Holiday Help

[Phoenixfish]

ok hi people,

in two weeks time im going on a family holiday for the week and have a slight problem with my tank, its only a small 5.5 usg *coughs* baddly stocked with 1 bronze cory and 2 AT barbs (newbie mistake but after this holiday i can finally sort it out) all in one jobby
the problem is the filter/pump,heater and light is all wired into one plug
do i keep light on or off?(it has its own switch obviously) as i cant use a mains timer really as the filter will go

also we brought some of those holday food tabs (3 day version) to try out, we were going to buy a 7 day one if it worked but in short its been cr*p its now been a day and it hasnt really desolved
its now under the outlet of the filter biowheel drop to try and improve its rate of desolving.

so i am planing to drop a 3 day one as a slow feed thingy and kinda hope for the best, i mean ive read that they sometimes fair better after a weeks famine...so i think thats the feeding sorted out

so the main problem is the light, i cant ask the next door to help as ones never there and the other hates us for some reason

p.s no live plants in at the moment

 

[barryp]

Buy a plug timer in your local hardware store, mine comes on at 8 in the morning and turns off at 11 at night, buy a 4 way adapter so the timer doesnt switch off the pump and heater though.!"

 

[Phoenixfish]

Buy a plug timer in your local hardware store, mine comes on at 8 in the morning and turns off at 11 at night, buy a 4 way adapter so the timer doesnt switch off the pump and heater though.!"

i cant as its all wired to one plug if i turn it off at the mains everything goes thats the problem otherwise id use a timer thanks anyway

 

[Ava_Banana]

I just returned from a two week spell away from my fish.

I left the lights off on all three tanks.....one is by a window so gets plenty of natural light....the others aren't........however, aside from a couple of plants looking a little pale.....everyone is fine.

I dropped in a week block into each tank......and when I returned the ones in two tanks were gone, and the third was nearly so.

...no dead fish.....no plant decimation....no problems to report...


...good luck...

 

[Phoenixfish]

yeh well there isnt anyplants but it isnt in the sunnest of places but its not bad,
so i think ill keep the lights off and asfor the food tabs well im still testing that one maybe if i turn the base upside down(its pyramid shaped) so the larger base ges more exsposure hmmmmmm

 

[barryp]

It sounds a bit dangerous in the first place to have all 3 wired into one plug...I would advised seperating the lot onto a nice clean 4 way adapter with surge protection, that way you can introduce a timer to just the lights.

 

[Phoenixfish]

It sounds a bit dangerous in the first place to have all 3 wired into one plug...I would advised seperating the lot onto a nice clean 4 way adapter with surge protection, that way you can introduce a timer to just the lights.

maybe, it came as an all in one beginner set, it hasnt really had anyproblems, and i dont get my larger tank till after the hols (not counting down the days honest) so allthough ive done some wiring in engineering when i was still at school (just left, GCSE results and D-day on the 23 august ) ill leave them be for the moment, i mean alittle dark never did anyone harm

 

[Miss Wiggle]

the lights in aquariums are pretty much only for plants and for viewing, if you've no plants then leave it off.

But I'd strongly advise against leaving those holiday feeding blocks in, more trouble than they're worth. They'd be fine without food for a couple of weeks, don't be tempted to overfeed before you go as this can mess up your water qualities.

Bear in mind your tanks gonna have no water changes or maintenance for 2 weeks, do you want the fish to be producing less or mroe waste.... less obviously as then the state of the water won't deteriorate so do a thorough clean before you go and just leave them be. Fish in the wild live on the brink of starvation, 2 week's isn't really that long for them to be without food.

If your really worried though the best option is an automatic feeder, it drops a set amount of food in at set times.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Phoenixfish

If the weather is hot in your area, I would suggest leaving the light off.

On of the biggest problems people have when they are away for a period of time, is that their closed up house gets very warm. This could cause the tank to overheat and having the light on all the time will only make it worse.

Also, please do a big water change before you go and just don't feed them while you are away. This will help to keep the nitrate level down which is especially important since you have a small tank.

Have a great trip!

 

[Phoenixfish]

yeh i will do a large clean, i went france with my dad for two weeks came back like 2 days ago and i did a big clean then, but my mum was there to feed and light, but i think ive got it sorted out now,
thanks people
jarvo