Guide to reef care for spouse as I may be going away for work

[vetteguy53081]

Working together in advance is the best instruction you can leave her. As A suggestion, I would leave it in her hands and perhaps consider a trusted pet store or local club member to double check the system every 2-3 weeks to assure everything is in order

 

[WallyB]

Great write up. I go away for weeks at a time, and pretty much everything that can go wrong has. My tank is near fully automated so my wife doesn’t have to do anything other then check the ATO tank level, but even then things always happen. Automated testing and other systems still need to be checked on and shouldn’t be fully relied on as when they fail, they can be a pretty big critical vulnerability to the health of your tank. so the more you plan for the unexpected the better. Usually my tank is going fine when I’m around but the minute I leave it goes crazy.

I find your comment Funny because that's exactly what happens when I go away for more than a day or two. I could plan my absence for days/weeks. Tighten hoses, fill auto feeders, add a extra capacity drain for skimmer cup, etc etc etc.
And like the 3rd day I'm gone something I did or didn't bullet proof goes wrong. Not catastrophic but wrong.

No manual you can leave with anyone watching your tank will handle unexpected things. Sometimes things go wrong that you yourself would have to scramble to solve.

Best thing is have a couple of Web camera's, or one remote control pan and tilt camera to be able to see your tank, sump, etc.

In your case with wife at home.
Email or call with your instructions that YOU send as needed. (You manage the schedule, reminders, and what is good vs bad). Not her to figure out from a book of ideas and concepts.
.....and adjust as thing go.

The camera will also help with situational instructions and ability to watch and assist remotely.

And to make it work....whatever you prepare......... PRACTICE your absence a week or more ahead of your departure as if you left. That takes out kinks and gains experience for people at both ends.

I just learned the "practice before being away lesson" myself a few weeks ago. I setup a new pan and tilt camera on ceiling of sump/tank room instead of on stool as before (for better viewing area). When I got to cottage and checked on camera I learned the view was upside-down and left-was right. Manageable but awkward. And unexpected.

So again. Practice being away is best thing you can do.

 

[Danj]

I agree with all the KISS advice that's been given so far. I've been having non-fishy folk mind my tank for over two decades now and 'simple' is most important rule I follow. Unless your spouse aspires to have their own tank, keeping it as simple as possible will ensure success in reef and in marriage.

My instructions to my wife/mother-in-law when I'm away for up to a month:

1) once a day, push this button and drop two cubes in
2) feel free to scrape the glass if it looks grungy, if not, don't worry about it
3) call me if anything makes noise or looks wrong.

That's it. There's obviously a lot of prep on my side that goes on behind the scenes, as previously mentioned. Cleaning, tightening, refilling, etc. And yeah the skimmer will eventually stop collecting, at least in my case, but it's still oxygenating so I figure that's good enough - my chaeto mound takes care of most of the export anyway. Then I've got an Apex and have automated some of the more critical life support things (heaters, ato-autorefill, auto-water changes) in part to make traveling more worry-free (but also because I like to use laziness as a motivator). So not only can I check the state of the tank at a glance but I'll also know via notification if some things go wrong, and can assist remotely with any troubleshooting that's required.

 

[JLynn]

It's not a bad thing to give her a Reefkeeping 101 specific to your tank for a period of time this long, but just make sure that she's the kind of person who would appreciate knowing all the whats and whys before you go to all that trouble. Some people just won't care about why, and only want you to tell them what to do and when to do it. For the latter kind of person, just tell them what to check for, what things should look and sound like when all is well, and have them contact you for further instruction if any changes have occurred. You'd know best, which kind of person your wife is, just remember to tailor to that.

Regardless, I'd make the first part of this guide a schedule. Ideally you'll go to the trouble of printing out a little calendar and putting everything in its place, but a list would work fine, too. Point out what things are done daily, what is weekly, what you only do once every couple months. This should be the very first page, because it is what she will be referring to most often. A lot of what you already have written out, the background info, is stuff she'll only need to read once or twice, barring emergency, which is why it belongs towards the back.

