If it was me, I would cut back on ferts to about 1/2 strenght dosing and shorten the photo period to 8-10 hours. For ferts, I would get pre-made solutions for your friend to dump in the tank 1x per week. Remeber that if you make concentrated solutions, do not mix phosphate and your iron. Have two separate bottles.
Will be away for a month... suggestions for ferts please
I'll be going away for a month and was wondering how to handle the fert levels in my 200l tank while I'm away.
Do I dose a lot before leaving?
Someone will be coming around but as they know nothing about tanks all I'll be asking them to do is to top up with water. I was actually thinking of mixing ferts in the top up water (will be in a barrel next to the aquarium) at a high enough concentration that when they top up with lets say 10 or 20l it would refertilize the tank.
Currently I fertilize K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4 and CSM+B at the weekly 50% water change and again mid week except for the PO4.
Too bad I haven't had the time to set up an auto doser! :? But even then I couldn't mix all the above together, especially the Fe and PO4...
How do you people do this? Or do you never go on vacations? :shock:
Do I dose a lot before leaving?
Someone will be coming around but as they know nothing about tanks all I'll be asking them to do is to top up with water. I was actually thinking of mixing ferts in the top up water (will be in a barrel next to the aquarium) at a high enough concentration that when they top up with lets say 10 or 20l it would refertilize the tank.
Currently I fertilize K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4 and CSM+B at the weekly 50% water change and again mid week except for the PO4.
Too bad I haven't had the time to set up an auto doser! :? But even then I couldn't mix all the above together, especially the Fe and PO4...
How do you people do this? Or do you never go on vacations? :shock:
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
One possibility is to get some small glass bottles and fill each with a weekly dose and label accordingly. Get the tank sitter to pour in one bottle per week (or a variation on this theme).
It might be worth halving the dosing level while you're away if the water is not going to be changed. Also, it might be worth cutting back the lighting period.
Auto-dosers don't deal with the fact that you will not be changing water during that period.
Andrew Cribb
It might be worth halving the dosing level while you're away if the water is not going to be changed. Also, it might be worth cutting back the lighting period.
Auto-dosers don't deal with the fact that you will not be changing water during that period.
Andrew Cribb
Lowering the lighting intensity and/or photoperiod should help a lot, I've done that in the past and left the tank unattended for a month without too many problems. Obviously upon my return the tank was in bad need of pruning and had a little surface slime here and there but it did well considering the period it remained without any ferts. Automatic feeder was all I had at the time.
Giancarlo
Giancarlo
Lowering the light period/intensity sounds like a good idea. Hadn't thought of that.
Thanks for the inputs.
Thanks for the inputs.
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
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