Going out of town...*gulp*

This may be a stupid question, but how do some of go out town and feel at ease that your aquarium will be fine for days without a care taker?

I'm about to leave for about 10 days and I'm nervous as heck. I've heard so many stories of things going wrong when fellow reefers have done so. I'm thinking of doing a 20% water change right before I leave and turning off my skimmer. I'm afraid the collection cup will overflow in the amount of time that I'm gone. I'm pretty sure my fish will fine without eating for this amount of time. Am I wrong for assuming this? Is there anything else I should do?

The only care taking measure we've set up is having our neighbors 10 year son open and close the door daily to let our cats in and out. I don't have much faith that if something went wrong that they would know what to do anyway.

 

see if someone you trust from your lfs could come by mid-trip for you and check on everything

 

Yeah, 10 days is really pushing it. I wouldnt personally do the water change, and I sure as heck wouldn't shut off the skimmer. Your only inviting trouble that way. If your that worried about the skimmer, rig in an overflow for it. It's fairly easy to do.
But I would sure as heck find someone that is a little more knowledgable than the neighbor kid to at least check it over mid trip.

 

What about water evaporation? Do you have an ATO?

 

I leave town for work all the time but 10 days is too long without some sort of check up.
It can be done if you have a proper top off and autofeeder set up but I would be super nervous.
I have this feeder that is great:
Aquarium Automatic Feeders: Rondomatic 400
I can put algae wafers in it and flakes. It can feed 3 times a day or 28 days once a day...or a combo of how you set it up.
I have an auto top off also.
I would get someone to come in and check it every 3-4 days.

Does your skimmer not have a collection cup that cuts itself off? That sounds like trouble even if you're home if it doesn't.

 

10 days is quite a while. Find someone to look after it, maybe top it off if you need somebody to.

 

I have my parents come out every 3 or 4 days to feed and top off. 10 days is too long.

We are slaves to our tanks.

 

Yup, you need someone to top off as stated. I would have some premeasured dry food and have someone dump that in the tank twice while you are gone on the days you say are fine. That will keep the waste down and, unless you have high maintenance fish, should work great. Put your lights on a timer (if they are not already) and train someone on emptying the collection cup....or make your own collection cup overflow. I did just that for about $10. Good luck dude.

 

I don't have a ATO. Usually I don't have to top off for about every 7-10 days. I know I'm pushing a lot of factors. My lights is a Sundial unit, so I good there. I have a AquaC Remora skimmer, so I don't know to set up a draining system for it. I feel like I'm imposing to ask, but think I will see if my neighbors (the adults) will empty the collection cup. Feeding is my only worry. The LFS here doesn't stock much equipment because in his words, "these days I can only afford to stock the stuff that flies off the shelves." Translation, that means he's only stocking livestock nowadays. Can't say that I blame him.

I don't really know the guy at my LFS well enough to give the keys to my house, so that's not a option. This is the first time I'm leaving town since my tank's been setup and I do feel like a slave to my tank. ;D