"Vacation" help needed

I agree. Even having them checked on once a week would be good. You can portion out food in those daily medication planner things you can get in the Pharmacy department. Pretty handy for non-fish-literate people who have no idea how much to feed fish. And they work for frozen food too, just remind the feeder to thaw the food out before feeding (if you have fish that need frozen food).

I believe Eheim makes a good autofeeder, but otherwise I have no idea. I know Eheim products are high quality, but I've never actually used an autofeeder. So, I guess I can't comment on how well they work.
 
A. Nonymous said:
Is there no one who can watch the fish while you're gone? Even just to check on them once or twice a week?
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Newsletter specifically states that housing wont look after fish (or house plants ;)) so not an option, nor would I want to rely on it. Room will be locked up anyways...

bazil323 said:
I agree. Even having them checked on once a week would be good. You can portion out food in those daily medication planner things you can get in the Pharmacy department. Pretty handy for non-fish-literate people who have no idea how much to feed fish. And they work for frozen food too, just remind the feeder to thaw the food out before feeding (if you have fish that need frozen food).

I believe Eheim makes a good autofeeder, but otherwise I have no idea. I know Eheim products are high quality, but I've never actually used an autofeeder. So, I guess I can't comment on how well they work.
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I will look into those if it comes down to it.

Any more opinions on auto feeders or in general would be awesome!
 
buy a daily automatic feeder?

give the tank a good 50% water change before you leave and i would clean the filter/get new filter cartridges right before you left and you should be in great shape
 
AC as in Aquaclear? Mine won't restart at all. When I do W/C's, I have to prime it to get it to restart. My biowheel filters, on the other hand, start back up no problem. Might not be a bad idea to put a secondary filter on the tank for now - double the filtration, and double your chances that if the power goes out one or the other (if not both) will restart. Might also help keep the water quality in better condition for the 3 weeks that you're gone.

Good luck.
 
I like the lifeguard and the fishmate feeders. Personally I prefer feeders with compartments rather then drum style feeders. With compartments, you can put exact amounts in each compartment. I would be uneasy about using drum style feeders that turn and do not allow you to measure out food.
 
If the impeller is clogged, the AquaClear won't start. Clean the impeller before you leave.

I'd get an automatic feeder and just test it out on a course of a week to the amount of food you want to be feeding your fish, that way if it's an average amount, they'll be fine.

A big water change before you leave would be awesome and a big water change when you get back would be fine too.
 
rainbowcharmer said:
AC as in Aquaclear? Mine won't restart at all. When I do W/C's, I have to prime it to get it to restart. My biowheel filters, on the other hand, start back up no problem. Might not be a bad idea to put a secondary filter on the tank for now - double the filtration, and double your chances that if the power goes out one or the other (if not both) will restart. Might also help keep the water quality in better condition for the 3 weeks that you're gone.

Good luck.
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Yes, aquaclear. IME some will refill on their own and others need to be filled manually. Usually though it's because the waterline is too low or there isn't enough water in the filter. In the case of a power outage though, would it reprime?

Evap is still an issue. I covered the tank with a towel this past week and probably got 30-40% less water loss in the same time frame as when it's just uncovered. A lot longer of a time though...

Eupterus said:
I like the lifeguard and the fishmate feeders. Personally I prefer feeders with compartments rather then drum style feeders. With compartments, you can put exact amounts in each compartment. I would be uneasy about using drum style feeders that turn and do not allow you to measure out food.
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Thanks for the suggestions...I will be looking into those as well.

Chrisinator said:
If the impeller is clogged, the AquaClear won't start. Clean the impeller before you leave.

I'd get an automatic feeder and just test it out on a course of a week to the amount of food you want to be feeding your fish, that way if it's an average amount, they'll be fine.

A big water change before you leave would be awesome and a big water change when you get back would be fine too.
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Interesting, I wasn't aware of that. I'll make sure to do a full clean of the filter before I leave, as well as a large wc.

I'd still like to be able to bring them home with me if possible, just to ensure that they are alive. I have plenty of used equipment now in storage that a temp tank in either the 10 or 30 gallon wouldn't a problem. But it's nice to be reassured that leaving them here could be done as well!
 
You should be the one to decide what's best for your fish and the easiest for you. It really depends on what you want. I would keep them there and just provide them an automatic feeder.

IF YOU DO DECIDE TO TAKE IT HOME:
You could ask someone to set-up the tank for you in advance and provide them with instructions at home. That way, as soon as you get home, you won't need to set-up a new tank. Take the filter media home with you in a bag of water in ziploc bag so none of the bacteria dies. Also, grab a heater and an airpump just in case anything happens.
 
If you lower the temperature in your room and reduce the photo period you won't have as much evaporation. I would also suggest getting a submersible filter just in case your HOB craps out. That way the evaporation won't matter too much. You might have to cover the grate with a sponge or something to keep the sand out.
 
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