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Oks, towards the end of the year, im going to be away from home for a few months. Im wondering if a planted tank will be oks, if i keep the lights on a timer and a airator for O2? There will be no fish in the tank, basically only thing im worried about is fertilizer. So think they will be oks?

plants need CO2 not O2

Bah, and i did real well in biology and chemistry. Oks well with that said. Would my plants be oks to be left alone for that long? Also what other things might i need to consider?

If you put your timer on for the light and the CO2 is running then I would suggest getting the fertalizers that are time released and put them in the gravel.

The other thing to worry about is if you have tall plants that are going to flourish while you are gone, then any small plants that need light are out of luck.

I suggest you pick which plants are most important to you and get rid of the rest, so that there are more nutrients and fertilizer in the water for them.

Good luck.

Oh and another idea... anyone correct me if I am wrong...

I'd throw some shrimp in there to help breakdown any decaying plant matter and I would throw a pleco in there to help control algae and to add nitrates in the water for the plants.

Just an idea.

Last edited by manborg at 12-May-2005 20:28

So would i need to keep a filter running? Cause i dont really feel comfortable doing that. The filter will proabbly get dirty and chance of getting clogged and siphoing out the water.

You don't want to leave standing water, it will get stagnant and then you will have a big problem. Although, maybe if you have the airation going it may be fine. Not sure... I must defer to the more intelligent folks on the boards...

With such a long stay you have a few problems.

I've left my tank for 2 weeks and it turned into a mess

It's also a diffiult question to answer as it depends on a number of factors.

If there are anu stem plants in there they will become very overgrown quickly and block out all the light except to those covering the suface.

Stagnation, you need some to keep some movement in the water otherwise it will stagnate very quickly. If you don't want to run the filter a powerhead may be a better option then an airstone.

Nutrition. With out any fish or water changes the plants will consume the nutrients pretty quickly which will cause problems and plant die off. Again this depends on the plant stock to some degree. Anubias and crypts could probably hold out. Some fish with an automatic feeder to keep them happy would help with this.

Evaporation may also be an issue again depend on the temp of your home as to how much this would effect.

I would say if you had slow growing plants or plants that don't get too big, and a few tough fish on a automatic feeder you could get away with it. Mollies or Platies mmight be a good choice as they help keep the plants clean and use that to supplement their diet. You come back to find a lot more of these fish then you actually put in though !

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Oh, gosh...I didn't think about evaporation...My tank loses and inch of water a week! After three months, there would be nothing. Good thinking Bensaff!

You can pull the filter media on the filters and just leave them running. Then you'll have water movement without the media getting clogged. A few shrimp of the right kind or fish that like to nibble on plants would help cut down plant growth and add nutrients to the water. Evaporation is going to be the unsolvable problem. My rivertank would definitely be down to it's last few gallons in 3months and the powerhead would be destroyed when it got that low. The planted tank would probably be around 1/4 empty and water lines are a real pain to get rid of. I was worried about just leaving for 10 days this month

You have no one to take care of the tank??I think that will be alot more simple.....


Write a list for the person and write down whats on here like the evapoation and ferts.


Just make sure you write it all down for your friend or family member. Like how many drops of water declorinator, what buckets to use, what temp the water should be and so on.


I just got back for Winnipeg two days ago and I was gone for a week, lets just say my whole house smelt like a swamp. If I would have been gone longer I know someone would have had to be here. All my tanks were a good three inches short of water, my small 5 gallon plants had all started to turn for the worst, and that was hardy plants like hornwort and java moss. I would suggest getting someone it will save you stress and worry, and money in the long run saving you from having to redo your whole tank.



Hope this helps out
Angel Eel

Last edited by angeleel at 13-May-2005 13:16

Yah kind of forgot about evaporation. Thats why i asked to see what else i might not have thought of. Well looks like im out of luck, dont have anyone that i would let have the keys to my house in the area, live on the other side of country from my family. Bah oh well, i will think of something. Thanks for advice.

Having someone check on the tanks about once a week would be a mind-rester for me. I'd be so worried about the tank the whole trip, I probably wouldn't have a good time.

Angeleel... that lists sound like the one I left when we left our puppy with my boyfriend's mom for a weekend about three years ago. She still keeps the two page care list in her wallet as a reminder of how much of a worried mom I am. Two pages of Do's and don'ts and she still fed him pizza!

If you DO find anyone to look in on the tank, I suggest be simple. Don't scare them with the responsibility on the first day. Have them change the water every three weeks instead of every week, make it seem less of a chore. Hopefully you can find someone who knows what they're doing with fish, and knows how to keep them alive. Like my sister has fish, but I wouldn't trust her to watch them for a weekend (I can see it now..."the big ones bit me when I put in the flakes... oh, the plants aren't supposed to be brown?"

not sure where you live, but most cities have pet-care services where you employ someone who knows what they are doing to come in how ever often you nominate to look after stuff... could be worth checking the prices.

If you don't have one already, you might want to consider a full glass top for the tank. They cover 'bout 99% of the tank and GREATLY reduce evaporation. I lose 'bout 1/2 cup of water every week in my 10g w/glass top, and 'bout 1/4 cup a week in my 2.5g w/glass top.

Good Luck