Vacation Routine

[Toomanymatts]

How do you guys leave town with your tanks running?

 

I have 2 separate week long vacations planned this summer. 

 

I'm thinking about getting auto top off for the display and QT tank (will likely still be QT'ing the new fish) along with auto feeders.

 

I'm thinking about doing a dry run two weeks before, hands off ( as much as I can)  Then a few days before do a larger water change than normal and hope for the best.

 

Thoughts?

[seabass]

Don't skimp on an auto-top-off.  A failure can be disastrous.  Also, it's better to underfeed than overfeed while you are away.

 

If possible, having someone check in on your tank while you are away is a good idea.  Some people even hire their local fish store to tank-sit for them.

 

Depending on what you are quarantining, and how much longer you have to go, you might be better off cutting it short than maintaining both tanks while you are gone.

 

9 hours ago, Toomanymatts said:

I'm thinking about doing a dry run two weeks before

Good idea.  Never make any major changes right before you leave.

 

I use a dosing pump to top off my tanks when I'm away.  It limits how much water that is pumped into the tank and greatly lessens the potential for overflows.  I also like to use an auto-feeder that has separate compartments for individual feedings.

[aclman88]

8 hours ago, Toomanymatts said:

I'm thinking about getting auto top off for the display

In my opinion this would likely be a requirement.  How much are you topping off currently?

[DevilDuck]

Once a year, I leave the country for 2 months at a time, a week shouldn't be too bad.

 

A reliable ATO will be very important, as well as a large enough supply of RODI as well as an auto feeder. You should set all these up to have them running as early and as long as possible to work out any bugs. Auto feeders are notoriously unreliable and have a tendency to over/under feed as the container runs empty or food clumps due to humidity. 

 

For smaller tanks this one works well for smaller tanks since you can control exactly how much food is fed: Amazon.com: Fish Mate F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder : Pet Supplies 

It should be paired with a small air pump to stop the food from clumping: Amazon.com : Hygger Quiet Aquarium Air Pump 1.5 Watt Energy Saving Mini Oxygen Pump for 1-15 Gallon Fish Tank with Accessories White : Pet Supplies

 

Setting up remote cameras help too. I have one for the display and one in the sump. 

 

I have everything plugged into a smart power bar so I can remotely turn anything on/off in case of emergency (ATO, heater, etc)

Amazon.com: Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300, Surge Protector with 6 Individually Controlled Smart Outlets and 3 USB Ports, Works with Alexa & Google Home, No Hub Required , White : Electronics

 

Right before you leave, you should turn up the thermostat in the summer. I turn it up to around 75-77 before the AC kicks on. Your home AC increases evaporation, so having it run less helps, also with the house temperature closer to the tank temp your heater will need to run less. Save you some money too. Even better, if you have one of those fancy Nest thermostats you can adjust remotely.

 

I remove all filter socks/floss so they do not clog and overflow. 

 

That should more than cover you for a week or two.

 

 

[DevilDuck]

FYI for those interested, I started a thread a while back for how to setup a tank for long vacations: 

 

 

I really need to update it for my wedding and honeymoon preparations in July.

[Toomanymatts]

5 hours ago, seabass said:

Don't skimp on an auto-top-off.  A failure can be disastrous.  Also, it's better to underfeed than overfeed while you are away.

 

If possible, having someone check in on your tank while you are away is a good idea.  Some people even hire their local fish store to tank-sit for them.

 

Depending on what you are quarantining, and how much longer you have to go, you might be better off cutting it short than maintaining both tanks while you are gone.

 

Good idea.  Never make any major changes right before you leave.

 

I use a dosing pump to top off my tanks when I'm away.  It limits how much water that is pumped into the tank and greatly lessens the potential for overflows.  I also like to use an auto-feeder that has separate compartments for individual feedings.

Any recommendations for auto top off of feeder? 

3 hours ago, aclman88 said:

In my opinion this would likely be a requirement.  How much are you topping off currently?

20 oz a week.

[seabass]

1 hour ago, Toomanymatts said:

Any recommendations for auto top off or feeder? 

It's been awhile since I've had to research ATOs.  Back in the day the go to was the Tunze Osmolator.

IDK, I suspect that today there are a number of decent choices on the market.  You'll probably want to use one with redundancy (usually something other than two float switches).  Sorry, haven't kept up on what's popular today.

 

 

Likewise, the Grasslin Rondomatic 400 auto feeder was my go to feeder.

However, I don't know if they are available in the states anymore.

 

DevilDuck's recommendation of a Fish Mate F14 at least has separate compartments for individual meals.  However, I haven't used this model before.

 

 

While certainly not the best option, I'm currently using the original Drew's Doser to top off my tanks when I'm gone for up to a week.  It'll dose up to 0.6 gallons a day. 

You can use a timer to reduce the amount dosed if needed.  But it's still smart to have a shut off switch in case it's set too high.