I'm having some trouble pinning down a fish. I recently rennovated an old 40 gallon leaker and have it up and cycling. I had originally planned on a basic community tank but I've been wanting a puffer for some time and decided to check them out. My LFS reccomended a Mbu and I've been trying to figure out if I can pull it off. What I'm wondering is how fast they grow. I know the 40 gallon won't do, so I'm trying to calculate the time before I can get a suitable 200 gallon or so. I also plan to be in another state by the time I'd expect such a fish to need a substantial upgrade. I've heard nothing but good things about the Mbu and I've grown pretty attached to the idea. Would an LFS be able to take a larger puffer if I couldnt make it in time? Should I just move on to something else and if so, any suggestions?
Methinks a Mbu
- Thread starter Aribenlaw
- Start date
I have heard they are pretty sensitive to water quality. I also looked into getting one, and I know that they cost the LFS 50-60 dollars so they will cost a pretty penny. Good luck with it, because puffers are awesome.
They grow very quickly. Of course that depends on how much you feed him. But if you pickup a 4" mbu, I would say a conservative time would be about 5 months until he out grows the 40 gal.
If space is an issue, I would suggest getting another species of puffer that would be suitable. Perhaps congo, bailey, or palembangensis to name a few. . .
If space is an issue, I would suggest getting another species of puffer that would be suitable. Perhaps congo, bailey, or palembangensis to name a few. . .
I would hold off on the puffer also. In time you will have that big tank, then you get the big puffer. Puffers are way too much fun, and very personality savy.
Welcome to MFK!!!
You'd better do some heavy research on Tetraodon mbu before getting one. They're extremely sensitive to parameter changes. A nitrate spike can throw them off their feed one day and you'll find a belly up puffer the next. Even young mbus need as large a tank as possible due to the amount of waste they put out. I've had small mbus sulk in 120s that signalled me to do another water change ahead of schedule. A smaller tank would only leave you with less of a margin for error.
Then there's the inevitable "what do I do now?" when that mbu outgrows that tank a few short months down the road. I have a pair in a 650 gal. They just over a foot long but I'm already contemplating where they'll move up to once they've outgrown this tank.
You'd better do some heavy research on Tetraodon mbu before getting one. They're extremely sensitive to parameter changes. A nitrate spike can throw them off their feed one day and you'll find a belly up puffer the next. Even young mbus need as large a tank as possible due to the amount of waste they put out. I've had small mbus sulk in 120s that signalled me to do another water change ahead of schedule. A smaller tank would only leave you with less of a margin for error.
Then there's the inevitable "what do I do now?" when that mbu outgrows that tank a few short months down the road. I have a pair in a 650 gal. They just over a foot long but I'm already contemplating where they'll move up to once they've outgrown this tank.
I've already done a fair bit of research. Is 5 months really th longest I have? I've heard some different opinions. I've been told Fahakas grow at about an inch per month but I havent heard any solid figures on the Mbu. As to water levels, would a heavily planted tank reduce some of the fluctuation? I know plants absorb ammonia spikes well but I'm not sure if they affect anything else.
A heavily planted tank is both a boon and a bust. Mbus produce so much raw waste that only a planted 500 or larger could contend with that waste management. Plants do absorb ammonia and nitrites but not efficiently enough, in home aquaria, to make a dent in what mbus put into the system. Too many plants can be detrimental to mbus due to their O2 requirements. Plants absorb CO2 and release O2 during photosynthesis. However, when the lights are off, plants will absorb some of the O2 in the water column to aid in the night cycle functions.
I'm guessing theres no manner of artificial manipulation that'll take care of the problem. My LFS has three 4" Mbu's divided into one 40 gallon though which makes me wonder. I think I could make due with a moderately planted tank, good filtration/aeration, and some hefty water changes but it looks like consensus is a pretty solid "not so much". Any ideas on another fish that might come close in personality? I was really hoping to avoid a boring community tank.
With a conscientious maintenance plan, the 40 will do until you can get the 200. And, the 200 will last you a couple of years with a similar maintenance effort. If there's a chance you can go bigger as the mbu grows, I say; Go for it!. Mbus are definitely characters that recognize and interact with their owners. My largest one spits drops of water at me if I walk by his tank and ignore him. If I'm too far to spit at, he'll inflate and deflate himself until I look at him. Then, he'll zip back and forth at the front of the tank until I drop him a shrimp (or 6).
Keep in mind that your prized puffer (cuz he will be in no time flat) will eventually grow into, at least, a 500 gal tank as he peaks at 30".
The only other fish I have that react to me anywhere near the manner the mbu does are my barramundi (which will eventually need a larger tank than the mbu) and my New Guinea Dats. NGTs may be a better choice. You can maintain several in a 200 and they'll all follow you around the tank. Plus, they're pretty slow as far as growth rate goes so, you can house several young ones in a 40 for quite some time before having to upgrade. If you decide on dats, either keep 1 or several. Pairs and trios tend to squabble and you don't want to scar up a fish that leaps in value as it grows.
Keep in mind that your prized puffer (cuz he will be in no time flat) will eventually grow into, at least, a 500 gal tank as he peaks at 30".
The only other fish I have that react to me anywhere near the manner the mbu does are my barramundi (which will eventually need a larger tank than the mbu) and my New Guinea Dats. NGTs may be a better choice. You can maintain several in a 200 and they'll all follow you around the tank. Plus, they're pretty slow as far as growth rate goes so, you can house several young ones in a 40 for quite some time before having to upgrade. If you decide on dats, either keep 1 or several. Pairs and trios tend to squabble and you don't want to scar up a fish that leaps in value as it grows.
I like the sound of the Dats but both Datnioides campbelli and Datnioides undecimradiatus are supposedly near impossible to find. Also there's the brackish and cost issues. Common sense 
tells me to change course but I'm pretty sure the Mbu is the fish I'm looking for. I'll keep researching and maybe I'll wise up. Thanks for the help though
tells me to change course but I'm pretty sure the Mbu is the fish I'm looking for. I'll keep researching and maybe I'll wise up. Thanks for the help though