Running full co2 without Ei for a week

[Frenchi]

Hi ppl
Holiday season is here and dosing Ei.
If I'm away for a week and Ei doesn't get dosed but the co2 carries on on my timers etc, will there be any severe consequences, my son can feed every couple of days so that's not a problem but he cannot get there to dose as per instructions..
Don't want my plants to deteriorate in any way
What's your thoughts please ?

Mick 🙂


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[Sacha]

I've done this before and when I came back, there had been massive plant growth! None of them deteriorated.

 

[ian_m]

When I went away for couple of days (before I build a dosing pump), a week or two before going away, reduced lighting and CO2 down to 4 hours a day (from 7 ?), did 50% water change before going, dosed EI and just left alone. Fish fed by feeder daily. All looked OK upon return.

 

[parotet]

When I'm out for some days I leave very detailed (and written) directions. That's the most important thing IMO.
Let's say I leave home for one week and someone is home the day 3... (Most of the times it is my wife and she is home everyday but I don't want to her to be aware of the tanks, actually there's no need). Before leaving I feed the fish and they are fed again when I am back home (only my wife can feed them but no one else, to avoid problems). I dose EI ferts for 3 days before leaving and on day 3, the person responsible for the tank dose for 3 days more. You can even prepare the dose to make it easier.
I've done this for 5 days with no one coming home, so I dose for 5 days and that's all.
More than one week is my psychological limit to change the strategy... a bit dangerous so much time without WC, without any kind of control on problems that may happen... In that case I would reduce, as mentioned, the light period or even leave the lights and co2 off. Plants would do well with no light for 10 days as well as fish.

Jordi

 

[Frenchi]

Cheers guys ... It's just I have have the co2 set to perfection now and didn't want to mess but only if it would be no decrement to fish or plant ... I did think about reducing feeding a week before I go while dosing, then the week I'm away don't water change until I get back that way there maybe still plenty of nutrient in the water ... Just a thought


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[parotet]

Cheers guys ... It's just I have have the co2 set to perfection now and didn't want to mess but only if it would be no decrement to fish or plant ... I did think about reducing feeding a week before I go while dosing, then the week I'm away don't water change until I get back that way there maybe still plenty of nutrient in the water ... Just a thought


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Maybe I miss something, but why do you want to change your feeding/ferts/light/co2 adjustments if you are leaving just for a week?
Fish don't need to be fed. They will do well. You can add the ferts your plants need for the whole week the day you leave (or split in two the dose if someone can dose for you at mid week. If you have an enriched substrate just dose for 3 or 4 days... The substrate do have enough nutrients), just let the co2 and lights as they are. I would just make a good WC before leaving and clean the equipment if needed (pipes, glassware, filter), just to make sure that everything's ok before you leave.

Jordi

 

[Frenchi]

Maybe I miss something, but why do you want to change your feeding/ferts/light/co2 adjustments if you are leaving just for a week?
Fish don't need to be fed. They will do well. You can add the ferts your plants need for the whole week the day you leave (or split in two the dose if someone can dose for you at mid week. If you have an enriched substrate just dose for 3 or 4 days... The substrate do have enough nutrients), just let the co2 and lights as they are. I would just make a good WC before leaving and clean the equipment if needed (pipes, glassware, filter), just to make sure that everything's ok before you leave.

Jordi

I was under the impression that while co2 is being injected fertz have to be added.. Looks like that is not the case 🙂
I thought about dosing for the full week but I also thought that macro and micro has to be dosed on different days ..
So can I just blob the weekly amound of Ei the day before I go?


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[parotet]

I was under the impression that while co2 is being injected fertz have to be added.. Looks like that is not the case 🙂
I thought about dosing for the full week but I also thought that macro and micro has to be dosed on different days ..
So can I just blob the weekly amound of Ei the day before I go?


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Frenchi you can add the ferts when the co2 is on or off, it really doesn't matter. It is the same with micros and macros, there's no need to dose them on different days. In my case it is a routine that fits with my way of life. If I can I prefer to dose everyday early in the morning, so I can check my tanks while I have my coffee. If I'm out I just do what I can... Sometimes I blob the dose for 2, 3 pr 5 days. It is the same for WC. I do at least one (Sunday) but if I can I do another one on Wednesday, by night... That's the only possible moment for me.
It has to be easy for you, otherwise you leave the routine and your tanks gets worse and worse...

Easy routine = good control on the tank = long term tank husbandry = success. At least IMO 😉

Jordi

 

[foxfish]

I regularly 'don't' dose ferts for a week or even ten days sometimes, if the tank is mature there should not be any problems.

 

[kirk]

I hardly use ferts as I keep crs/cbs. Just a smidging on water change day. I've just had a 9 days away from the tank and with no ferts the plants hit the surface.

 

[Frenchi]

I hardly use ferts as I keep crs/cbs. Just a smidging on water change day. I've just had a 9 days away from the tank and with no ferts the plants hit the surface.

Thanks for that ... Looks like people do very different things here 🙂 .. I will see how it pans out without anyway 🙂


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[RichardJW]

Experience tells me that the biggest problem in fish keeping is letting someone inexperienced take charge of feeding over holidays . My advice would always be make sure they're happy and healthy before you go away - appropriate water changes and quality food , then leave well alone . Resume same on return - you'll be amazed how healthy they look !


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[Frenchi]

Experience tells me that the biggest problem in fish keeping is letting someone inexperienced take charge of feeding over holidays . My advice would always be make sure they're happy and healthy before you go away - appropriate water changes and quality food , then leave well alone . Resume same on return - you'll be amazed how healthy they look !


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Yes I read your post earlier, I think it was you ? The major disaster with overfed fish ect ... I'm trial running a week with very little fertz and food 🙂


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