Vacation Help: Auto feeders & Auto Topoff?

[Jim_Larkin]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone could share any experience with good brands/models of auto feeders? I'm heading to San Fran for 8 days or so, and and thinking of investing. I'm running a one clown/many coral 10 gallon nano and will do a large 10-20% water change just before and after.

My other big question is on topoff. Is there an easy one time vacation solution for this? I may ask the cat sitter, who will visit 2-3 times to fill the tank back to a predetermined topoff line i set on the tank. If anybody has any experience here it would be much appreciated. thanks!
-jim

 

[Jim_Larkin]

Anybody?

 

[Reefried]

IMO setting up new equipment right before you leave town is a BAD idea..........I was going to say that getting an ATO is a good idea for the tank even if you werent going away, but then i noticed that its only a 10 gall, and it might be just as easy for you to dump in a half gallon every other day or whatever your evap rate is...(you could and probablly do use a holding container for top-off {hopefully your using RODI}, and as long as you keep a powerhead in the container then it will be fine for months).......so just leave instructions for the cat helper to put in X amount every X days until you get back..........and as for the auto feeder, they are a great idea but only if you set it up and can moniter its performance for a month or so before you leave, and when setting it up dont fill it with food just put in a days worth just in case it malfunctions....usually auto feeders end up dumping ALL the food in when they go bad, it would be nice if when they went batty they just stopped working but that never seems to be the case........so IMO just feed the little guy heavy for the week before you leave and then at the halfway mark (ie you leave for 8 days then at the 4 day mark) have the cat helper feed a pre determined (you can put the food into a soda bottle cap and cover with saran wrap and just have the person dump that and ONLY that into the tank for you.or if you use frozen then just one cube...dont let the person kill your fish then say "Well he LOOKED hungry so i put in more food!!}) amount.....but if thats not an option i honestly think the fish will be fine with NO food for that time perriod....just fatten him up before you leave!!!

 

[JayM]

if fed beforehand, a clown could survive with 2 feedings over 8 days, and possibly only 1.

When we go away, our pet sitter is fine with checking the level in my tanks, so adding topoff water should not be a problem.

you already have 80% of the issue dealt with...someone to come in and look at the tank.

1 feeding and topoff 3x when your pet sitter comes in should be fine for your tank.

 

[Jim_Larkin]

OK - great. thanks for the help that puts me at ease a bit.