Help-no maintenance ideas

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username here

Member
I'm trying to stock a salt tank at my high school, but with summer coming in a few months there won't be anyone to take care of the aquarium for two months.

I know this is a bad idea, but I want to have one or two fish to see if it is possible for them to get through the summer. I was thinking having a macro-algae in some sort of cage that the fish can't get through, and having them eat the algae that gets through it, or also having cope-pods living in the algae that the fish could eat. I would also have to make the tank air tight to minimize evaporation, and there would have to be enough algae to keep up oxygen levels.

I just wanted to know if this idea was possible, and if anyone has any fish/algae suggestions.
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
This is almost impossible to do even if you were there to check up on things every couple of days.

Also if things don't work out you have one big smelly mess that the school's "powers that be" will not appreciate, and would likely lead to a ban on future aquarium projects.

Do your self a favor and tear down the tank for the summer, or if it's a small system, move it some place for the summer.

So my suggestions for fish and algae are none and none.
 
StirCrayzy

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
I would ask a LFS to sponsor the display, maybe sell or loan a coupl fish with the condition that they return for the summer.
Maybe they could put their logo on the tank or something...

In no way should you leave a tank unattended for any extended time.
Many of us have put a lot of effort into automation, but still wouldn't risk much longer than a week away.
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Agreed with everyone above. I wouldn't recommend this. Even automating everything leaves room for equipment failure. The only way I would do this is if A) I could get an Apex or some other controller to alert me if something goes wrong, B) be guaranteed to have access to the building within 12 hours of notifying someone in the school, and C) never out of the area for more than a day so that if something goes wrong, I can get in closely. This type of setup is going to be massively expensive though, and I'd be shocked if they'd guarantee you access so readily, so again, I wouldn't do it.

Maybe you could look into some sort of closed ecosystem like an Opae ula biotope. In a nutshell, these super hardy little shrimp live in stagnant brackish pools in Hawaii and require little maintenance. In fact, many people keep these shrimps in near air-tight systems with no filtration or water movement, live plants to provide gas exchange, and they never feed (these shrimp eat algal and bacterial films).

Something hands off and simple like this is probably much better suited to your needs. Although again, I don't know if I'd leave them unattended for 2 months..
 
Antics

Antics

Active Member
Don't intend to come off as rude, but almost everything about this idea is terrible! Don't potentially cause the death of a couple fish out of laziness. Laziness meaning the lack of desire to check on the tank over the summer, or the laziness of breaking it down. I would contact an administrator and ask them when they will be on campus over the summer. When I was in high school we were still allowed to go to school randomly to meet teachers or work on labs etc for the following year.

If this is not an option, I suggest you go the wrote or taking it home or donating to a LFS.
 
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