# Vacation and Plants



## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Vacation and Plants. 

Going on a long vacation in May and bout time I address how to modify my timers and such so that when I come back home, I’m not left with two tanks full of algae. I will be gone for 10 days. Won’t be able to fert tanks. 

Setups. 2 tanks. 37 & 100 High tech tanks, lights, ferts, co2. Current photo period set at ~ 10hr day light. 2 am, 8 pm, co2 on with lights. 

Current ideas, Someone had relatively good success reducing photo period to couple hours am, then couple hours in the pm. ~ 4hr / day.

Would Love to hear how others have handled their setups when they were away for extended periods of time and couldn’t have anyone care for their tanks daily.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I believe Ben had set his up for a few hours of light a day,cut the co2 down and gave it a rest period.I am not sure of his exact methods though.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I cut my lighting period in half which was 4hrs per day. No ferts and never adjusted my CO2 down. In fact, light adjustment was all I did. Has worked for me fine but last time I lost power and it reset my timers and for two tanks it didn't work so well. Normally though, it should work. Less light, less demand for ferts and such.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Follow up. Gone for 12 days. Set lights to 1 hr on in the am, 2 hours on in the pm. Had someone came by to feed fish only.

After 12 days. All plants were alive and accounted for. Couple of the plants seemed to have *thinned*, but were still green and present.


On the 37, i was on the cusps of a major algae outbreak (my next step would have been black out for 3 days). When I returned, no algae to be seen. (brown (diacom?))


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Cool.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

for a 10 day vacation I just leave and come back.


my .02


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

beaslbob said:


> for a 10 day vacation I just leave and come back.
> 
> 
> my .02


Some of us actually care how their plants look. Ten days with no light would wipe out many.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jrman83 said:


> Some of us actually care how their plants look. Ten days with no light would wipe out many.


I do have my lights on a timer. *old dude

.02


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

That is surprising. You have to adjust high light tank photo periods down to the point the need for ferts isn't there since someone will not be there to do it. High light tanks have to have or plants can be stunted.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

LOL I thought timers would be too technical for ya bob.You dont just sit your tanks in windows and let them be?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

majerah1 said:


> LOL I thought timers would be too technical for ya bob.You dont just sit your tanks in windows and let them be?



*r2

C what you get for assuming.

my 55g is actually like that but it is the only tank that I have done that does not have lights.

I actually find is week of me not interfering makes the tank cleaner and the fish actually look more active.

my .02


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Interfering, meaning work with your tank? Isn't that you 24/7-365? That is the true "Beaslbob Method".


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