The skimmer didn't work during that period. Nothing died, but NO3 raised from zero and the Zoas seemed stressed.
What happened: the air hose that brings air into the skimmer got clogged with airborne debris over time, and it chose the week I was traveling to get completely stuck. Here it is:
See that the tip is darkened. That was salt buildup mixed with airborne dust. It got clogged up, stopped sending air to the pump, therefore no skimming. When we arrived home the skimmer cup was empty therefore it must have clogged up on day 1 of our trip.... great luck uh?
So, remember to check the small details of your equipment periodically. If anything seems dirty, if possible clean it....
After about 8 hours since cleaning the hose the cup was already this full:
Snorkeler
Yep, RCSnorkeler. It's Murphy's Law at work. That's how I lost half my fish and corals on a long weekend day out. When I got home, temperature of the water was 31 Celsius. Basically, the circulation tubing from the chiller froze with ice inside (the chiller was too efficient) and water stopped flowing through it. End result: my HQI lights raised the water temperature and cooked a lot of stuff. That was my first major accident regarding my aquarium a couple of years ago.
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