self maintaining reef tank

[wcolwell88]

I've got an issue I've been pondering for the last few weeks. I've been thinking about whether or not to get rid of my aquarium. I plan on taking some vacations, starting this spring, typically about a week. I live in a country area and there is no one anywhere around here that knows anything about saltwater tanks. I live with my parents, but neither of them know anything about or have any interest in a saltwater tank. I could probably count on my mom to throw in some flakes almost everyday(although she majorly overfeeds her freshwater fish), but nothing more than that. Here's what I got:

I've got a 29 gal. soon to be reef. It's been set up about a year to a year and a half. Just upgraded to metal halide and added some water flow a few days ago, currently have about 1/2 gal./day top off. The tank has a small aquafuge 2, remora skimmer, and empty fluval 405 w/ lr rubble. I have the surface skimmer box on the protein skimmer, so I top off twice a day so as to not burn up the pump on the skimmer. Currently feed the fish flakes once a day and frozen food about twice a week. No corals yet, but will be feeding phytoplankton once I make it a reef tank.

I do love the tank, but it confines me from being able to go anywhere without having to worry about it. I've got well over $3,000 in it. If I can get the tank to where I can leave it alone for a week or maybe a little more, then I can leep it. I'm looking at getting the Litermeter III top off pump:
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...duct_Code=SP-LITERMETER3&Category_Code=Dosers
to keep the water topped off. I've never used one of these, so it makes me nervous thinking about what if it over flowed the tank. It says it won't back siphon, so hopefully it won't.

The area I live has problems with the elctric going off and back on occasionally so I've got battery backups on the computers, tv, etc. If the electric to the pump on the refuge is cutoff, it lets enough water back into the tank to possibly overflow it if thye water level is high enough, so I think I'll get an extra battery backup efficient enough to run all the pumps on the tank for at least an hour. I know they make auto feeders I can use for my flake food, but don't know what I could do about the phyto.

Am I missing anything else? Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any suggestions anyone might have. -Wayne.

 

[got2envy]

I know how u feel...I freak out leaving the hubby in charge for a few days haha
will your mom be willing to learn how to top off and test the salinity of the water for you? also show her exactly how much the fish need to eat daily and check the temprature..those were the main things I showed my hubby...the lights are on timers
the skimmer you can turn off depending on your bioload...just do a water change when ya get back

 

[wcolwell88]

I couldn't imagine her testing anything. There is no way that would happen. If everything is running smooth, the water parems should be ok for the week. I think I could get 2 of those plastic pill containers with the days on them for the flakes and frozen food.
Currently, I top off with 1gal. jugs filled at the culligan machine at Wal-mart(ro/di filter is next big purchase, been putting it off). The top off twice a day is not hard to do, but she is a forgetful careless type of person, remembering to feed the fish everyday is asking a lot if there is something good on tv. Once I switch to making my own RO water, I think I'll spend the $300 for the top off pump. It has very good reviews and seems to be very high quality, so I think it should be worth the money, then I can have that pull water from a 5 gal. bucket of top off water while I'm gone. She could always pour some more water in the bucket if it started to get low.
The lights are on a timer. Didn't care much for the mh fixture when I hooked it up. I got used to having an actinic bulb in the old pc fixture, the tank looks a little blah without it. Came with a 10,000k 150 watt mh. Think I'll replace it with a 15,000 or 20,000 next december. The salinity has always been 1.023. Gradually working it up to 1.025or6 for my reef. The ph has always stayed at 8.3. I currently have 1 heater on the right side, I think I'm gonna replace it with 2 smaller ones to help keep a more even temp. Has been kept at 74 degrees F, gradually working it up to 82.
I did make 1 mistake 2 months ago. I stopped using filter media. This would be ok if I was making my own ro water. The culligan water is suposedly ro filtered, but my test kits still show some phosphates and traces of nitrates in it(although no where near as bad as my tap water). I used to use chemi pure elite, purigen, phosgaurd, and nitrate sponge in it. The price of water up here is much higher than any place I've ever lived, but compared to the price of filter media(which I changed often), it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[Eddiecorrea]

I would purchase the RO/DI unit ASAP. Get THIS one. The 50gpd 4 stage. Its great.

Go for Visi-Therm Stealth heaters if you do get new ones. Best on the market.

I wouldnt worry about phyto when your gone. Most of your corals are gonna be photosynthetic. Phyto only helps them grow faster.

And even if your mom only feed one time or heck if she didnt at all your fish would be fine if they are healthy. Im very busy and sometimes I dont get home until the lights are off for like 3 or 4 days in a row and the fish are all perfectly fine without food. They can go a week or more easily without food if healthy.

 

[Amphiprion]

I recommend against the Coralife RO/DI units, since the usable life on the DI resin is much shorter than advertised. This has happened to both myself and numerous customers (and my region already has relatively pure water @~20-40 ppm TDS). I'd look into one of the four stage units at the following retailers:
www.airwaterice.com
www.purelyh2o.com
www.buckeyefieldsupply.com
www.bulkreefsupply.com
www.thefilterguys.biz
www.spectrapure.com
www.melevsreef.com

All of these places are respectable, sell superior products and (usually) at reduced prices. More bang for your buck.