jacobcoral
Active Member
my entire family and me are going on a vacation. Please send me some help or information on how to keep my reef tank alive. It’s only for one week. I was thinking of buying an auto top off and feeder.
Vacation.
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- Thread starter jacobcoral
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jacobcoral
Active Member
No neighbors, that’s why I’m worried.
anthonymckay
Well-Known Member
Def auto top off, regardless of going on vacation or now. And I'd find a friend that can do the feeding daily.
OP
OP
jacobcoral
Active Member
My tanks only a 13.5 gallon I typically feed it once every 2 days.
OP
OP
jacobcoral
Active Member
I can’t rely on anyone; do you think auto top off and fed a few times would work.
This is the set of instructions I left for a marine biologist...
Good luck...
Not all or any will be applicable to you but it can give you an idea.
Aquarium Instructions
Feeding Procedure
Turn off Main System via Neptune Apex app. Scroll to the top of app. ( Hit FEED A button )
Turn off Wave maker pumps via Mobius app ( 30L Tropical hit Feed mode) The Mobius app is the infinity sign. (∞)
Phytoplankton Turkey baster of ISO and TET or Swamp and CHA in all tanks.
Morning:
Pellets A small pinch of Pellets in each tank. (Not all fish will eat pellets)
Flake A pinch of flake with tongs,, let it soak for a few seconds underwater. Just one pinch per tank. Temperate tank does not get flake.
Nori/Dried Kelp In the Tropical 40 Bluish holder. Slide it up to the top with the magnet. It gets two sheets everyday. There should be enough in precut in the salsa container. You can cut, fold or tear sheets to fit if you run out.
Afternoon:
Frozen (defrosted) Using the long baster, just a squirt in each tank, or what the fish can eat in a couple minutes.
In the Temperate tank a small squirt, you are feeding just scavengers,
If the Sea Star comes to the top, that means she is hungry. Give her a defrosted piece of shrimp.
Corals:
Every other day mix up a small spoon of Polyplab and Tropic Marin Phosfeed with in a sample cup with 40g tropical and Frag tank wait a couple minutes and pour in.
Notes on Feeding:
All pumps, Skimmers, Gyres will return to normal mode after Feed operation is over automatically. The time will vary from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.
Frozen Food Replenishment I put in one cube from each pack from the freezer ( in door halfway down ) in the jar, it will be defrosted the next day. I also add a bit of RODI and mix it up using the baster as a stirrer. 4 cubes should last 2 days typically.
Daily Checks
ATO’s Automatic Top Off The Tropical 40 and the Temperate tank feed off of the same ATO via two separately controlled pumps and sensors. Make sure RODI falls between the max and min marks. Refill when needed. 3-4 days typically.
The 30L and the Frag tank have a separate controlled reservoir and refill is a similar time
Daily checks cont.
All for Reef This gets dispensed in the afternoon daily automatically. this is the 2.5L dosing container next to each tank. It will be fine unless there is something that goes wrong.
Chiller Make sure the chiller is on and working I run it about 63 deg Temperate tank. if it blows a fuse I have extras taped to the top of the one on the right. The fuse is located on the left hand side of the chiller. The one next to the 40g only turns on if the tank runs over 80F.
Protein Skimmers Each tank has one. The big tanks have a valve on the cup if you need to empty them.
Visual checks check each tank to see if everybody is ok, that no corals have fallen or are stinging another, etc.
Filtration
30L Turn the roller a couple turns each day
Tropical 40 The roller filter is disengaged at this time.
Frag The roller filter is disengaged at this time
Temperate If the roll filter runs out on this tank it will be fine the protein skimmer will be fine.
Safety
A note on safety: The tropical tanks do contain Zoas and Palys, Although Palytoxin poisoning is rare, it is Best practice to not touch your face or have any open wounds on your hands when working with these tanks and wash your hands after. There are rubber gloves under the bathroom sink next to the RODI if you need them.
Other Notes:
I run the Tropical tanks at 77- 78F and 35 ppt. The Temperate tank runs at about 63-64F and 33 ppt.
There are two 5g jugs of RODI water plus the 20g of heated 35ppt water in the bathroom.
If you need to test parameters for any reason there are test kits in the linen closet.
There is more salt mix on the bathroom sink and inside the buffet cabinet.
The only thing that is semi-accurate with the Apex probes is the temp. The others are consistent but not accurate. My PH is 8.1 to 8.3
RODI water If you need to make more water. Under the bathroom sink is the filter. The Black hose is the waste. The Blue Hose is the filtered water. Always fill in the tub to prevent spills. The black hose can go into the sink. Turn on the hose valves before you turn on the main water valve. The main water valve is the small grey one under the sink. Counter clockwise is on. Then plug in the booster pump, (white cord). Five gallons takes about 22 minutes this time of year. When finished, unplug the booster pump, turn the grey valve to off (clockwise) and close the line valves to prevent leakage.
and finally…
Thank you!
I hope that this is not overwhelming! Please feel free to call with any ?’s
Good luck...
