Planning for Extended Time Away - Best Advice

[Art]

As many of you know, I'm in tank reset mode at the moment. Hoping for deep cleaning, re-setup this week with plants going in this upcoming weekend. Here's hoping, anyway.

That being said, I will have an extended trip away from home in exactly 41 days. I will be gone for 27 days - work and a two week vacation.

I am therefore planning on a re-do AND extended away period at the same time. Scary and complicated or maybe I'm overthinking it. Should I just wait to re-do it when I come back?

I do have almost full tank automation. The only thing I don't have automated is the water change process. Therefore, I would likely have to rely on my brother-in-law to do four water changes for me. He's a reefer so he can handle that.

What say you ScapeCrunchers? Any advice?

 

[Pepere]

I wouldnt be doing a reset before heading out for an extended period myself…. Especially if it was a bigger tank…

However, 41 days is not exactly a short period of time…

I think I would be waiting till I was back home and settled…

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I concur. I think we can all agree the initial couple weeks of a new setup are a tight rope walk even with a seeded filter and mature setup. The best defense against a crash is eyes on the tank. I’d hold off until you return sir so you set yourself up for success.

 

[Yugang]

I've been told it's my mistress by my wife.

Therefore, I would likely have to rely on my brother-in-law

Not sure how that would play out

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Not sure how that would play out

Watch out for the floaters, and it’s not gonna be plants or expired fauna.

 

[Joel Armstrong]

You've got 41 days until you leave, isn't that enough time to set it up as you wish and make any necessary adjustments before you leave?

If you can automate the tank, and get your BIL to do water changes, I say go for it and get that tank set up again. You've got the experience, just do it already

Otherwise you're waiting 68 days!!

 

[Art]

Thanks for your inputs. They are very valuable.

As I read the responses, I felt that I was listening to my brothers, if I had any. The older brother with cautious and wise counsel. The middle brother cautioning me about my BIL and my mistress. And, my youngest brother, go for it!

I'm going to give it a go. Not because those that caution doing it are not right. You probably are. It's just that when I get back it will be the middle of tax time in the US and I will likely get back to weeks of heavy work. I would likely not be able to work on the tank until early November.

I just can't let it go that long.

That said, my BIL is a reefer, not a plant head. Would you suggest tuning the lights down? Changing the fertilizer regime? All to make it easier?

I think @Yugang was going to do something like this for his trip.

 

[Pepere]

Certainly there is no right or wrong answer on this one. Everybody has their own risk tolerances and confidences in their abilities and their own experience profile.

I tend to be somewhat risk adverse, and I am still working on building experience with the aquatic hobby, and at 58 have lived long enough to know that my particular level of confidence in a given subject might not always be based on a realistic assumption…

I do think however that dialing down the energy of the system or systems has some merit. Less co2, light, ferts will induce slower growth… less metabolic waste,etc…. But then again one is altering the balance of everything…

Once I finally got algae under control, I was sort of traumatized by it and was loathe to make any changes for fear of falling off a knife edge of balance…. I have since been nudged out of that fear and become willing to test boundaries…

In the end, the worst thing that could possibly happen is a need to empty the tank, clean it out and start all over again…. Very likely a very unlikely occurrence…. But worth noting, that if you built it once, you can always build it again….

Hows that for a cheerful encouraging note, Art?

 

[Joel Armstrong]

Thanks for your inputs. They are very valuable.

As I read the responses, I felt that I was listening to my brothers, if I had any. The older brother with cautious and wise counsel. The middle brother cautioning me about my BIL and my mistress. And, my youngest brother, go for it!

I like the way you've worded this

I'm the less experienced, risk taking "younger brother"

I get it... I'm happy to be your younger brother, regardless

 

[Art]

@Joel Armstrong I didn't say less experienced!

And I'm going with your advice so let's see how we do!