Setting up new tank... then...

[skiltrip]

I just ordered a new 15H tank for my girlfriend. I should have it by the end of the week.

Question is, we are going away for about a week and a half. After the tank is set up, what would be the best thing to do while we are gone?

Should I throw a little food in to start a little ammonia forming?

What else can I do to get the cycle going just a tiny bit?

I am planning on leaving the filter running while we are gone to uncloud the water obviously. I have the 37 Gallon, but it's still cycling, so i don't want to borrow any water or gravel from it just yet. (nitrates are a little high right now.) And we of course will not be putting any fish in until we come back from vacation.

- Kip

 

[Tanked]

You may want to get one of those time release feeders to add ammonia while you are gone. do you have someone coming to take care of your other fish? if so just have them throw a bit of food in the water daily.

 

[skiltrip]

Regarding feeding the fish in my other tank while I am away...

My girlfriend's father will be coming over periodically to feed the fish. I'm glad you brought it up, cause I have some concerns about that too.

I was going to use the 3 day feeders, and just have him come every 3 or 4 days and put a new one in. But I am testing one out now, and it's dissolving very very slowly. I don't think a major release of food has happened and it's been almost 2 days. Do they just release food extremely slow? I know on the package it says the ideal pH is in the 7.x range. I think mine is around 8, perhaps a tiny bit higher (high pH is normal for my area. my LFS said they have around the same pH in their tanks.) Could that be why they are dissolving too slow?

The other thing is, If the vacation feeders aren't going to work out, could the fish survive being fed once every other day, or even every three days? I have 4 tiger barbs and two rosy barbs in the 37 gallon tank by the way.

- kip

 

[wetwetwet]

skiltrip is the 37g cycled?

 

[skiltrip]

wetwetwet,

The tank has been running a little less than a month. I assume it's not quite cycled yet. If it was, I'd seed the other tank with some gravel and use the water from the 37g tank.

- kip

 

[impur]

They will be fine for 3 days with no food. I typically go out of town on thursday or friday. If i feed my fish that day i feed them in the morning then not again till i get sunday night or monday morning. In the wild fish don't get to eat everyday at the same time and i'm sure they go days with no food. The vacation feeder will work fine though, it releases very slowly a little bit at a time. I have used the 7 day ones before and come home to alive fish