vacations and maintaining your tank when your gone.

[mike werner]

i'm not much of a vacation kinda guy.i have always had a 3 day weekend so we just do short stints.i can leave the tanks unattended for 2 or three days no problem.ato,auto feeder that's about all I rely on but still worry a little while i'm gone. I feel confident that when I return all will be ok.
i read most recently spr1968 went to Italy and that got me to thinking how do you go away on vacation with a reef tank at home?with the summer vacation season fast approaching I think your answers will help out our fellow reefers prepare for a trip.maybe i'll even go someplace for a week but please don't tell the wife I said that.i look forward to your replies.

 

[SPR1968]

What I tend to do is get the system in a state we’re I don’t touch or mess with anything major the week before I go, so that everything is running smoothly.

My ATO will last around 2 weeks and I use the Tunze Osmolator as primary and then the Red Sea inbuilt system as backup so in total it will last 2- 2 1/2 weeks.

The Apex autofeeder deals with feeding but my parents also check the tank every 2 days and add some frozen food and change the filter socks as needed.

I have to say Apex is a great system for piece of mind when your away and mine is only set up for basic functions but it’s well worth having. Well until the salinity shows 54ppm just after you settle into your hotel! Lol.

I also have a camera pointing at the tank and leave the sump doors open so I can see if what Apex is telling me is correct or not, and I can also see the fishes etc are well.

To be honest I love the tank so much I only tend to go away for 7 days these days apart from maybe 10 over winter (those Caribbean/Indian ocean beaches just need me lol!).