Vacation and Feeding

[RaymondL]

I'm really curious what you all do when you go on vacation if you have fish - livestock that don't eat pellets, or come to the surface to feed on flakes.

Or you do have certain fish that eat flakes, but don't come to surface to feed, but only if they start to sink, they grab the food as it goes down to the bottom

 

[CasperOe]

In that case you can either tag in a friend, family, neighbour etc. or find a way to automate whatever you feed!

We went away for four weeks this summer. I have two auto feeders hooked up (flakes / pellets) that I use every day. On top of that, I hooked up two temporary dosing pumps to dose liquid mysis and liquid nori while we were away.

Took the dosing pumps off when we got home, but it worked well for me.

What do you feed that you want to automate?

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

I normally feed frozen when i am home but when away on vacation (weeks at a time often) i just setup my autofeeder. I have a wifi camera and can see my fish eating pellets. They will eat it ....they're hungry lol

 

[RaymondL]

In that case you can either tag in a friend, family, neighbour etc. or find a way to automate whatever you feed!

We went away for four weeks this summer. I have two auto feeders hooked up (flakes / pellets) that I use every day. On top of that, I hooked up two temporary dosing pumps to dose liquid mysis and liquid nori while we were away.

Took the dosing pumps off when we got home, but it worked well for me.

What do you feed that you want to automate?

This is interesting that you use a dosing pump to dose liquid mysis or nori - don't you have to keep the mysis in the fridge, and wouldn't the mysis clog the dosing pump?

I'm thinking of using an autofeeder for flakes, but I need the flakes to sink.

 

[CasperOe]

This is interesting that you use a dosing pump to dose liquid mysis or nori - don't you have to keep the mysis in the fridge, and wouldn't the mysis clog the dosing pump?

I'm thinking of using an autofeeder for flakes, but I need the flakes to sink.

I simply used an inexpensive USB bottle cooler like this one off Amazon.

As for clogging, I haven't seen any issues. It's not a long term application for me, only when i go away for longer periods of time.

 

[RaymondL]

I simply used an inexpensive USB bottle cooler like this one off Amazon.

As for clogging, I haven't seen any issues. It's not a long term application for me, only when i go away for longer periods of time.

Thank you! I appreciate the insight.

If you don't mind, can you please share what exact brand- kind of mysis shrimp you use, and what sort of container you use to store the mysis shrimp in the USB bottle cooler? I'm assuming it's a sealed bottle with just a hole in the top for the auto dosing pump tube to go through.

By the way, what brand/make of dosing pump do you use? I'm have a Kamoer type (hope it'll work too).

Thanks!

 

[EricR]

Personally, I get someone to check on the house while I'm away anyway, ideally daily but sometimes every other day.
I just dice up frozen food into individual servings and store in tiny Tupperware containers (maybe 1/4 cup size) in the freezer so that my house-checker can just open and scoop/dump one into the tank each time they come over.

I like the idea of an auto-feeder but haven't ever tried one (yet).

 

[CasperOe]

Thank you! I appreciate the insight.

If you don't mind, can you please share what exact brand- kind of mysis shrimp you use, and what sort of container you use to store the mysis shrimp in the USB bottle cooler? I'm assuming it's a sealed bottle with just a hole in the top for the auto dosing pump tube to go through.

By the way, what brand/make of dosing pump do you use? I'm have a Kamoer type (hope it'll work too).

Thanks!

I am using the Aquaforest products- in their bottles!

Drilled the top for a dosing tube. The 250 ml. bottle fit in most of the bottle/can coolers.

I am using an Ecotech Versa (not needed; too expensive!) and a D&D P1 (.. which is a Kamoer!)

 

[CasperOe]

Personally, I get someone to check on the house while I'm away anyway, ideally daily but sometimes every other day.
I just dice up frozen food into individual servings and store in tiny Tupperware containers (maybe 1/4 cup size) in the freezer so that my house-checker can just open and scoop/dump one into the tank each time they come over.

I like the idea of an auto-feeder but haven't ever tried one (yet).

I would prefer that option too; sadly we don't really have anyone "competent" near by- unless the **** hits the fan.

I travel for work and spend 6 months of the year away; missus is well educated on reefing but friends and familiy don't share the passion

 

[RaymondL]

I am using the Aquaforest products- in their bottles!

Drilled the top for a dosing tube. The 250 ml. bottle fit in most of the bottle/can coolers.

I am using an Ecotech Versa (not needed; too expensive!) and a D&D P1 (.. which is a Kamoer!)

Awesome! Thanks much again for all your help with this. The D&D P1 is indeed like the Kamoer, so mine should work with the mysis set up too

 

[RaymondL]

I would prefer that option too; sadly we don't really have anyone "competent" near by- unless the **** hits the fan.

I travel for work and spend 6 months of the year away; missus is well educated on reefing but friends and familiy don't share the passion

That's the problem....I've heard from others that even if you 'train' them, somehow they manage to make things bad - it simply doesn't work.

Wow, you're away a lot for work! I'm assuming she does all the water changes, and feeding the fish as well.

 

[EricR]

That's the problem....I've heard from others that even if you 'train' them, somehow they manage to make things bad - it simply doesn't work.

Wow, you're away a lot for work! I'm assuming she does all the water changes, and feeding the fish as well.

I guess I'm lucky in that I have multiple friends and in-laws that live in the area whom I consider to be pretty competent.

I never ask anyone to do anything major to the tank but do leave a quick-glance checklist of basics to look at like water level, temperature, equipment "running", etc.

 

[RaymondL]

I simply used an inexpensive USB bottle cooler like this one off Amazon.

As for clogging, I haven't seen any issues. It's not a long term application for me, only when i go away for longer periods of time.

Forgot to ask: the USB bottle cooler - so it just plugs in via USB to a 5Volt supply and it remains on all the time to keep the Mysis bottle cool? Or does it circulate on and off by itself to keep a set temperature?

 

[CasperOe]

That's the problem....I've heard from others that even if you 'train' them, somehow they manage to make things bad - it simply doesn't work.

Wow, you're away a lot for work! I'm assuming she does all the water changes, and feeding the fish as well.

She mixes water and presses a button when required I run Triton method and try to minimise water changes as much as I can!

For your dosing tubes, change then every time you go away so you don't have old, rotten food in there.