Who'll Take Care Of My Fish?!

[Oddball~]

This is a seirous issue... I'm going to go to Hawaii for 2 weeks and i need someone to take care of my fish! How can i be sure they'll be fed and are clean in their tank?!?! HELP!

[cdawson]

Do a 50% water change before you go and they'll be fine. Maybe have someone check on them every couple days. Fish can go months without eating. Nothing disastrous is likely to happen in a two week period.

[Harlock]

the 50% water change before you go is good advice. Is there anyone you can trust enough to come over every other day to feed without overfeeding?

[stephenray75]

why not get a auto feeder?

[RTR]

We have sitters, originally found through our vet for the dog, but one of them is fully fish-competent, so takes care of the dog 2x daily and the tanks every other day. I do premeasure all the foods into tank-labeled/dated vials. No problems at all.

[cdawson]

why not get a auto feeder?

Puffers don't eat flakes, and auto feeders add too much food most of the time.

[Pufferpunk]

I have a little old lady from next door that comes over every 3 days & drops a Dixie cup filled with pre-measured food into all their tanks. She even will thaw shrimp for my larger puffers, as long as I tell her how many. All my tanks are numbered for her & she has a list of whether they get a cup or a shrimp. Other than my fish, she has never had any experience feeding fish.

[LittlePuff]

PP, that's a great idea, I never thought to number the tanks. That should help my husband when I go home for a visit. Thanks!




Kim

[Silver Surfer]

The puffers will eat the other fish. What I do when I leave for any amount of time is I load the tank up with 50 feeder guppies and 50 feeder rosies. This amount keeps my guys fed for 4-5 days. These feeder fish will keep your puffers fed and you can use a auto feeder for flakes for the feeder fish and gobies, actually my knight goby takes small guppies. My fish get **** upset when not fed and some serious fghts break out. The feeder fish give the others something to pick on so they don't pick on each other.

For a trip away for 2 weeks change the water before you go and add 200+ feeders in my opinion.

[cdawson]

The puffers will eat the other fish. What I do when I leave for any amount of time is I load the tank up with 50 feeder guppies and 50 feeder rosies. This amount keeps my guys fed for 4-5 days. These feeder fish will keep your puffers fed and you can use a auto feeder for flakes for the feeder fish and gobies, actually my knight goby takes small guppies. My fish get **** upset when not fed and some serious fghts break out. The feeder fish give the others something to pick on so they don't pick on each other.

For a trip away for 2 weeks change the water before you go and add 200+ feeders in my opinion.

Feeding puffers feeder fish is an extremely bad idea, in fact feed your fish feeder fish is overall a bad idea. They're often diseased and unhealthy, not to mention the equivelant of feeding your dog bacon fat on a daily basis.

[RTR]

Not to mention the massive bioload increase and the possibility of complete tank crash from that. Not in my fish tanks!

[Pufferpunk]

I was thinking the same thing. Imagine adding 200 1/2 -1" fish to my tank all at once! I doubt my F8s would even eat guppies.

[Silver Surfer]

I was thinking the same thing. Imagine adding 200 1/2 -1" fish to my tank all at once! I doubt my F8s would even eat guppies.


I go on vacations all the time and I've never had a problem doing this......

My fish eat a good deal of the feeders the first day....... and my spotted puffer loves chewing up , rosies, guppy and ghost shrimp. He never takes his aggression out on other fish in the tank.

I feed them live food about once a week and I have some **** healthy looking fish.....

[Pufferpunk]

Once/week may be ok, but feeders are diseased & fatty food for your puffers, causing fatty liver=liver disease.

[gonefishin]

I go on vacations all the time and I've never had a problem doing this......

He never takes his aggression out on other fish in the tank.


Actually, he does take it out on other fish, as is his nature. But since he is acting naturally, you decide to kill him? where is the logic in that? Anytime you have a fish that you have not done your research on, and it is doing what its suposed to do, and you don't like it, let someone know rather than cruelly killing it. PLEASE :rant:

[Pufferpunk]

What are you talking about? His fish are alive & healthy, he said.

