Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
I've read a lot of posts about people's tanks crashing, most of which happened while people were out of town. I thought I would start a thread to help people learn how to avoid tank crashes. So please post your responses and lets stay on topic! Thanks, Josh
 
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Rating - 97.4%
74   2   0
1) don't make any changes or add new animals to your system at least a week before you go away.

2) if the person caring for your fish is inexperienced, show them 1/3 the amount of food you really want them to feed.

3) make a simple check list that a non-aquarist can quickly run down and eyeball basic essential things--water level, pH, temp etc.
 
Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
I leave my heater unplugged if I don't need it. Look at the weather and know what swings there if any.

O.K. we usually have the air conditioning on during the summer, but that's good to keep in mind.


Don't be stupid. If your tanks doing good, don't change it... That's my motto

O.K. what do I say to that... I'll try not to be stupid I guess
 
Last edited:

ryangrieder

Advanced Reefer
Location
Northern Jersey
Rating - 100%
34   0   0
O.K. what do I say to that... I'll try not to be stupid I guess

Haha I'm not calling you stupid. That's just what I tell all my friends in the hobby. There tanks finally start to look good, and then they want to change something drastically like a new live rock set up or something. Why touch it when its doing good?

Doing good amounts of casual water changes, not adding all this stupid chemicals out there, get a good skimmer, use the least amount of pads possible, and keep good flow. That's all key.
 

JBL

Experienced Reefer
Location
Long Island, NY
Rating - 100%
11   0   0
I try not to go away on vacation..... ;)


Really though, having someone checking it everyday or every other day is the best solution. Recently a member of another forum came home to his electricity turned off, and his apartment was 45 degrees. Needless to say lost all his livestock and corals. Wound up the power company turned off the electric to the wrong apartment while he was away.
Personally, a web cam is the best solution for the worriest of worry warts... Like me. :)
 

guarda

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
88   0   0
Here's an indirect tip. Make friends on MR you can trust. I know it's hard for the typical New Yorker; I'm a native myself, but if you're good to people, they will be good to you. In less than a year, I've made a few friends I can give my apt keys to when I go away. I'm not saying to be a chump either...
 

James

Zen-Reefer
Location
Bay Ridge, BK
Rating - 100%
112   0   0
good post josh,

My advice was going to be what Randy and Arthur already said. Easy checklist, (the 1/3 food thing is a great idea) and having a trusted reefkeeper to check on your tank(do WCs, check Ato, ETC). I have 2 people from this site who check my stuff when I am away and I do the same to theirs.
 

Imbarrie

PADI Dive Inst
Location
New York
Rating - 100%
61   0   0
Whenever I leave town I have my father-in-law, a non-reefer, feeds the tank.

I normally include frozen food when I feed but when he has to feed it's only flake and pellet food. I will portion the food into individual dixie cups so there is no fear of the tank getting over fed.
 

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top