Do you travel out of town often? tank up keep?

[d5332]

Wondering if MR has members that travel out of town on a very regular basis and still are able to keep up with their fish tank.

I received a new job offer with a global consulting firm that I just cant pass up, problem is 50% travel time around the Country is to be expected.

The new job is a given but it has had me thinking for a few days now, should I even bother to try to maintain a fish tank if I will be traveling 2 weeks out of every single month.

Do you travel?
What works for you in regards to feedings? Automatic feeder with acrylic feeding ring?

What lessons have you learned to prepare for? dead pumps? inaporable lights?

Do you have a controller? If so, has it provided any benefit while you travel? how so?

If those reading this do travel and can share how you maintain or share your challenges I would be grateful, very grateful.

 

[Clink51]

2 weeks at a time? dude, whats the point of keeping a tank? If you traveled for a weekend at a time, that might work, but 2 weeks out of every single month is a lot. A controller is a must, so is an ATO, maybe 2 for failure purposes. Apex allow you to check it from anywhere as long as you get it with net. You'd have to get someone to feed the critters too

i keep my tank for relaxation purposes and i only travel one weekend of every month. so the above is just my opinion. best of luck to you though

 

[d5332]

The traveling would be Monday thru Thursday, returning home Thursday nights, 50% travel comes with a 100% salary increase, appreciate the info Clink.

Hoping there are ppl that travel extensively that can share lessons learned or areas of concern.

 

[Djbetterly]

I travel quite a bit and have never had any issues. I do have a feeder that I modified to be connected to my apex, I have an ATO and a sensor to monitor the amount of water in my ATO. If the ATO gets low, and both my GF and I are out of town I have a friend who comes to fill it. I also setup a wireless cam so I can keep an eye on things. Check out foscam wireless cams, they work great and you can control from mobile devices. Knock on wood I've never had any issues.

 

[oh207]

I don't travel out of State, but I am away from the tank 2-3 days a week.
Best thing for me is a controller and an automatic feeder. I just order an ATO over the weekend which I think is a must also.

 

[lnevo]

Controller is a must. Would the house be empty or anyone you trust nearby? Remote hands are a must i have an ATO for my ATO when away so could be gone like 10-12 days with no concern...longer I'll need to get a bigger container. Last week i was gone for 5 days...left the valve on ATO closed and controller caught it shut off return and skimmer and notified me. Talked the wife through fixing it. Then on day i came home house lost power...backup on ecotech pumps and ups on return kept everything going till power came back. You have to prepare but it could be done. Mon-Thursdays not too bad.

 

[thirty6]

Your tank is fairly new....keep going. I would get a controller if you don't already have one
Keep tank simple for awhile and add slowly and an ato would be a must have

 

[edd]

with that kind of salary increase, you can afford to buy what ever was mentioned to run your tank safely while your away. go for it. double the salary, it's a no brainer. its nice to be able to buy things you want without worrying about funds.
now see if you can buy your apex back? just kidding.
clink i think thats a good idea about 2 ato's.
good luck in your new job

 

[d5332]

Appreciate the feedback from all of you.
The job is not quite mine yet, it is but its not. Turns out my current employer was very clever in its wording of the non-compete all employees must sign upon hiring. We hire/steal employees all of the time from our competitors but dont release our employees easily and even sue them at times for leaving.

The unofficial job offer was extended to me yesterday with the condition that I must obtain a written waiver from my current employer which I requested last night, hoping they do the right thing and just release me and provide the waiver, no waiver, no job and I will be deeply upset, only thing I can do is hope they do the right thing here.

This is all good information, the house will not be empty should I begin to travel however, my wife is hands off with the fish tank, 10 years ago I did not have drilled tanks, I had hang on overflows and she may have assisted with sucking on airline tubing to generate vacuum flow and has since cursed fish tank maintainance, hates it, will not do it and cant blame her for it.

I do have ATO, will have to figure out if I can setup a portable secondary ATO that can serve as backup while I am away.

What I hear so far, the way I am interpreting is the following:
Get a controller and put the heaters and dosing pumps on it, turn off dosing pumps should PH drop below 7.8, turn heaters on and off if temp falls out of range.

Secondary/backup ATO

Battery backup for pumps, I sold the vortechs so cant buy that kind of backup and this year I really have not been in the DYI mood so no Marine batteries for me. Based on this post I am looking at 4 Penn-Plax B11 pumps, AC/Battery powered, shoudl AC detect the power is out the batteries kick in, have to read more about them.

I am also thinking that the filter socks will be out of the question, they clog at the 2 days mark.

 

[d5332]

Thus far all the feedback is preventive/proactive which is great advise.

If anyone has any horror stories/Lessons learned to share would be great to read about them, thank you

 

[d5332]

The job worked out and my first day at a new job is 01/29/2014

I already know the first thing that has to be changed in this tank now that I will be traveling, take all of the SAND out.

Even with about 1/4 inch of sand in the tank the gobies managed to stock pile it and covered 3 corals while I was away for the holidays, they killed a 10+ head blasto, orange lobo and a branching monti so no more sand bc I wont be around to unearth corals the same day they are buried in sand.

so sadly, no more sand I guess

 

[thirty6]

congrats and good luck with job/tank

 

[chris koci]

happy to hear your company did the right thing by you congrats on new job!

 

[albano]

so sadly, no more sand I guess

Or... No more gobies!

 

[d5332]

I tried, darn gobies keep us enterntained at times. When i suggested I get rid of them it prompted a family reunion.

Or... No more gobies!