The Puffer Forum

Have two GSP that I no longer feed everyday. I tried a few different feeding times, but what seems to work best is feeding for 2 days, then 2 days not. Doing so has kept them from being overweight, but I will admit they are chunky.

So, I went on a small vacation and they were not feed for 4 days. I thought I would come home to some skinny pigs, but no. They looked exactly the same as when I left.

I am wondering if it is time to go down to once or twice a week?

They are not full grown, I have only had them a year. But they are pushing past 4inches, without tail fin. I have the "saba" looking ones like pufferpunk's.

They are still kind of young, I just don't want to harm their growth or make it harder to keep their teeth down.

I would suggest smaller meals more often. Every other day worked fine for me. You should be feeding to a lightly rounded belly only - that is not, repeat, not a beer-belly look. If that is what you see, you are over-feeding. Over-feeding shortens lives on its own, plus makes the water quality upkeep harder. The fish need to eat enough of the right food to maintain good growth and normal body configuration. Unfortunately, most of the GSPs pictured on this and other sites are grossly obese - which is not healthy.

Yeah, I am trying to avoid the obese look! Very difficult task!!

To put into perspective on how much they eat..they can normally eat a smallish/medium mussel each per feeding. Their bellies do get rounded, but I would not say they have too much of a beer belly, but yes they do get a belly!!

I will cut that down to half a mussel each and go with every other day. It is entirely probable that A mussel each is too much.

It is really hard to maintain a weight and avoiding gaining weight!

Actually you want them to gain weight as they grow. That is normal growth. What you don't want is for them to be fat. That is unhealthy.

I freely admit that it is hard to keep a puffer lean. They are entirely too good at convincing us that they are starving!