Tank "feeding" Requirements

[Traci Jo]

Hello

I am really not even new to Saltwater, I am just researching to see if it might be a hobby I will enjoy.

My question is rather general but any answers will be greatly appreciated.

I am some times away from home for 2-3 days and I was curious about how often the “Tank” would require my attention? Can the fish/ coral live without food for 3 days? Will the "Tank" become "unstable" during that time?

At this stage I am looking at a 5ftx2ftx2ft tank with a Refugium and Metal Halide lights. I will have live rock in the tank and live sand in the refugium. I also will have a quarantine tank. I am hoping to keep a lionfish, a banded shrimp a hawkfish and maybe a pair of cardinal fish. In terms of coral I have been thinking about some of the easier to keep varieties like star polyps and button polyps. I also really like brain coral.

My interest in having a marine tank stems from my love of scuba diving. I have been to some amazing parts of the world and just love the reef dives I've done. I do a little marco photography and love to watch the interactions of the smaller animals on the reef. I was hopeful that this hobby would allow me to further explore the intricate behaviour of these smaller members of the reef.

Thankyou in advance for any help that you are able to provide.

Traci Jo

[iglowce]

i dont think theres a right answer. u just gotta see how demanding your corals/fish are. some need more attention than others. and the more fish/corals u have the more attention may need to provide. also regular parameter checks and water changes are crucial. start slow and learn ur system. you'll be fine. gluck!

[wwest]

Welcome to Talkingreef Traci Jo, Hope you enjoy your stay here.

I feed my tank everyday or every other day. I feed the corals and the fish at the same time. The corals could go for three days as long as you have the right lights ( which it sounds like you will) and the right water quality. That being said im not so sure i would go that long without at least looking at the tank. Everyday i spend about 30 minutes looking at the temp of the DT and the sump, I look at the health of everything, and i check all the hardware. Then once a week i spend about an 1-2 hours cleaning my tank and doing other stuff. Now with the fish I would feed them every other day at the most. Three days s a lot and depending on the type of fish they might start picking at your corals to find the food they need. To me 3 days just seems like a long time. You could pull it off but i would suggest someone at least checking on the condition of the tank. Hope this helps

[Traci Jo]

Thankyou for your feedback. I'll keep you posted on my progress..

Traci Jo

[gwen_o_lyn]

Welcome to TR!

You could easily pull this off. Planning ahead is the key here. Set your tank up slowly and get your reef very established. Keep the bioload low and there will be plenty of food to scavenge.

[Rob]

yes.. they are all right..
and as gwen mentioned the key is planning.
you dont want to get some thing that will require daily feeding "all the time"
i frequently leave my tank for 2-3 days with no issues.

there is no general answer other than, yes its possible.

if you decide to proceed you just look a the corals and fish and there need, or you can even look at using an auto food dispense, which (if you get a quality one) can be very helpful.. the stuff on your list looks fine, and should be able to make periodic stretches without your care

[CarmieJo]

Hi Traci Jo,

to TR. You will find that there is a LOT of debate on the feeding issue. Some of us feed twice a day and others every couple of days. I generally feed every day or 2. I will leave my tank for a weekend with no one to check on it. If I am away longer I have someone come in every other day to check on the tank and feed. My bioload is pretty light.