How often do you have people check your tank during vacation?

[MartinM]

I split my time between two countries, but I only have aquariums in one, so:

- Live cams on everything (visible to me and my personal assistants)
- Hydros computer with sensors on everything (even redundant sensors)
- Mastertronic and Alkatronic
- A Well-trained housekeeper that comes every other day (feeding, routine maintenance, dosing container top off, frozen foods, Takes videos, replaced carbon, washes socks, etc)
- Well trained main personal assistant that I’ve taught water chemistry, who also monitors the Hydros and Focustronic apps when I’m asleep, and my other assistants know the basics
- Expert LFS staff on call and that perform weekly maintenance / equipment checks / take care of more advanced problems
- Multiple power failure redundancies

I’m protective of the aquariums

 

[SPS2020]

I never take a vacation! LOL

 

[McPuff]

I try to get someone in the house every other day at least. Also have a cat so he needs to be fed and watered.

Going out of country for about 9 days next month and stressing a bit about it already. Still planning for every other day and I'm sure I'll check my controller once a day too (gonna try not to check it more often!). I should probably get a camera... seems like it would give more peace of mind.

 

[undermind]

I try to get someone in the house every other day at least. Also have a cat so he needs to be fed and watered.

Going out of country for about 9 days next month and stressing a bit about it already. Still planning for every other day and I'm sure I'll check my controller once a day too (gonna try not to check it more often!). I should probably get a camera... seems like it would give more peace of mind.

The camera is sooooo clutch. Now that I connected one that looks at my tank, there's no turning back. It's nice to check your controller while you're away but checking a camera and seeing fish swimming instead is more of a "complete"relief. At 35 bucks a pop, you can't beat it. I added one in my cabinet pointing at my sump before my trip last month

 

[McPuff]

The camera is sooooo clutch. Now that I connected one that looks at my tank, there's no turning back. It's nice to check your controller while you're away but checking a camera and seeing fish swimming instead is more of a "complete"relief. At 35 bucks a pop, you can't beat it. I added one in my cabinet pointing at my sump before my trip last month

Send me a link and I'll order one today! :0)

 

[undermind]

Send me a link and I'll order one today! :0)

Wyze Cam v3 with Color Night Vision, Wired 1080p HD Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT

Amazon product

They sell these at Home Depot now too, which sends the convenience factor off the charts

If I were buying one right now, I'd probably get the pan/tilt/zoom model for 5 bucks more:

Wyze Cam Pan v2 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Indoor Smart Home Camera with Color Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Compatible with Alexa & The Google Assistant, White

Amazon product

In fact maybe I'll get one right now

 

[A Young Reefer]

Had to leave my tank for two months. first month I had someone checking up on it. second month I had that person to hook up a brute can as my ato reservoir since he had to travel too. this is all a big recipe to disaster many things could've gone wrong. had a camera to check up on it everyone in a while. no losses just a massive dino outbreak (since I left the tank at its early stages)

 

[Willhersh34]

I'm still doing manual top off (I know, get an ATO) so I pre-makeup RODI in gallon jugs then pay the neighbor kid to come over to do top off and feed. Since I only go on vacation once every few months I can justify the $50 I pay without changing anything from a feeding/top-off standpoint.

Works good so far but I'm sure will get old and I will invest in an ATO and autofeeder at some point.

 

[sdreef]

The system can run well without any intervention for a couple weeks and I check on it myself daily while away, but I have a reefing friend on standby in case anything comes up.

I go through a check of the system before I am away and I try not change anything in the week preceding vacation. I run an automatic water change so I make sure I have a full batch of salt water, I clean the ATO optical sensor, top off food in the feeder, top off dosing containers, check the trident reagent levels, and clean the skimmer.

I monitor the system frequently with the apex
I use the Red Sea doser, can manually dose remotely if needed
ATO
Can use a DOS to add salt water or fresh water remotely
Auto feeder
Camera on sump and camera on display
Power back up

 

[210 Reef Tank]

With Wyze cams at 35 bucks a pop, I tend to do the majority of checking on my tank while I'm on vacation.

But as far as feeding, I'm fortunate to have pretty good neighbors. I do as many little favors as I possibly can throughout the year for them so they're indebted that once or twice I'm gone.

I also leave EXTREMELY simple instructions that never involve anybody "intervening" or putting hands in the tank.

And I remove as many fail points as possible: take the collection cup off the skimmer, pull out filter floss/socks.

I also like to do a decent water change beforehand. And if you're making any changes, do them a week BEFORE your trip.

Oh yeah, and if you dose anything manually, it's probably ok to take the week off or whatever instead of teaching someone how to dose things. I also like to stop the dosing a week before the trip to see if there's any changes or reaction.

And of course, get a phone number of someone you can trust for code red situations and tape it up near the tank, write it on the tank, etc.

Great plan. Thank you

 

[ZoWhat]

Anyone looking after your tank deserves at minimum... a $60 gift card to their favorite restaurant. Even if they say it was no problem

 

[210 Reef Tank]

The system can run well without any intervention for a couple weeks and I check on it myself daily while away, but I have a reefing friend on standby in case anything comes up.

I go through a check of the system before I am away and I try not change anything in the week preceding vacation. I run an automatic water change so I make sure I have a full batch of salt water, I clean the ATO optical sensor, top off food in the feeder, top off dosing containers, check the trident reagent levels, and clean the skimmer.

I monitor the system frequently with the apex
I use the Red Sea doser, can manually dose remotely if needed
ATO
Can use a DOS to add salt water or fresh water remotely
Auto feeder
Camera on sump and camera on display
Power back up

Another great plan. I do most of what you are doing except the remote salt water supplement or water change. I just hooked everything up and will need alittle help with writing code to setup properly with Apex. My Apex system has gotten quit complicated with alot of overlaping programs so I use an outside source to help me get it right.
Thank You again

 

[undermind]

My Apex system has gotten quit complicated with alot of overlaping programs so I use an outside source to help me get it right.

Would that be a human outside source, or an Apex code generator

 

[McPuff]

Wyze Cam v3 with Color Night Vision, Wired 1080p HD Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT

Amazon product

They sell these at Home Depot now too, which sends the convenience factor off the charts

If I were buying one right now, I'd probably get the pan/tilt/zoom model for 5 bucks more:

Wyze Cam Pan v2 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Indoor Smart Home Camera with Color Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Compatible with Alexa & The Google Assistant, White

Amazon product

In fact maybe I'll get one right now

Awesome, thanks!