Any reef keepers with travel work?

[aminals]

Does anyone here travel for weeks at a time or atleast maybe come home every other weekend. With enough technology were you able to mitigate problems and keep steady parameters? Do I need to start searching for a wife?

 

[BanZI29]

Yea, a wife MIGHT help
I do travel at least once a month and I'm gone for about a week. My wife does not want to touch my tank except to feed my fish SO I have some automation which helps almost eliminate water changes. I have a mixed reef with mostly LPS and some softies and I dose all for reef, calcium and brightwell restor, that keeps everyone happy. Lights are programmed and I change the filter before I go anywhere.
If you dose, that will help, you can get a n auto feeder too.
If you really wanted full automation, go with an Apex system. You will drop alot of bennies but if you are gone weeks at a time, it could save your tank. Also make sure you have someone you trust to go over to your place and help if some thin does go wrong.
If you are a true baller, you can get a web cam and look at your tank when ever you want

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Maybe a little different than you, but I go out of town quite often, I have an ATO to make life easier for me and have someone I know I can trust to come in and check on my tank once or twice when I'm out of town. Not to mention I have a camera watching my tank just in case if something was to happen, I can call someone.

 

[aminals]

Yea, a wife MIGHT help
I do travel at least once a month and I'm gone for about a week. My wife does not want to touch my tank except to feed my fish SO I have some automation which helps almost eliminate water changes. I have a mixed reef with mostly LPS and some softies and I dose all for reef, calcium and brightwell restor, that keeps everyone happy. Lights are programmed and I change the filter before I go anywhere.
If you dose, that will help, you can get a n auto feeder too.
If you really wanted full automation, go with an Apex system. You will drop alot of bennies but if you are gone weeks at a time, it could save your tank. Also make sure you have someone you trust to go over to your place and help if some thin does go wrong.
If you are a true baller, you can get a web cam and look at your tank when ever you want

Thanks for the reply! The Webcam sounds like a brilliant idea in addition to everything else.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

10-14 days @ a time on average. Usually spend 100 days +- a year on the road. I used to use a sitter more since 2015 but my dad is getting a bit old to be able to drive over and do much besides frozen food feeding thus tech has mainly taken over monitoring.

 

[o2manyfish]

My work takes me away for 2 to 4 weeks at a time. My wife is responsible for tossing in food and algae wiping the tank.

A few years back I had to walk out the door for a family emergency and was gone 10 weeks. I had to return to switch out CO2 tanks. Was running a 20lb back then but now run a 50lb.

I have lots of automation. My skimmer cleans itself, My Calcium RX is huge, My Kalk Rx is huge, My auto topoff will run indefinitely.

The autotopoff is key for my system because evaporation is a daily issue.

If you put thought into what are the limiting factors for you being away from your tank - Pretty much there is a way to automate all of those tasks. With the exception of algae wiping the tank. If you have a glass tank this isn't as critical as it is for those of us with Acrylic tanks.

Dave B

 

[Crazeh]

Once a year or so I end up away for long periods. I have a pretty basic system but think I can stretch to about 4 weeks without intervention if necessary. I have:

1. ATO (with sufficiently big reservoir). I also have my tank covered pretty well to limit evaporation.
2. Auto feeder.
3. Dose All-for-reef for parameters.
4. Inkbird temperature sensor (not just for temperature monitoring, but if there's a power cut I should get notified as it stops communicating, or if my return pump fails the display tank temperature will drop and I'll be alerted).
5. Automated lighting.
6. Webcam, helps if placed such that you can see fish feeding and some corals.

I also remove filter floss when away for long periods.

Goodluck!

 

[Kasrift]

All the above is great advice. I travel frequently as well, mostly a week or less, but had 2 week stint recently. ATO is king, also simplified things. I use All for Reef. Always do a parameter check and refill of things before you leave. I have someone come and refill the ATO and check on the tank, but otherwise just use autofeeders. I’m positive I have a smaller tank than the rest that chimed in, but it’s a 32 gallon and a separate 10g frag tank.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

All the above is great advice. I travel frequently as well, mostly a week or less, but had 2 week stint recently. ATO is king, also simplified things. I use All for Reef. Always do a parameter check and refill of things before you leave. I have someone come and refill the ATO and check on the tank, but otherwise just use autofeeders. I’m positive I have a smaller tank than the rest that chimed in, but it’s a 32 gallon and a separate 10g frag tank.

I have a 20g and ato is one of the best purchases I have made for mine

 

[k2-]

So I travel sometimes for 5-6 weeks to my home country. I have 2 tanks (1 - 100G and one 150 G)

Here are my steps

1) Before going
- Replace reagents in Trident for both tanks
- Do a large water change (approx 80%)
- Top up my calcium reactor and change CO2 cylinder.
- Add a All4reef bottle through a cloud controlled (I use Jebao or sometimes Apex DOS as well) - which is kept turned off and only for emergency purposes
- Top up all the dosings
- Setup wifi camera
- Check heater and chiller are fine.
- Clean and replace all socks and cleaning supply
- trim the regugium
- Set skimmer to dump its gunk into a large 5 gallon closed bucket
- ensure my salt water reservoir is full before i leave
- Ensure my fresh water reservoir is full before i leave
- Ensure all acros specially the ones prone to falling are fastly secure or else moved to the frag rack
- Setup auto feeder (just in case) and fill it completely

BIGGEST NO-NO - making a change in your tank 1-2 week before you go on any configuration or any instrument.


Have a caretaker -

- There daily duties are
- Train them on feeding (frozen and pallet) - Setup something like a breakout box for a single button push in and push out.
- Fill up ATO when empty
- Send daily pictures

Their emergency duties -

- Simplified water change (one hose to take water out) one hose to pump water in with clearly marked lines on the water levels.
- Remove a dead fish if atall
- I did have my friend dose KZ products but i just simplified (each bottle put X drops)

In an established tank - I have seen that corals are fine for 4-6 weeks without water change (at-least in my system) if your dosing cadence is setup.

- To be extra cautious i usually turn off systems like ozone etc which can be existential for fish and hence coral and based on picture if a need arises i manually run it remotely (obviously ORP meter is installed so it shuts down if an issue.
- An automated water changes unless been successfully running for atleast 2 months without human presence is not worth the risk vs not changing the existing water or having your friend do just once in 4 week water change.
- Dont sweat small stuff (algae on the glass) - you can control it when you come back
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However if you are super cautious you can have your LFS come and service it weekly but that will definitely be expensive. In My system that is not a possibility since its a hacky system with alot of wires every where.

 

[k2-]

Oh and forgot to add - Add GFO and carbon in a reactor (I usually dont run GFO) and a pump which is wifi controlled (apex) for any contingency.