# Going on vacation for a week



## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

I'm going away soon for 7-10 days. I was just wondering what the folks here that run open top tanks and fertilize daily prep their setups for extended leaves.


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

Anyone?......


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*going away*

whos watching the tank , friend ,family , have u familiarized them in doing a top up .me I wouldn't worry about ferts ..u can catch up when u are back .
id have water in pails for top ups , I would have food in the pill boxes that u can get in shoppers drug mart .. the amount of food u want fed tell them to do no more no less then what is in the box with the date on it ....I would have them over and go over with details on what to do in case something shuts down ...


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

That's the problem I don't think I can find anyone to look after it. I'm not really close by to family members that can tend to it. I've asked a few friends but as luck would have it everyone seems to be busy that week. 

I need better friends lol


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## Dis (Apr 16, 2010)

Stop feeding your fish a day or two before you go away. Do a large water change right before you leave and everything should be fine. You will lose some water to evaporation but that's about it.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*Going away*

There are a few people on here who do services
Maybe reachout to them . I think I read that Carl does that sort of service.don't quote me on it....


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks guys. The evaporation bothers me more than anything else. I was thinking of leaving the lights and co2 off for the week and covering the tank. I'm also playing with the idea of setting up an auto top off system. 

I'm going to start feeding heavy now and then back off a day or two before I leave. Maybe 3 large waterchanges a day 3 days before I go 

I'm also a little worried about leaving the lights off for 7-10 days I've never left the lights off that long before and I'm not sure how the plants will respond to that.


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## Dis (Apr 16, 2010)

Not a bad plan. I would cover the tank and leave the lights on there regular schedule. If you trust the co2 leave it on aswell. I've left my tanks now for a week at a time for several years and the anxiety does go down after you've done it a few times. Best of luck


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*vacation*

hey there , deff a ATO would be great to set up ...id keep lights on reg schedule ,I would turn co2 offline till u come back .. feed normal and just start start weening them off a few days and then feed lightly , till u feel they will be fine , I would deff put this to a test before u go on vacation , trust me doing things with out running a test run is just bad news been there done that got a few tee shirts , just my humble opinion ....lights will deff help in evap so u can try to lessen the light period ....
good luck 
cheers 
tom


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

tom g said:


> hey there , deff a ATO would be great to set up ...id keep lights on reg schedule ,I would turn co2 offline till u come back .. feed normal and just start start weening them off a few days and then feed lightly , till u feel they will be fine , I would deff put this to a test before u go on vacation , trust me doing things with out running a test run is just bad news been there done that got a few tee shirts , just my humble opinion ....lights will deff help in evap so u can try to lessen the light period ....
> good luck
> cheers
> tom


I hear ya I think all of us at some point have rushed something only to regret it later. The top off is something that I've wanted for some time now. I'd run it for a week or two to dial it in a watch how it performs. If I can get one running before then I may just dial down the lights and co2 to half. The best thing about led lights is ability to do just that. I dose about 1/2 the suggested amount for Ei right now 3x macros and 3x micros per week with one day nothing. I may double my amount of ferts and dose both 8hrs apart the day before. That should get me through the week.


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## default (May 28, 2011)

I wouldn't worry or stress to much about your set up when you're away for 7-10 days. You received some good advice, but from my experience - with rimless high-tech planted tanks, the set up will be perfectly fine without maintenance for that short amount of time.

What I would recommend:

- Since you're using LEDs, turn the intensity down 35-50%, don't change the cycle or times, you don't need to force your plants to change there photo-period, lower intensity will be sufficient in reducing growth and intake. I normally add floaters or let the existing floaters get thick and cover the top, this reduces more light and the chances of algae.

- Don't touch your Co2, if it's already automated, you'll be fine with it as is - another reason why lowering light intensity is more important than shortening schedule. Unless you're currently gassing your fish already, just leave it, as messing with it now can throw off the balance - especially if you're going to be away soon.

- ATOs are great, but they can also be a nightmare, it's just another variable to worry about. Honestly, 7-10 days of evaporation on a decently sized tank is not a big problem. I normally let my tanks evaporate for a week or two before topping off anyways.

Honestly, the one thing you should be worried about is the mess of a jungle when you get back , just turn the intensity down at least 35-50% and leave the rest of the tank as is, you'll be fine. Oh, floaters would definitely help as well. I've left my tanks alone for 2-3 weeks at times and came to the conclusion that, the more you mess with it before your trip, the more can go wrong during your trip - so don't clean your filter, don't mess with your schedule, don't mess with the fertilizer regime, and don't try to overfeed - just try your best to resume the routine when you get back.


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