My other big tip is to, if possible, gather all the things she'll need for the whole period of time and label them if needed. So, for example, if you can, I'd buy/make all the ATO water and Saltwater you predict she will need for the period of time you'll be gone (label which is which, too, to prevent fatal mistakes). And buy enough of your frozen food for however many months it is. If she'll need more test kits than you already have, go get some more. Personally, I find few things more intimidating than shopping for someone else for something you know nothing about. And if I weren't a hobbyist, making ATO and Saltwater would seem super daunting too. Assuming you have the space to store all these materials in your home, this is an easy thing you can do to relieve some stress for her.

Lastly, I'd like to second the tip someone else gave about making instructional videos for her. It's hard to write up detailed instructions for complicated tasks that a newb can follow easily. You'll probably forget at least one important detail. But if you have some videos she can reference on things like water changes and feeding the fish and corals, well, like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Much less stressful for you both for her to be able to see you do the things so she can better copy you.

 

[ZoWhat]

Dont take this the wrong way bc I see you put a lot of work into it.

But IMO for a non-interested person to take on this manual seems overly daunting.

If I were a non-reef-hobbyist.... I would want a dumbed-down version put in simple language. I'd rely on simple step by step instructions of daily chores to be done.

For example... I have no interest in growing flowers in a greenhouse and if my spouse wrote up a manual describing soil content, proper humidity and genres of weeds....I'd scratch my head and hand it back and ask for her to go hire a professional to come once a week to do the work.

Just sayin

 

[Bleigh]

Unfortunately it appears you cant attach a .docx file to a post here. if anyone is interested in having a play around with the document Im happy to email it around and if i get back everyones edited versions I could compile it all into a single document and start a new sticky thread for the beginners forum.

anyone interested?

that project fell through so now im not going away id have time to edit it

I'd be interested in having access to this. Something you might consider since you can't attach a word file is putting it in something like google drive and letting it be public. Then posting the link to that here. You may want to make it un-editable so that way no one can change your original, but could copy and paste and change for their own needs.

 

[WallyB]

I 2nd the idea about making an instructional video, since I've been watching a reef buddies tank for last 3 weeks while he is away for a month. I totally forgot the Tank Setup Tour that he gave me just before he left, and visiting today that video he made of the tour and posted on YouTube came in handy (how to turn on RO system and fill up his Res).

Of course the tour didn't include his vegetable garden which he (unexpectedly) emailed me to water, but I figure that out, following the hose to the tap.

Just want to say one comment to @RouJr . You started a great write up, and it's hints on your desire to document your tank, inhabitants with proper best practice husbandry. Also willingness to share with others.

WHY Don't you start a Tank Thread and keep it up to date with clear instructions, journal notes, tips, photos, etc. that you learn on your Tank Journey, as you gain experience and expertise.

Nothing is better than to look back in time for things you did right, wrong, and improved. Progress over time too!
It may also come in handy if you have to leave in the future, and again ask your wife for assistance.

 

[RouJr]

I'd be interested in having access to this. Something you might consider since you can't attach a word file is putting it in something like google drive and letting it be public. Then posting the link to that here. You may want to make it un-editable so that way no one can change your original, but could copy and paste and change for their own needs.

uploaded to google drive

Guide to Reef Tank Care.docx

drive.google.com

 

[Bleigh]

uploaded to google drive

Guide to Reef Tank Care.docx

drive.google.com

Thank you! I copied it to my drive too!!! Thanks for all that hard work!

 

[Modest]

My approach would be: 1 keep the instructies for the wife as simple as possible; 2 arrange Someone with knowledge to come over once in a while; 3 install a camera (to monitor the aquarium and not the wife)

 

[AZMSGT]

One thing your guide lacks, how often and when to feed the corals and fish.

 

[serwobow]

Feeding is easily automated, even for 2 months.
You can turn the skimmer way down, so it is still doing gas exchange, but doesn't need to be changed.
All other supplements and filter methods are unnecessary, especially just for a few months.

This should be your entire instructions:

1. Hi loving spouse! Please, once a week add water to the water reservoir! The fish and coral will thank you!


If your tank is more complicated than this, then you need to simplify it, so that it is compatible with your lifestyle.