Leaving your tank on Autopilot mode (vacation!)

[xtmreef]

hey guys,

I was reading iReef-iKeeper's great thread about going out for vacation and leaving your tank to a tank-sitter.... I wanted to reply but it was closed so I thought I'd start a thread about tank automation. It's great if you can actually grab someone to tank-sit for you- a plus if that "someone" has an aquarium experience! However this is not the case for most people.... like myself, lol

I am getting ready to travel so Southeast Asia for a vacation (diving trip!!) this October, and unfortunately I don't know someone who can tank-sit for me. My mother in law lives about 10 miles away and I was gonna ask her to tank-sit, but last time she visited us, she pointed at my Purple Tang and asked me if it's "saltwater fish".. I said yes. She then pointed at my Hippo Tang and asked: "Is that a saltwater fish too?" so I said forget it. I'm on my own.

So how do you put your tank on Autopilot when you're gone for 2 weeks? I'd appreciate some ideas. Here are some few that I can think of:

1. have a reliable controller
2. never change any setting 1 week from your departure
3. unplug your system for 30 mins and test for back siphon, leaks, etc.
4. plug it back on. Are all device active? any controllers got reset? Skimmer overflowing?
5. consider an online monitoring system like the one on RK2 controller that gives live status online that you can view around the world. (I have one) If something is whack, you can make an emergency call to one of your buddies and walk them through the phone.
6. invest in an autofeeder. I have some Anthias that will only touch frozen mysis so I'm still researching on this one. Maybe catch them all and pay the LFS to keep them?
7. Invest in a UPS backup.. AND TEST IT. Unplug the cord and see how long the Tunze pump will keep the circulation.
8. you need to simulate power outages and how your tank will deal with it without you.
9. Make sure your autotopoff is tweaked, cleaned, and stable. You don't want overflows or salinity drop when you're gone.
10. ??

guys please feel free to add more.. remember, NO ONE is home for 2 weeks. Discuss!

[PhotoJohn]

feed your corals often before you leave?
do a water change?
Have a drain for your skimmate?
Put your auto top off pump on a timer so if it gets screwed up it will only run a few hours/min a day?

[poppin_fresh]

Dude, you live in Cali and you dont know any one who can tank sit? Even in my backwoods part of the country I have a couple club members that would be willing to stop by and check on things. You have plenty of time to get to know a few people locally that should be trustworthy enough to help.

[rroselavy]

My mother in law lives about 10 miles away and I was gonna ask her to tank-sit, but last time she visited us, she pointed at my Purple Tang and asked me if it's "saltwater fish".. I said yes. She then pointed at my Hippo Tang and asked: "Is that a saltwater fish too?" so I said forget it. I'm on my own.

Sorry. No offense to your mother in law, but this story just cracked me up. All too familiar...

Where in CA do you live?

I too have no reefing friends (yet). We have a dog sitter who was willing to feed and keep an eye on things. We have only been away for 3-4 days max so far (which is almost the limit of my ATO reservoir, but it has been working out well. But then again, my tank is extremely simple. This August, we will be gone for at least a week, so I will have to get a bigger reservoir or have her refill it.

I would add to your list a close inspection of all your connections, making sure all your clamps and zip ties are tight and secure. You might also clean your pumps (a month ahead of time) so they are less likely to seize (due to Ca buildup) or clog. Run them for at least few weeks to make sure the pumps (and connections) are working as expected

I would really find someone to watch your tank. The Autofeeder thing is crazy talk I would reconsider the mother in law idea (or have her bring someone else to the house to feed and do basic observation.). As long as there is no heavy lifting, and simplified feeding (pre-measured frozen food that just needs to be thawed in tank water and dumped back into the tank every day or so) will be sufficient. Your controller will do part of the rest...

If you do find someone to watch your tank, make sure to simplify the care, and write up very clear simple instructions. I write in big letters with a Sharpie on a single page, mostly to force myself to be concise and crystal clear. Go over the steps with the person, and place the tools they need to use in a conspicuous location.

Label everything (cords, switches, your controller) so if something does go wrong, your not on the phone for trying to get someone to find your ATO plug while it is overfilling your sump.

If the person is competant, give them a very basic overview of how the water flows in the tanks and what the basic parts are. Most importantly, indicate what the most common symptoms of failure might be. Gloss over all details and explain the core info.

[pammy]

I take off for a week a couple times a year and go away for a lot of weekends. I've left the tank on auto-pilot for a week before, and nothing bad happened, but it is a little nervewracking. I just got back from a week of diving in Dominica. Before I left, I bought a Linksys Wireless G Internet Camera (model WVC54GCA) for $119 and have it aimed at my tank. This way, I can visually check the tank from anywhere in the world, where I have internet access. I wasn't sure about the reliability of internet access in Dominica, so I gave the website address to my brother and he kept an eye on the tank for me. He kept the video up on his pc at work all day and could check it from his home as well. I told him what to keep an eye on. With the internet camera, I can at least check the water level and know that the automatic topoff is working. I can see that there is water movement in the tank so I know that my powerheads are working and I haven't lost power. I can see there's been no major catastrophe like a crack in the tank or flood. I can see all the fish so I know I haven't had a death of a fish that might cause a major spike in ammonia or something. I also left an instruction book that I typed up with labeled photos of all of my equipment and common problems and solutions (cables are also labeled) , and also left the numbers of my LFS and a person I deal with there a lot, so my brother could call someone in if something looked wrong. Have an autofeeder on there as well, and had someone come in twice during the week to feed a portioned out amount of frozen food. The Internet camera gives me a peace of mind!!! I check my tank frequently from work now too.

[rroselavy]

The Internet camera gives me a peace of mind!!! I check my tank frequently from work now too.

Oooh, oooh, I wanna see...I wanna see... Give us the URL...

Seriously, I have been thinking of getting a web cam. If you don't mind us taking a peek, I would love to see what the quality looks like.

-Scott

[Phurst]

That's a pretty cool idea!

My AC III controller should be here next week, and it has the ability to let me check anything the controller monitors from the internet as well as make changes to the timers, programing, etc, and take manual control of devices from anywhere with internet access.

[pammy]

Hi Scott. I don't want to post it for the world, but I just PM'd you the link. If anyone else wants to see it, just PM me. The quality is MUCH better when viewing it on my laptop in my home. It's perfect. Gets a little choppy viewing it remotely over the internet and isn't as crisp, but it's fine to keep an eye on the tank. At least if I'm at work and something happens, I can leave early and run home, or if I'm on vacation, I can get someone to go and take care of the problem. C ya.
Pam

Oooh, oooh, I wanna see...I wanna see... Give us the URL...

Seriously, I have been thinking of getting a web cam. If you don't mind us taking a peek, I would love to see what the quality looks like.

-Scott