Leaving my baby for first time

[Quietman]

Business trip coming up and I have to leave my tank for the first time since I started it up. My wife will be watching the tank and she's been helping all long but still...I'm writing everything down, making sure everything is labelled, salt and DI water tanks filled and ready to go, pumps soaked, cleaned and checked...and I'm only a phone call/text away but still.

Another difference between planted FW and reef tanks. I never, ever worried about leaving my planted or freshwater tanks for a week let alone prep like I'm going on a six month cruise and have to make sure all my affairs are in order just in case.

 

[Jay Z]

Don't worry, It will be okay!

Just notes for ya

- Make sure food limits are established! Seems like the number one tank crash when gone is over feeding.
- Number 2, this is the important one. When you call home to check on the "wife" make sure you talk to her about her day before you ask about the tank! Happy wife = tanks gonna be okay

 

[foxt]

+1 on feeding routines. I actually measure out portions and lay them aside, whether they are frozen, or live foods, and leave instructions like "drop one ice cube in per day". You can err on the side of being conservative, the tank will be fine for a week if it isn't getting fed as much as usual.

If you have a skimmer, how often do you have to empty the cup? Whenever I go away, this is the top thing I hear about, so I try to tune it to skim a little bit less so it doesn't need to be emptied while I am gone. Plus cutting back on the feeding helps this as well.

I also like to set up a couple of webcams that I can check in on while I am gone. I use a version that pans left right up down, so I can take a look at most of the tank and the sump. You didn't mention if you have one or not, but my Apex also gives me some peace of mind as well. If I am in a different time zone and not getting to talk to the family much, checking out the Apex and the webcams can tell me how the tank is doing. We probably worry too much about these things!

And if something does happen while you are away, video calls on the cellphone work wonders for helping people who may not be as familiar with your system walk through whatever steps you need them to take.

 

[ZoWhat]

Apex

A GREAT AQUARIUM JUST GOT EASIER. Tell someone you own a saltwater aquarium you will usually hear this: “Aren’t those things hard to take care of ?” or “I had one once and everything died when…” Sadly, the real pleasures of an aquarium are often overridden by the struggle of upkeep. Worse yet...

www.neptunesystems.com

All you need....seriously. I've managed my tank from thousands of miles away several times

Not having an Apex managing your tank is like having a Kitchen without a Microwave.... just sayin'

 

[Quietman]

- When calling, ask about wife's day before mentioning the tank - check! Probably the best advice yet!

 

[Auquanut]

I actually measure out portions and lay them aside, whether they are frozen, or live foods, and leave instructions like "drop one ice cube in per day". You can err on the side of being conservative, the tank will be fine for a week if it isn't getting fed as much as usual.

^^Yep, that. The last time I left the tanks, my wife and I went on vacation for 10 days. My son looked after the tanks for us. I prepackaged and labeled food for each tank for each day. I also let him know when the skimmer cup should be cleaned and the filter socks changed. Everything worked out fine.
I would tell you not to worry, but there's really no point. You're going to worry anyway.

- When calling, ask about wife's day before mentioning the tank - check! Probably the best advice yet!

Smart man!

 

[ScottieB]

And remember, she’s always more important then the tank. If you come home to reef soup... it’s ok.

But measuring out food in containers is a good idea to eliminate variables. I use specimen cups, like at the doctors office.

 

[foxt]

One time when I had to leave for a week, I had a copperband that was only eating live blackworms. So I left 5 nice little bowls of blackworm portions in the family fridge, loosely covered in plastic in enough water so that they wouldn't start to smell. My wife's job was to dump one bowl into the DT each morning with the portion of frozen, and just to watch the CBB to make sure it ate.

When I got home, there was a nice new college-dorm mini fridge in the basement for the next time we needed to "keep those smelly things out of my fridge!". Bonus!

 

[Quietman]

Returned from trip to happy, healthy tank (well other than the ongoing diatom bloom - but that's not necessarily unhealthy) and a no-stressed wife, who I did remember to ask about her day before asking about tank when I called - I even managed not to turn the tank lights on when I got home at 1030pm when she said "everything is fine". Thanks for all the good advice, it was a big help.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Don't worry, It will be okay!

Just notes for ya

- Make sure food limits are established! Seems like the number one tank crash when gone is over feeding.
- Number 2, this is the important one. When you call home to check on the "wife" make sure you talk to her about her day before you ask about the tank! Happy wife = tanks gonna be okay

Number one rule- Coming from personal experience.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

I left for family time during christmas and left ny girlfriend to watch my tank snd she killed half ny fish by putting her lotion covered hands in it..

Wasnt fun