Not all or any will be applicable to you but it can give you an idea.
Aquarium Instructions
Feeding Procedure
Turn off Main System via Neptune Apex app. Scroll to the top of app. ( Hit FEED A button )
Turn off Wave maker pumps via Mobius app ( 30L Tropical hit Feed mode) The Mobius app is the infinity sign. (∞)
Phytoplankton Turkey baster of ISO and TET or Swamp and CHA in all tanks.
Morning:
Pellets A small pinch of Pellets in each tank. (Not all fish will eat pellets)
Flake A pinch of flake with tongs,, let it soak for a few seconds underwater. Just one pinch per tank. Temperate tank does not get flake.
Nori/Dried Kelp In the Tropical 40 Bluish holder. Slide it up to the top with the magnet. It gets two sheets everyday. There should be enough in precut in the salsa container. You can cut, fold or tear sheets to fit if you run out.
Afternoon:
Frozen (defrosted) Using the long baster, just a squirt in each tank, or what the fish can eat in a couple minutes.
In the Temperate tank a small squirt, you are feeding just scavengers,
If the Sea Star comes to the top, that means she is hungry. Give her a defrosted piece of shrimp.
Corals:
Every other day mix up a small spoon of Polyplab and Tropic Marin Phosfeed with in a sample cup with 40g tropical and Frag tank wait a couple minutes and pour in.
Notes on Feeding:
All pumps, Skimmers, Gyres will return to normal mode after Feed operation is over automatically. The time will vary from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.
Frozen Food Replenishment I put in one cube from each pack from the freezer ( in door halfway down ) in the jar, it will be defrosted the next day. I also add a bit of RODI and mix it up using the baster as a stirrer. 4 cubes should last 2 days typically.
Daily Checks
ATO’s Automatic Top Off The Tropical 40 and the Temperate tank feed off of the same ATO via two separately controlled pumps and sensors. Make sure RODI falls between the max and min marks. Refill when needed. 3-4 days typically.
The 30L and the Frag tank have a separate controlled reservoir and refill is a similar time
Daily checks cont.
All for Reef This gets dispensed in the afternoon daily automatically. this is the 2.5L dosing container next to each tank. It will be fine unless there is something that goes wrong.
Chiller Make sure the chiller is on and working I run it about 63 deg Temperate tank. if it blows a fuse I have extras taped to the top of the one on the right. The fuse is located on the left hand side of the chiller. The one next to the 40g only turns on if the tank runs over 80F.
Protein Skimmers Each tank has one. The big tanks have a valve on the cup if you need to empty them.
Visual checks check each tank to see if everybody is ok, that no corals have fallen or are stinging another, etc.
Filtration
30L Turn the roller a couple turns each day
Tropical 40 The roller filter is disengaged at this time.
Frag The roller filter is disengaged at this time
Temperate If the roll filter runs out on this tank it will be fine the protein skimmer will be fine.
Safety
A note on safety: The tropical tanks do contain Zoas and Palys, Although Palytoxin poisoning is rare, it is Best practice to not touch your face or have any open wounds on your hands when working with these tanks and wash your hands after. There are rubber gloves under the bathroom sink next to the RODI if you need them.
Other Notes:
I run the Tropical tanks at 77- 78F and 35 ppt. The Temperate tank runs at about 63-64F and 33 ppt.
There are two 5g jugs of RODI water plus the 20g of heated 35ppt water in the bathroom.
If you need to test parameters for any reason there are test kits in the linen closet.
There is more salt mix on the bathroom sink and inside the buffet cabinet.
The only thing that is semi-accurate with the Apex probes is the temp. The others are consistent but not accurate. My PH is 8.1 to 8.3
RODI water If you need to make more water. Under the bathroom sink is the filter. The Black hose is the waste. The Blue Hose is the filtered water. Always fill in the tub to prevent spills. The black hose can go into the sink. Turn on the hose valves before you turn on the main water valve. The main water valve is the small grey one under the sink. Counter clockwise is on. Then plug in the booster pump, (white cord). Five gallons takes about 22 minutes this time of year. When finished, unplug the booster pump, turn the grey valve to off (clockwise) and close the line valves to prevent leakage.
and finally…
Thank you!
I hope that this is not overwhelming! Please feel free to call with any ?’s
Blennioidei
Active Member
LFS's are also sometime provide tanksitting services, i would personally would not leave the tank for a week. (and yeah, emergency tag should be used in real emergencies)
Bohemian Waxwing
2500 Club Member
Honestly, your tank inhabitants will be fine for 1 week without feeding. However, there are auto feeders (I like the ehiem one) and you can fill them with small pellets. If your return pump is on an outlet with a timer, you can have it shut off, even. If not, get sinking pellets.
The auto top off is a must, though. Get on that, ASAP.
The auto top off is a must, though. Get on that, ASAP.
Mr. Mojo Rising
10K Club member
Everyone should have an ATO and an auto feeder on hand anyway. Might as well get them now if you don’t have them yet. Those are really the only 2 things you need for just one week.
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