Going Out Of Town For A Little Bit

[nikkifro8994]

So, this is a little early, but I need to find a way to keep my tank alive while I'm out of town. I'm currently in Tallahassee for school, but I'll be going home for the week of Christmas. I'll also be going home for 3 weeks in May for a tonsillectomy. Definitely NOT looking forward to that recovery process! Anyway, on to the tank specs!
 
Tank Specs:
12 gallons tank (~10 gallons of water)
Aquaclear 20 HOB power filter with sponge, carbon, and bio-max
Modified aquaclear 30 HOB fuge with chaetomorpha and a clip on LED light
50 watt heater
2 25 watt incandescent lights
20 lbs live sand
15 lbs live rock (I think)
1 red hermit crab
1 small Occelaris clown
1 small royal gramma
Handful of turbo snails
Quite likely some pods, unless the piggie fish ate them all
 
I don't have a timer for the tank, but I'll get one before I go on vacation. I live with my great aunt, but she has Alzheimer's and will likely not remember to feed the fish, or worse forget that she already fed them and feed them too much. Feeding them is difficult because Nemo likes to snatch all of the food before the Royal comes out of hiding. I have to be sure that they both get enough food and the hermit has some too. They get frozen food so any kind of automatic feeder won't work for me. I was thinking maybe I could get a bunch of live food and put it in the tank a day or so before I leave. I don't know how well this will work, though. I'm worried the fish will eat it all at once and REALLY foul up the water. Plus I don't want them to be spoiled with live food and then switch back to frozen when I return.
 
My second problem is top off. I could leave the lights off so there won't be as much evaporation. Currently they are on for 6-8 hours each day and I add about 1/2 of a gallon each week. The week at Christmas will be alright, but three weeks in May is a gallon and a half short.
 
And the final issue I can think of is water quality. Again, one week will be alright, but three is too long to go without a water change. I change 3 gallons every Sunday. I could do a large one before I leave and another when I return, but I still worry about nitrates getting too high.
 
 
Any tips on how to handle these 2 trips, especially the longer one, are much appreciated!
Thank you!
Nikki

 

[rpgmomma8404]

Anyone you can pay to come over and take care of them while you are gone??? or at least check on them every couple of days? 

 

[xXLeafeonXx]

Feed the fish nls pellets with a automatic feeder.My clownfish loves to eat that. Try to make a D.I.Y auto top off.

 

[CezzaXV]

I realise it's been a while since this thread was posted, but thought it was worth mentioning getting an automatic top up unit. They're a little expensive and normally wouldn't be worth it for a tank of your size, but if you're gone for three weeks then that will make a big difference.

Do you have corals in your tank? If not, then nitrates are the only thing that will really be a big deal. If you do have corals, you might want to add some calcium and whatever else your corals might need into the top up reservoir, so that every time water evaporates, these minerals are replenished.