08-10-2005, 11:13 PM
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#1
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Phish Phan
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Smyrna, GA
Posts: 1,137
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Poll: How long are you comfortable letting your tank stay on autopilot
I was reading the thread related to tank watching, and noted to myself that I haven't been out of town long enough, since I've been reefing, for me to obtain a "sitter" (me assuming that there will be no crazy castastrophies).
So, how long are you comfortable leaving your tank without anyone to watch? Note that, depending on your setup, this may be a different question from how long can your tank go on autopilot.
For me, both factors depend on the supply of make-up water. Since I have a gravity fed float valve with a resevoir as well as a dosing pump with a separate kalk resevoir, during the summer I can go about a week before I need to top off. Maybe a few extra days if I overfill the sump before I leave. A week is also about my comfort level.... I must say that I'd be holding my breath when I checked in though....
For other folks who have the RO/DI plumbed straight into your tank, you may not have any hard cut-off at all.... but at what point do you start getting uncomfortable not having someone come and just take a quick look to see if everything seems to be working ok?
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08-11-2005, 01:13 AM
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#2
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 338
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Lets go back to positive stories of people going out of town. I am in Las Vegas for a week, coming back this Saturday with my neighbor feeding an topping off my two systems.
Hopefully all is well when I return home
Mike
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08-11-2005, 04:55 AM
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#3
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I've got the REEF rash!
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 33,775
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I just got back from a 1 1/2 week vaction! everything was ok!
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08-11-2005, 06:00 AM
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#4
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Kuda Fry Daddy
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Greenville,South Carolina
Posts: 604
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I worry about it the whole time I'm gone. Weather 2 days or one week.
__________________
Tom
125 AGA reef ,DIYsump, 90 gal fuge,Mostly softies, 3x 250w 14 k hamiltons 2 96w pc actinics.2 96w pc 50/50
Pro clear 150 skimmer.
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08-11-2005, 08:27 AM
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#5
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Founder-Canton Reef Club
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Woodstock, Georgia
Posts: 1,839
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Don't worry, be happy! 
Bob Marley |
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08-11-2005, 08:42 AM
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#6
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The Coral Whisperer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Canton, Georgia
Posts: 236
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Chris,
Thats a great question.
My opinion is with a new setup, I'm very reluctant to be away even a few days (like now, i'm in Greenwich CT, opps i'm starting to worry), however after a half year or so, i'm relaxed about the whole thing. Feeding would be good, water changes can be done before and after the vacation period.
Again I think this all depends on your exact setup and how pedantic you are with regards to maintenance.
I've been away for 2 months before (a trip to Oz), came back to a slightly greener tank but that was it. The lady overfeed the fish 4x the amount I told her, and she didn't clean the glass. No biggy.
__________________
Regards Simon
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08-11-2005, 08:55 AM
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#7
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Founder-Canton Reef Club
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Woodstock, Georgia
Posts: 1,839
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Simon. Why aren't you at work yet? 
The lobster is HUGE!!! |
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08-11-2005, 09:15 AM
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#8
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The Coral Whisperer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Canton, Georgia
Posts: 236
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I am. This customer has given me a large office to myself, big fools them.
Yeah the lobster is big, let me feed it a bit more and then you can come over for nice bbq lobster tail. Opps sorry Steve, I mean it'll have a nice life in my sump.
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Regards Simon
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08-11-2005, 09:15 AM
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#9
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Atlanta GA
Posts: 351
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I usually premix some auto top off water, and daily food amounts so as long as they know how to defrost food and refill the auto top off tanks a a month or more is no biggie.
but they can go for 2 weeks just being fed no problem.
Necessity might be the mother of invention but lazyness sure as hell is the father |
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08-11-2005, 09:31 AM
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#10
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Summer's Daddy
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Lawrenceville, Ga in a van down by the river
Posts: 2,675
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Yes, I try and make it as easy as I can for the sitter. Fortunatly I have a son that has a clue about fish tanks.
And if it is a weekend trip with no one home, I actually will turn off my Halides and just work off of Power Compacts. Two reasons. Keep temperature down to absolute lowest, and it keeps my evap rate down. My fish don't get fed but once every three days so a weekend is no prob for them
Ray
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All your base are belongs to us
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08-11-2005, 10:40 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Duluth, GA
Posts: 474
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No problem with weekends, but more than 3 or 4 days and we need a sitter. If I only had the one 30 gal tank I could go a week with no sitter. We have an auto flake feeder on both tanks that work great, but the 50-gal has a cardinal that won't eat flake. We have come home from week long (baby sat) vacations twice to a sick cardinal and spent the next two weeks with him in QT on antibiotics. So we are a little gun shy.
Chris
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08-22-2005, 02:42 AM
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#12
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Big Fishy
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Buford
Posts: 557
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by washowi
Don't worry, be happy!
Bob Marley |
think that was Bobby McFaren.
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08-27-2005, 02:22 AM
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#13
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http://atlanta-smas.org/
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: auburn
Posts: 1,688
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left my tank with my wife for 9 months while i worked in charleston ,i came home bi-weekly for a one day stay...so basically the tank was unnatended for 9 months.
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03-12-2007, 12:50 AM
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#14
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moddin aint easy
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: newnan, ga
Posts: 5,697
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i think my tank would be fine if i had an auto topoff, but untill then, it needs fresh ro every other day.
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ANDY
You don't stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing. Which is ironic, because old people are hilarious.
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03-12-2007, 01:15 AM
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#15
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Miami
Posts: 679
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I worry as soon as I leave. I once left for 5 days and the tank looked better than when I had left. It can only go about a week without topping off and the fish seem to always find some food.
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