[hi-revs]

Im planning on a 1 month long vacation coming up in November.
Sad to say, but i do keep a overstocked 125g community tank... But it works

Currently im doing 1x/wk 50% water changes and everything is at bay with no issues for years.

I have a autofeeder that i can setup to drop minimal amount of pellets, so im not too worried about the feeding part.

I am however worried about the water changing part.
I could get a relative to come over weekly or once every 2 weeks to do a wc for me (pre setup the phython and all), but none of them really know what theyre doing and im scared theyll wreck havoc!

How bad would i be if i went from what im doing now to not doing a water change for one month?????
Im thinking maybe no wc for a month and get a relative to just top up the water everytime they come over... Any ideas?

 

[118869]

Try it out first while your here. Dont do any w/c starting now and see what happens

 

[shaobo]

Not sure how your bio-loads are like, but I have done multiple trips similar like that in the past without problems when I keep the feeding minimal, and I usually perform a big WC to all tanks the day before I leave.

One suggestion is best to leave the number of someone who knows what they are doing with your relative just in case something happens. Make sure you test run your auto feeders for at least a week prior and make sure you have fresh battery in there~ Good luck!

 

[charles]

really depends on stock level, type of stocks, if the tank is planted, or not...

Sometimes feeding less and keep light off and cover the tank is good (no plant tank) so fish is not at active stage. No food = no waste. Or once a week feeding mininal is good as well.

 

[DBam]

Well there you have it hi-revs, nuts, crackers and beef jerky should take care of your tank while you're away. Seriously though, if it were my tank I would leave the lights off and have that relative stop by once a week just to throw some food in. No wcs unless its by someone you really trust, otherwise it'll probably cause more harm than good after you do that one big WC before you leave. You'll have the peace of mind knowing someone is stopping by that will notice anything major (power outages, leaks, etc) and that the fish won't be wasting away without food (not that they would necessarily, just the peace of mind). I also believe that running a fraction of the feeding is better than none at all during longer vacations since its less of a shock to your fish and their metabolism and the tanks biological filtration (ie: maintaining more consistent bacteria levels by avoiding sharp depletions and spikes in nutrient levels).

 

[DevinHebert]

Turn your temp down a couple degrees and keep lights off.

 

[dino]

I would not have anyone touch your tank when your away unless they are experienced. I even measure out each feeding for the person that is taking care of the fish