# How to feed puffers while on vacation?



## kurosuto (May 20, 2009)

won't a whole bunch of prolific snails work? maybe have those small breeder containers inside your tank poked with holes that's large enough for snails to come out and throw a whole bunch of them in + some algae or food. *shrugs*


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## outofstock (May 8, 2009)

I leave next week for a 10 day long sailing trip. I am just going to load up on snails in my tank before I go. My puffers dont seem to go on a killing spree instead only eating what they need so their are a few snails in the tank now just waiting to get eaten.


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## houstonhobby (Dec 12, 2008)

Some people manage to establish a blackworm population in their substrate so there is always something to eat. Sounds really neat to me. Never been able to accomplish something like that.


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## CrazyPlantLady (May 21, 2009)

Blackworms are aquatic and can live in the aquarium with the puffers. They'll burrow under the gravel but my puffers are good at 'hunting' and will uncover and eat them if no snails are around. :fish:


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## aschaal03 (Feb 2, 2009)

Alright, I've got black sand substrate so they should have no problem burrowing under. When I feed the puffers they usually wait till the worms have burrowed a little before they'll eat them. I guess it's the thrill of the hunt. :icon_roll

How many should I throw in there for a 2 week trip for 5 puffers? And should I put them in when the puffs are sleeping so they have a chance to get underground first? I'm thinking maybe half an ounce would do. I'm going to go to the LFS and ask them for as many pond snails as they'll give me, and I'll throw those in there too. Hopefully that should last them :flick:

I hope they don't get any funny ideas about the cherry shrimps (all adults) while I'm gone. I keep them well fed so they don't try anything, but when they have to actually search for food I fear for the shrimps. :icon_lol:


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## Superedwin (Jan 19, 2009)

Well can you try to fine someone near you that you trust will feed your fish there food. If not just get a automatic fish feeder from the store and fill in the fished favorite food. ( Before you leave make sure everything is running right.


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## aschaal03 (Feb 2, 2009)

Well, you can't really feed live blackworms with a fish feeder.  My main tank has an auto feeder, but it's community and everything eats flake or feed dried. That's why I was sorta stumped as to what to do about the puffer tank. I'm going to see if I can get a family member to house sit for us, if not I'll have to try the blackworm in the substrate idea.


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## CrazyPlantLady (May 21, 2009)

aschaal03 said:


> How many should I throw in there for a 2 week trip for 5 puffers? And should I put them in when the puffs are sleeping so they have a chance to get underground first? I'm thinking maybe half an ounce would do.


The nice thing about the black worms is that the worst they will do is breed in the aquarium. Since they do not drown because they are aquatic, they will not foul the water. They just increase the bioload (but not by much) as the addition of any fish would do. 

If you find that they are breeding when you return and do not want them to, just do deep gravel vacuums for awhile in your water changes. It takes awhile for them to establish a colony and you could disrupt it.

As for when to put them in, I'd feed the puffers well and then after lights out, I'd drop the 'vacation feeder worms' in a pile near driftwood and/or the base of a plant or two. They borrow quickly. 

I let blackworms breed in several of my tanks. A lot of fish do like the thrill of the 'hunt' and are more active and colorful doing what comes natural. 

A word of caution: I've heard that if they find out that shrimp are tasty, its hard to discourage them from eating them in the future. A gal I know kept puffers and cherry shrimp for years together with no problem, then one day, the cherries disappeared over the course of 2 days  and she caught the puffers hunting in a pack after the last two (she did manage to rescue them). She tried three other times to introduce cherries again (keeping the puffers well fed before-hand) but they always starting hunting them again, seemingly for the fun of the chase! :icon_roll


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## aschaal03 (Feb 2, 2009)

Hmm..just what I was worried about with the cherries. That was my logic too, as long as they don't realize the shrimps are food they will ignore them. So far it's working. Maybe I'll throw the shrimps in my quarantine tank while I'm gone, just to be safe .

I wouldn't mind it if the worms formed a colony in there. They could help keep the substrate clean and give the puffers some entertainment. Sounds good to me!


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

how about dumping a mass of worms in and then cover with a plastic thing, maybe a half of a soda bottle so the puffers can't get to them. Wait till all the worms burrow, then remove the bottle.

oh, and malaysian trumpet snails too. they burrow as well.


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

Can dwarf puffers crush MTS shells? They would certainly try, but the things may be too hard for them.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yeah, the shell might be too hard but the baby mts should be fine.


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