When You Go Out of Town

[smelleybrad]

I'm just want to know how everyone takes care of their tank when you have to leave for a couple of days. Does someone come over to feed the fish? Top off? etc....

[Polkster13]

Depends on how long you will be gone and how automated your system is (top off water, timers on lights, et cetera). If I am going to be gone more than 48 hours, I will have someone check my tanks for me and give them my cell phone in case of emergency. I really don't want someone doing anything other than feeding as they can really screw things up unless they are very knowledgeable.

Just my 2 cents.

[StephenA]

We leave for 7 days atleast once a year. I type up very detailed instructions, I only let them feed dry foods and I hold a feeding seminar. I also promise the buy them something from the trip. For a couple of days I don't worry about it at all.

[reefer]

I travel extensively around north america (70~80% away from home). i use a reeffanatic auto-top off system in conjuction with a litermeterIII dosing pumps that exchange old saltwater with new saltwater.
8)

[smelleybrad]

I'm not that HIGH_SPEED yet. Maybe one day .I guess I wiil have to count on my Not so smart, never owned a fish tank, neighbors. It will only be for like two days, it shouldn't be that bad. :wacko

[Ram_Puppy]

Brad, have you considered asking a MAAST member to help you out? there are quite a few of us located all over the city. Someone is bound to be close to you.

[DeletedAccount]

I usually relie on the kindness of a fellow MAAST member. I ususally bring them something back.

I am leaving a lot this summer and will be paying decently for the MAAST person that takes care of them. My husband will be home but....

For two days I never worry.

[GaryP]

When we lived out of town and would come home for a week at Xmas I would stock up my tank with about 100 ghost (grass) shrimp and just let my fish graze. I wasn't running MH then and evaporation wasn't such a big problem.

[StephenA]

100 ghost (grass) shrimp


Where did you get those?

[GaryP]

I was living in Beaumont at the time and the local bait shrimpers would get them and sell them to the LFS.

FA sells them in SA. Texas Trop. has them too, but they are the FW variety and won't live as long in SW.

[StephenA]

All the ones up here are fresh/brackish types.

[GaryP]

I suppose these are the brackish kind too. They come from the marshes. You can catch a ton of them in the marsh with a cast net. They were like $1/doz. there so it was just easier to get them at the LFS then drive down to where I could get them myself. They did OK in regular SW though, even without being acclimatized. They are used to wide salinity changes because of the tides coming in and out and run-off from storm water.

[GaryP]

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/info/palaemonetes.cfm

My guess is that they are the same species and can be acclimatized to the higher salinity. Like the article says, they have a wide salinity tolerance. Since the LFS are usually selling them to FW folks, they are acclimatized to FW.

Here's a guy that is raising them in a kiddy pool in his back yard.

http://fins.actwin.com/live-foods/month.9709/msg00021.html

[StephenA]

Every time I put them in my tank once they've been in for over 5 min or reach the sand my fish seem to leave them alone and treat them as tank mates.

[GaryP]

Stephen,

Your fish just aren't hungry enough. I've had them alive for months in my fuge with the idea that their larvae make good coral food. I never saw any pregnant females though. My bet is that they need lower salinity to reproduce.

[GaryP]

Grass shrimp are found in estuarine waters along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, usually associated with beds of submerged vegetation or oyster shells. Although both can live in a wide range of salinity, P. vulgaris can tolerate somewhat higher salinities than P. pugio; thus, there is some separation of the two species based on preferred habitat.

There's our answer. 2 different species with different salinity tolerances. Just ask the LFS to find out which species they are getting in.

[StephenA]

I've seen them in the grass lands of the Gulf Coast of FL. The Salinity is around 1.020 there. I might have to pick up some today and see if I can acclimate them.

[don-n-sa]

Every time I put them in my tank once they've been in for over 5 min or reach the sand my fish seem to leave them alone and treat them as tank mates.

I know that you are not talking about your trigger are you?

[StephenA]

He's too sweet! You have to hold them at the top of the water to get him to eat them. He is also afraid of silversides. I have to chop them up for him to eat them.