The Puffer Forum

So I won't be gone until Christmas but I want to get this planned early to avoid any last minute hiccups. Here's the details: I'll leave my apartment to go home for the holidays around the 18th, then I'll be out of town until about the 30th. Once I return, I will be home again from the 30th until the 10th and on the 11th will return to my apartment.The fish tank is at my apartment and I have two juvenile (1.75in) GSP's in a 55gal.

Will they be fine not eating from the 18th to the 30th?

Should I buy a 20 gal tank and bring them home (along with 20gal of my tank water, my filter, and my heater) so that I'll be able to feed them every day after I get back on the 30th OR should I leave them at my apartment which is more than an hour away, meaning I'll probably only be able to drive up to feed them maybe 3 times from the 30th-10th. I'm strongly leaning towards bringing them home and keeping them in the 20gal over the holidays but please let me know if this is a bad idea or not (i.e., if the stress of moving twice in a month would be too much).

The stress is a factor. Not only to the fish but you as well. This would involve more than you moving the temp tank it would be filtration to keep it cycled while you are vacationing. And keeping your tank at home running. Do you have anyone by your tanks current location that could come in (paid or not) to feed?

I will never understand college students keeping fish tanks. Why can't they just wait until their life is in a stable place???

My f8 never had any health issues and I moved at least 3-4 times a year from my dorm to home (1/2 hr away)
For your situation though, 3 feedings spread out over that time should be fine, as most puffers can go a couple of days to a week without food without any ill effects (larger fish are less likely to become ill because of this than small ones).

Not sure if this is a noob suggestion, but could you stock your puffer's tank with some live munchies like ghost shrimp prior to going away? So they MAY have some food running around that they can hunt and eat during your absence?

Welch4 wrote:The stress is a factor. Not only to the fish but you as well. This would involve more than you moving the temp tank it would be filtration to keep it cycled while you are vacationing. And keeping your tank at home running. Do you have anyone by your tanks current location that could come in (paid or not) to feed?

I was just planning to bring my filter that's on the 55, so cycling wouldn't be an issue, correct? I'm just worried about their bioload in a 20gal, even with a 70g rated filter.

TOPuffers wrote:Not sure if this is a noob suggestion, but could you stock your puffer's tank with some live munchies like ghost shrimp prior to going away? So they MAY have some food running around that they can hunt and eat during your absence?

I think they would just eat everything right away!

Side note: has anyone had luck with an automatic feeder and puffers? I'd just set it to feed them something like every 3 days or so.

has anyone had luck with an automatic feeder and puffers? I'd just set it to feed them something like every 3 days or so.

If they're eating FD plankton, it might work.