[Silver Surfer]

Actually, he does take it out on other fish, as is his nature. But since he is acting naturally, you decide to kill him? where is the logic in that? Anytime you have a fish that you have not done your research on, and it is doing what its suposed to do, and you don't like it, let someone know rather than cruelly killing it. PLEASE :rant:


Pufferpunk I think he's talking about the other puffer I used to have that I discussed in another thread.

Actually after I euthanized him all the other fish including my other GSP started looking healthier and became much more active..... I'm glad he went, I really feel he was a bad seed in there. He just didn't look right and I swear he stared down many of my other fish and it seemed he was a no gooder.

I've tried giving fish away before to pet stores but its more hassle than its worth....you would think they would gladly take them.... a couple weeks back my rare silver chromide 4'' outgrew my tank and 2 of three fish stores wouldn't take him..he was beautiful... the third store gladly accepted him.

[cdawson]

Pufferpunk I think he's talking about the other puffer I used to have that I discussed in another thread.

Actually after I euthanized him all the other fish including my other GSP started looking healthier and became much more active..... I'm glad he went, I really feel he was a bad seed in there. He just didn't look right and I swear he stared down many of my other fish and it seemed he was a no gooder.

I've tried giving fish away before to pet stores but its more hassle than its worth....you would think they would gladly take them.... a couple weeks back my rare silver chromide 4'' outgrew my tank and 2 of three fish stores wouldn't take him..he was beautiful... the third store gladly accepted him.

Why is giving a fish away a hassle? You take it to an LFS and they give you credit, no questions. If they're not allowing you to trade in, either you're doing it way too much or you're not going to a very reliable LFS.
You DON'T Kill a fish because you feel it doesn't get along in your tank. Not only is it morally wrong, it also means you fail as an aquarist.

[Pufferpunk]

I sure don't remember that thread, or I would have been extremely upset about it! When you purchase a fish (especially a potentiall killer), you have to expect them to act as the species will. If you had done your homework 1st, you would have known that puffers are best kept in species only tanks, or as singletons & be prepared for the worst--which may mean setting up a singleton tank for a "bad seed". I am surprised that the shop that sold it to you wouldn't have taken it back. I would assume they are not warning folks about the dangers of these fish (as most shops don't) & get a lot of returns of them.

[Silver Surfer]

I sure don't remember that thread, or I would have been extremely upset about it! When you purchase a fish (especially a potentiall killer), you have to expect them to act as the species will. If you had done your homework 1st, you would have known that puffers are best kept in species only tanks, or as singletons & be prepared for the worst--which may mean setting up a singleton tank for a "bad seed". I am surprised that the shop that sold it to you wouldn't have taken it back. I would assume they are not warning folks about the dangers of these fish (as most shops don't) & get a lot of returns of them.


Well my GSP that I have now gets along great with all my other tank mates and since I don't have a huge tank (36 gallon bowfront) I need them to get along for now..... Living sea wouldn't take him or my silver chromide back but Coral Reef agreed on the chromide..... pet stores aren't as willing to take stuff back as you might believe, many are afraid of infecting their own fish with a disease from an unknown tank...this is what they told me. And I did do my research on my puffers...... it just happens that I love my columbian shark more and one had to go. If I ever want to get rid of something in my brackish tank I'll let you know, you can have them since we live close.... I would have offered you the chromide in a second.... he would have made a great tankmate for your puffers.

[Pufferpunk]

Coral reef will take anything healthy back. Even if you didn't buy the fish from them. This is one of the many reasons I boycott Living Sea.

There is absolutaly no reason to ever kill a perfectly healthy fish!

[Pufferpunk]

Also, you won't be able to keep that shark in that sized tank forever, they grow to 18" . I consider youre fishkeeping practices extremely selfish.

