7 day vacation with corals/fish?

[needmorecowbell]

I have an 30 gal established reef tank with 1 clownfish and 1 cardinal. I also have about 8 different corals. Will they be okay for a week or do I need a sitter? Also, I don't have an auto top off system. This is the first time for me so any tips/ suggestions will be very helpful. Thanks!

 

[TLTGF]

Any time I travel, I get someone I trust to watch the tank. Even as recently as two weeks ago, I came home to a near disaster as I was gone for a week and my "sitter" didnt know what she was seeing and I almost lost everything.

I would teach someone you can trust and cross your fingers

 

[needmorecowbell]

I'm so nervous about it but don't know anyone that I trust enough to do it that doesnt live a little too far away. My grandparents are going to come for 1 day out of the seven but I just don't know if that will be enough.

 

[AquaRick]

If they come during the middle of that vacation it will help. They can handle the top off. All you really need to worry about is feeding.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Will they be okay with one feeding in a week? I guess I could buy an auto feeder but I don't really want to.

 

[Sniperhank]

Easy. Get some flake/pellet/frozen...whatever all you feed and pre-mix up a batch of stuff for them to throw in. Make it simple as possible. I'd also leave out some ready to throw in top off water.

I live real close to my parents and they help out when I'm on long shifts at work taking out my dog. They also sign for my saltwater deliveries. Sadly, they just leave them in the box and wait for me to get home rather than put them in the water to adjust and get an airhole in the bags. Owell, one step at at time lol.

 

[needmorecowbell]

They'll understand what to put in, but will one day out of the seven weeks be enough? Lol, I understand what you mean with the delivery of live fish, that's why I haven't bought anything while I'm at school. I'll wait until summer vacation.

 

[Sniperhank]

What I would do is feed more than normal to get them through the week and worry/handle a minor diatom outbreak when you get back.

And I wouldn't worry about ordering. If they can survive overnight shipping they can handle another hour or 2 in the bag. Mine have done well through it and the fish that have been through that are my most lively.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Okay, I'll do that then. Whenever I have the money I think I'll try the online buying. I just don't like paying 35$ for shipping If have something an hour away that's cheaper.

 

[Sniperhank]

Yeah that's my problem, 2 hours north of you there aren't many LFS for saltwater...so I go big on my shipments and usually have one of my friends buying stuff as well.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Ya, it's good to have friends all over. That's why I'm going to start to go to pmasi meetings. They aren't too far away from me and I might find a friend or two that I could trade with and help out.

 

[Sniperhank]

Jealous, we don't have anything like pmasi up here...I have a friend and another who is thinking about starting up SW. That makes 3!

 

[needmorecowbell]

It's pretty cool from what I've heard. If you have a chance you should go.