Vaca

[kubes]

I was going on vacation for about 6 days next month, and I saw that you can buy live white shrimp and/or copepods, would anyone recommend either for feeding the fish while im gone, or should i give them a lot right before I leave.

 

[Mike612]

Don't give them a lot before you leave because the food will most likely rot in the tank. You're best bet is to teach a really good friend how to feed them and get them to come and feed the tank once or twice a day. In my opinion, most live foods you add will probably be eaten up very quickly, so honestly you should just get a very trustworthy person to come and feed your fish for you.

 

[Anonymous]

Vacation and reef tank are two terms that should never cross paths in my experience. :x

 

[iseeweed]

How big and how established is your tank?

 

[kubes]

I have a 55 gallon w/ 2 clownfish, an anemone, tang, 2 gobies, and a cleaning crew. Im mainly worried about the clownfish and tang. Its fairly well established. I also have corals, a leather finger, polyps, and a porcupine looking one that i cant remember its name right now.

 

[Anonymous]

Train a good friend or neighbor...and pray. 8O

 

[Anonymous]

I have had good luck portioning out a daily ration and instructing a friend to put only that portion into the tank for feedings.

If you want to feed frozen, keep all the frozen rations in cups in the freezer, and one in the fridge. Tell you friend to move one from the freezer to the fridge every time he feeds one, so the next meal will thaw over night.

You can also use those little plastic ketchup cups from a fast food place and put a small pinch of flake in each one and have this set out somewhere for your fish feeder.

And then hide the rest of the food.

 

[Anonymous]

Every reef keeper should get chills running down the spine at the thought of going on vacation and someone tank sitting for them. I know I do.

 

[Anonymous]

Buy an auto-feeder.

Louey

 

[herpencounter]

Every reef keeper should get chills running down the spine at the thought of going on vacation and someone tank sitting for them. I know I do.

 

[IslandCrow]

Oh, goodness, if a reef tank kept me from ever leaving home, I'd dump it out in the back yard tomorrow (OK, not literally). If I'm leaving for a week or less, I usually just feed the fish heavily (not all at once, but spread out at least a few hours) the day before I leave and then when I get back, but otherwise just let the tank ride. The fish all look plump and healthy when I return. Now, tangs are eating machines, but if you have healthy live rock, they can pick on that for a week. Anything longer than that, I either break out the automatic feeder or get a neighbor to help out. Check around these forums if you haven't already to see if you have a reef club in your area. Having a neighbor feed your fish is good. Having someone who knows how to test water, do emergency water changes and thinks your wacky plumbing scheme actually makes perfect sense is worth their weight in gold!