top-off is via reservoir that lasts 2 weeks.

I'm not sure anyone would have a reason to read a hydrometer. They're not doing water changes for you, are they? Teach them light feeding and the extra caution needed with 2-part additions. Man... if I didn't have another reefer nearby, I'd be pretty freaked out. Nobody's closer? Or close enough you could pay for their gas? Ugh.