[Silver Surfer]

Also, you won't be able to keep that shark in that sized tank forever, they grow to 18" . I consider youre fishkeeping practices extremely selfish.



Hey now...

I have already moved the columbian shark to my friends tank which is a 55 gallon saltwater..... The only other fish he has in there with it is a juvenile panther grouper.

The shark is growing so fast now its almost rediculous. He is so fat. You won't find a 18'' in captivity..... they rarely get over a foot. H\

[Pufferpunk]

So you killed a puffer so you could keep a shark that you wound up giving away anyway???

[gonefishin]

Yes I was refering to a post in the article section, I wasn't going to say anything but then I came upon this post here. I can say that when I posted here yesterday I was darn angry. If I sounded rude, it's because I was trying to be. But I hope you will accept an appology, rather than being a jerk, I should have politely told you that you can bring the fish to a pet store to return it, find a friend who might want it, or even quarentine it and post in the want section here. There are many alternatives to exicution. I know from experience that puffers can be a pain, I have one and he has taken some of my smaller fish. While I was thouroghly pissed, I knew it was my fault. So to sum things up, sorry silver for the rude post, but please do not just kill a fish for doing what it does.

[Silver Surfer]

So you killed a puffer so you could keep a shark that you wound up giving away anyway???


He also took a chunk out of my pictus cat.

[Silver Surfer]

Yes I was refering to a post in the article section, I wasn't going to say anything but then I came upon this post here. I can say that when I posted here yesterday I was darn angry. If I sounded rude, it's because I was trying to be. But I hope you will accept an appology, rather than being a jerk, I should have politely told you that you can bring the fish to a pet store to return it, find a friend who might want it, or even quarentine it and post in the want section here. There are many alternatives to exicution. I know from experience that puffers can be a pain, I have one and he has taken some of my smaller fish. While I was thouroghly pissed, I knew it was my fault. So to sum things up, sorry silver for the rude post, but please do not just kill a fish for doing what it does.


I don't take anything said on a message board the wrong way or too seriously.... I joined this board because of my love for the hobby. Now when i want to get rid of something I'll surely post here first.
:)

[cdawson]

Hey now...

I have already moved the columbian shark to my friends tank which is a 55 gallon saltwater..... The only other fish he has in there with it is a juvenile panther grouper.

The shark is growing so fast now its almost rediculous. He is so fat. You won't find a 18'' in captivity..... they rarely get over a foot. H\

Only because of ignorant fishkeeping practices by people such as yourself. I've seen countless 18" Columbian cat sharks in aquarium shops and people home tanks.

[vcelani]

I would suggest an auto feeder from petco or have someone watch your fish while you are gone.

[Silver Surfer]

Only because of ignorant fishkeeping practices by people such as yourself. I've seen countless 18" Columbian cat sharks in aquarium shops and people home tanks.



Show me one...... a 18inch columbian 12/13 inches max unless they are on steroids..... Brackish or salt?


Waiting for proof. .......and take it down a level chief...... no need to go straight for the throat.

[cdawson]

Show me one...... a 18inch columbian 12/13 inches max unless they are on steroids..... Brackish or salt?


Waiting for proof. .......and take it down a level chief...... no need to go straight for the throat.

I'm just supposed to go and find a petshop right now that's got one?!


here's one though.
http://www.riebesell.net/aquaria/photos/23.jpg

That page has them listed at reaching 24".

[MonoSebaelover]

Everyone needs to chill and keep the posting on topic. Also if you have an issue with someone, first pm or email them and if they are still bugging you put them on your ignore list. Granted killing a fish due to the fishes natural aggression is not a good practice (this is apparently an old topic guys!). But that is not the topic. The topic is keeping fish fed and healthy for 2 weeks. Please keep it on topic. Am locking this one so everyone can chill out for a little while. Oddball- if you want to start another thread go ahead and it will remain open as long as it stays on topic. To everyone else- please keep it clean and friendly. He apparently learned his lesson. Goal achieved!