Maintaining planted tank during vacation

[Calamardo Tentaculos]

Well, it's that time of the year where I will be going away for a few weeks. I usually have no problems, but since the last time I came back to a cyanobacteria outbreak, I would like to get some advice on how I should prepare my tank for 2 weeks in my absence. How should I fertilize my tank while I am away without any auto-dosers? Do I use root tabs? Do I keep my CO2 on, or turn it off and keep the lights down?

Questions abound...

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Light is what sets the rate that plants attempt to grow. If you can't keep up with that rate (with limited/bottoming out CO2, Macros, Micros), you get unhappy plants and algae because they're unhappy.

For vacation, leave your CO2 set up as normal. I'd recommend majorly dimming your lights. I've had lots of success dimming my lights to 25% or even 10% for 2+ week trips.

I'd also suggest doing a larger than normal dose of ferts. The worst thing you can do is run OUT of any of your macros (NPK) especially.

so, do a WC before you leave, add extra ferts, dim your lights, leave CO2 on, and you're good!

 

[Calamardo Tentaculos]

Light is what sets the rate that plants attempt to grow. If you can't keep up with that rate (with limited/bottoming out CO2, Macros, Micros), you get unhappy plants and algae because they're unhappy.

For vacation, leave your CO2 set up as normal. I'd recommend majorly dimming your lights. I've had lots of success dimming my lights to 25% or even 10% for 2+ week trips.

I'd also suggest doing a larger than normal dose of ferts. The worst thing you can do is run OUT of any of your macros (NPK) especially.

so, do a WC before you leave, add extra ferts, dim your lights, leave CO2 on, and you're good!

Thanks for the advise.

I generally do that, but with the last outbreak of BGA, I am worried that there would be insufficient KNO3 in the water column given the length of time away. I presume I do not need to dose 2 weeks' worth of fertilisers since the lights will be lowered to 10-25%, so approximately a week and half worth equivalent of dosing?

I'm thinking root tabs as well to enrich the substrate. Do you see any flaws in that method?

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I wouldn’t do less ferts. It won’t hurt having the extra in there, the plants will use what they need. If your deficient even with low light it could cause issues. The speed of growth will just slow, this way you aren’t changing too much at once.

 

[Phish Tank]

Lowering the lights is good, and i always do an extra deep clean during water change two weeks before I leave, and an extra water change the week I'm leaving.

I give fast growing plants a pretty short haircut before I leave.

I would cut the fish food amount down too, and run with the auto feeder for a few weeks before you leave as well to make sure they work (I do auto feeding even when I am home, for consistency ).

Lastly, I always have a Wyze cam pointed at the tank so I can check on it.

 

[Sb1415]

You could consider an autodoser. The 2 head Chihiros autodosing pump is at 132$ in the Chihiros website.

 

[Calamardo Tentaculos]

You could consider an autodoser. The 2 head Chihiros autodosing pump is at 132$ in the Chihiros website.

Too expensive. I need to spend less. not more.