Dilemma..

[k9krazee]

I have a bit of a dilemma, most of you know I live in the dorms at school, and I'm not sure what to do with my Betta Peter when I go home for Thanksgiving.

I'll be gone for an entire week..Monday to Monday...would he be okay without food for that long? Or should I pack him up and take him with me home? I'm just afraid that'd be too stressful for him but I know how crazy he gets if I forget to feed him breakfast Not sure he'd be happy without food for a week!

What do I do?

[Muddy4paws]

`Cant you get one of those 7 day feeders? I know they sell them in pets at home or maybe someone can feed him while you are gone? I think moving him would be very stressful

[IRescue452]

Unless your room gets really cold, I'd do nothing. Change the water before you leave. Make sure there is a cover on the tank/bowl. Do not feed him after that, do not have anybody feed him, and do not buy one of those worthless white feeders. You don't want the water to get bad while you are gone. I am leaving for a week also and 19 of my fish are staying right at school with a note to the tank not to feed them (they check our rooms before locking them out for break). Only 5 fish are coming home with me as they are too big and produce the most waste. I know some people who are going to let the hall director feed their fish while they are out and I advised them against it. The fish can go a week without food, but should the water get bad over break because they are being fed but not cleaned, that will be when the fish die.

[Argranade]

I would not take a chance, can't somone watch him while your gone?

[k9krazee]

Alright, I guess I'll just plan on cleaning the tank and letting him be...as hard as it'll be, lol.

No I can't get anybody to feed him seeing everybody's leaving, the halls are closing for the holidays :/

[BitsyNaceyDog]

How far are you from home? My friend always brings her beta with her when she drives home at Christmas, I think it's about a 4 hours trip. I don't think it'd be too stressful. Beta's get packed and shipped all over the place. I'd be more afraid of the temperature in your dorm and it also going without food.

[k9krazee]

It's a 2.5 hour trip. I wouldn't be able to take his entire tank home, I still have the container he came in, I'm sure he could travel in that. I do have extra fish bowls at the house that somebody could set up and have ready when I got there. Would that be okay?

[Kalei]

Hello, I was just reading about your betta delimma. I have a betta myself and it comes with me whereever I go (I mean when I'm gone away from home for awhile.) Sometimes I drive for 7 hours and bring him with me. And my betta never gets stressed, he is always happy happy. He even still eats from me in the car lol. What I always do is you know those large water bottles you can get that are pretty big, well I swish fish water around in it to make sure its safe, then I fill it up and put my betta in it, I dont' ever close the cover or else he wouldn't be able to get air, so I just hold the big bottle between my legs and he is all happy and everything! Otherwise when I leave my goldfish for over a week, I put a vacation feeder in and it works great! Hope whatever decision you make is great!

[GreyhoundGirl]

Can't you get weekly feeders? I had them when I had fish.

[IRescue452]

Weekly feeders provide nothing the fish needs. All they are good for is clouding up the water, taking up oxygen, and building up waste. They do a lot more harm than good. The fish is better off with no food the day before you leave and a fasting during the break.