Ideal tank dimensions for a Mbu?
- Thread starter mcsnapper1
- Start date
Pufferpunk;4379784; said:Even at 8', a 3' fish hasn't far to swim...
Very true, but these dimetions are based on me living in HK
i mean if i was still living in Australia or some where similar where land is pretty cheap and in abundance then believe me when i say i would almost definitely have a tank that is no less that 12' X 4' x 4' minimum... or a room dedicated to be a fish tank 
Just too bad it's not likely to ever happen...
Well, let's be honest... how many Mbus get to 3'? I'd say that not many do, and a lot fewer than that in captivity.
I dunno... You don't even hear about 3' puffers in the wild. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for adequate space and undercrowding, but I've never seen a pic or heard of a legit claim for a 3' mbu.
A fellow at my forum just rescued a bent, 28"er. He said it would be a lot longer if it wasn't deformed by being kept in a small tank.
You can carve that over the door to your fish room. You can even extend it with several more points:
2. (Item #1 is my comment) If your fish is not as large or larger than the wild fish data, you are not doing something as well as you should be - diet, tank size, current, water conditions, tank maintenance, etc.are all highly significant factors.
3. If your fish does not greatly exceed the wild lifespan, again you are not doing something right. Captive fish have many fewer threats to their life than their wild kin. If you cannot keep fish alive in captivity for more than their natural span, you need to change the way you keep that fish.
4 LFS employees and even owners are less likely to be aware of a fish's real needs than any experienced hobbyist.
5. It is not hard to tell who among your acquaintances is really an experienced hobbyist - there fish seldom change other than in size and age. If their tanks change,it is from upgrading tank sizes, or from particular fish having been traded off due to lack of space to house them.
FWIW: Few LFS employees have ever seen many mature tropicals. Quite a few consider keeping any fish more than a year "experienced" or advanced fish-keeping. The question I generally ask pseudo-knowledgeable employees (who do not know me) is blandly inquiring about how long Neon Tetras should live in captivity. The correct response is 10 years. I have never to date had anyone respond correctly.
There is no reason an adult fish shouldn't reach their size in the wild or even larger.
You can carve that over the door to your fish room. You can even extend it with several more points:
2. (Item #1 is my comment) If your fish is not as large or larger than the wild fish data, you are not doing something as well as you should be - diet, tank size, current, water conditions, tank maintenance, etc.are all highly significant factors.
3. If your fish does not greatly exceed the wild lifespan, again you are not doing something right. Captive fish have many fewer threats to their life than their wild kin. If you cannot keep fish alive in captivity for more than their natural span, you need to change the way you keep that fish.
4 LFS employees and even owners are less likely to be aware of a fish's real needs than any experienced hobbyist.
5. It is not hard to tell who among your acquaintances is really an experienced hobbyist - there fish seldom change other than in size and age. If their tanks change,it is from upgrading tank sizes, or from particular fish having been traded off due to lack of space to house them.
FWIW: Few LFS employees have ever seen many mature tropicals. Quite a few consider keeping any fish more than a year "experienced" or advanced fish-keeping. The question I generally ask pseudo-knowledgeable employees (who do not know me) is blandly inquiring about how long Neon Tetras should live in captivity. The correct response is 10 years. I have never to date had anyone respond correctly.
but how long does it actually take for a fish to reach this size? 4? 5 years?
Ive always wondered about that.. people say you need a certain size tank for a fish but how long does it actually take (not counting giant fish like arapaima) to reach these lengths?
Red tail cats and silver arowanas not included since they appear to grow really fast and probably should be put in the biggest tank possible fairly quickly in its life.
Ive always wondered about that.. people say you need a certain size tank for a fish but how long does it actually take (not counting giant fish like arapaima) to reach these lengths?
Red tail cats and silver arowanas not included since they appear to grow really fast and probably should be put in the biggest tank possible fairly quickly in its life.
