Hey,

After any tips people have as regards co2,lighting and ferts before i go away this weekend. I go fri-monday and no-one is able to come and dose ferts on my tank, is this going to cause any problems with no dosing for 4 days?

Do i keep my lighting and co2 the same whilst away or adjust the timers? Lights are on for 7 hours, co2 comes on 30 minutes before lights and shut off 30 minutes before.

I plan on doing a 50% water change the day before i go but just worried with no ferts for 4 days it could create an imbalance and algae. I left tank for a week before and came back to a BBA outbreak, but this was when i was running DIY Co2, now have a pressurised system.

Just after any tips you guys may have, or will it be fine being left as it is.

Thanks

You could tone down your lighting and co2 which would reduce the demand for ferts. I wouldn't do the water change before you left I would do it when you get back That way any ferts you normally have as excess will be able to be used while you are away.

Thanks Topekoms, yea i was thinking of reducing them down to 6 hours, or would you recommend further? Thanks for tip about water change, will leave that until after.
Would there be any advantage to increasing fert dosing slightly a few days beforehand then, so as to create an excess? Or is it best just to keep regular dosing?

I would just do regular dosing if you increase that might cause an algae bloom. I think 5 to 6 hrs would be a good reduction.

You can add three to five days' worth of ferts at one time before you leave and keep everything else as normal. I have done it many times, as have other members of the forum. The bigger disaster comes if you don't add any ferts. I did that the first time. Hair algae everywhere. It was a mess.