Mbu tankmates?

[House 64]

Can someone please educate me on what other fish can go in the same tank as an MBU puffer? Can you keep more than one together? What is the recommended tank size for a "GROWOUT" tank only.... I know they need alot of room when larger so you don't need to say. Food for a 3" er?

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

i think its all chance and on the puffers personality...

 

[Oddball]

I keep mine with fast moving fish. Any bottom sitters are likely to be investigated and a nip is part of a mbus investgation. Mine are in a 650 with tarpon, irridescent sharks, and an af aro. A fair growout tank would be at least 75 gals since these puffers are prone to a quick crash as soon as water parameters drift slightly from perfect. Foods can consist of snails, crayfish, ghost shrimp, raw shell-on shrimp, FD krill/plankton, clams, mussels, etc. Eventually, they can be trained onto FD and stick food. Mine are offered shrimp and crayfish but, they'll go after krill and arowana floating sticks just as quickly. I offer the live foods so I can gut-load them on multi-vits and trace elements to round out the puffers diets.

 

[fishmatt]

do you think a mbu puffer would be alright with an asian arowana, got some in a work and a couple of them are pretty freindly, if you no what i mean, thinkin of trying it, should the puffer be larger or smaller.

 

[Oddball]

I wouldn't try it. Aside from the fact it's too big of a risk with expensive fish, the water parameters for the two species are different. Mbu puffers prefer hard alkaline water with calcium carbonate salts (rift lake salts). Asian aros prefer neutral pH with little to no salt.

 

[Jesse]

I second Phil's advice of not keeping mbus with slow moving fish or bottom dwellers. I've had a few bichirs and catfish maimed or killed due to an inquisitive mbu.

 

[Roy L.]

Don't think anything can survive..

 

[Jesse]

Don't think anything can survive..

I wouldn't go that far. Unlike fahakas, most mbus can cohabit peacefully with other fish as long as they're not slow-moving, bite sized, or bottom dwelling.

 

[Honda12]

I keep mine with a bunch of tetras and rasoboras, small gourmis, rainbow fish and stuff like that. But mine will try and catch fish that get to close.

 

[House 64]

Thanks for all the input..... but, can I keep two of them together in the same tank? And what can you recommend feeding him/her to help speed up the growth? How many times a day or every other day? Thanks.