8) Timers and controllers are also important in our systems. We are trying to recreate nature, so the more automated or controlled that you are the better. Timers are used mostly for lighting of a reef system, but there is more to it than just turning on the lights. I use my timers to turn the lights on and off in a certain order. This creates a sunrise and sunset effect in the tank and helps to make the corals feel like they are in a more natural environment.
Some people also use controllers, such as wave makers, for a more natural flow in a tank. These are equally important to our systems, again for the natural effect they produce in a captive environment. Random flow in a tank, no matter the size, is a great thing to have. Not only does it make it more natural, but it also helps to keep the corals healthy by keeping the flow random. Random flow helps to keep detritus in the water column and does not let it settle to the sand bed, leading to a cleaner tank and healthier inhabitants.
In short, the sitter will need to have been shown how to operate all timers and controllers, and how to switch out pumps if something happens to one of them, which leads to number 9.
9) All of the electric power cords on my system are labeled. I recommend doing this for one reason. If something needs to be unplugged it will be a lot easier for the sitter, not to mention you, to identify the plug and remove it from the surge protector. All of my power heads are plugged into the same surge protector, this makes it easier to know which plug goes to which power head and eliminates the start and stop problems with power heads created when they are turned off and on a lot.
10) Do you dose your tank with any additives ?? What about calcium and alkalinity ?? Your sitter is gonna have to know how to do this too. They are going to have to know what to dose and how much of it to dose. If you do dose, I would recommend making a list of the additives and how much, of each, to add to the system. I would also leave these additives out and next to the list. This would make it a little easier for the sitter and not be so confusing to them. I would also recommend placing all other additives in a place where the sitter is very unlikely to accidently add them to the tank. KEEP COPPER HIDDEN because accidents happen !!
11) If your power goes out all is not lost, necessarily. There are a lot of way to save your inhabitants. I recommend having a few battery powered air pumps available at all times. I try to keep at least 4 in my fish room, two for my 125 gallon display tank and two for my 100 gallon frag tank. Both of my tanks are plumbed together, so all of the air pumps are helping the same system, but in different areas. I only have a few fish, but am pretty heavily stocked with corals and frags.
Another option is having a sort of DIY generator. You can go to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up a power inverter for $50 - $100 with enough amps to run your pumps for quiet a long time. To do this you will need a marine battery or two, a power inverter, and a surge protector. It is a pretty primitive way run a tank, but hey, it works. I have ran my return pump (Gen-X pcx40), two Hydor Koralia #4's, a Sieo 1500, and a modified Maxi-Jet for around 12 hours on one battery, I recommend two batteries for extended outages.
You can also go “All Out” and supply your system with a natural gas backup generator that has to be connected to your homes gas line. When the power goes out, the generator kicks on after 5 minutes or so and will run EVERYTHING in your system (and house) for an unlimited amount of time. Where I am from, the power never goes out for more than a couple of hours, so I use the power inverter option.
12)Lastly for this article ... introduce you sitter to Talkingreef or your local fish clubs web site forums, so they can post questions or concerns if something looks out of the ordinary. Web forums are an invaluable tool in our hobby. Everyone wants to help and be helped and the Internet is, in my opinion, the best place to get help in a hurry. When something just does not look right other hobbyists are far more likely to give the right advise if the correct description of the problem is givin to them. Sure a LFS can help, but I trust the answers givin by my fellow reefers than a school kid who has no experience in the hobby that I have spent so much of my blood, sweat, tears, time, and money building. It is nothing personal against the kid in the LFS, just my preference.
I really hope this helps a lot of people to prepare for a vacation. This article will probably be updated in the coming months, to include the more advanced reefers needs, but this “basic” to do list will get anyone through a vacation, without the stress of thinking that your system is going to crash if you are not there every day to take care of it. There is a thread on Talkingreef titled “need help here (nothing serious)” here is a link ... http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/ge...g-serious.html … where you can post anything else that you can thing of that might be helpful in an updated version of this guide. Until next time ... Happy Reefing !!
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