Odd Mbu Behavior

[Clay]

I have a Fahaka. It was in a 55 for a few months while I setup his 150. He barely grew in the 55. Once in the 150, he added a good 3" in the first 2 months. This is why I think small tanks stunt young puffers. From experience. EXPERIENCE, in case you missed that.

People on the Puffer Forum know a lot more about puffers and their care/growth than you. Just admit it. People reference that site, cause it's the best source of puffer information around. Stop arguing with scientists (yes, some of them are) that obviously know a lot more than you.

Admitted! They DO know more about puffer care/growth. You won't find that I have ever done anything more than ASK WHY does the mbu require a 1000g tank? If you bothered to read some of the previous threads on the subject, there was a wide variance of opinion - even on the puffer forum. I went through and linked the varying opinions that went from 400g to 1000g. And if 1000g is the minimum, how come they do great in an 800? That's a 20% smaller than the minimum tank? All I have asked is for people to provide factual evidence or studies and NOT conjecture.

Asking for evidence or something other than "because I said so" isn't a crime, and nor should it be shunned. The fact that you took offense to my comment and are attempting to bait me into argument only reinforces my point above.

As far as your fahaka, congrats. That's great appreciable growth, but doesn't prove the case one way or the other, even if you did EXPERIENCE it. I guess you're assuming that because I ask a question, I don't have experience with puffers or with fish in general?

 

[knobhill]

Mbu is back to his normal chipper self. Bought the API master fw kit today.

Readings: Ammonia and Nitrite all 0ppm, 20ppm nitrate. The strips showed Nitrate 10ppm and Nitrite 0ppm. The ammonia alert read 0ppm.


I tested my other tank as well: ammonia .25 ppm, 40-80ppm nitrate, 0nitrite. Strips showed 40ppm nitrate, 0ppm nitrite, and Ammonia alert shows .05 ppm Ammonia.

Not sure how accurate either testing method is but it is giving me a ballpark estimate.
Anyways, thanks to those who helped. I'm the clogged filter was culprit of the nitrite spike.

If anyone wants to weigh in on the testing method accuracies, cool.

Let's leave the size/growout debate for another thread.

 

[Clay]

Let's leave the size/growout debate for another thread.

Fair enough, sorry for the derail. Somewhat of a dead horse anyway.

Glad to hear you identified the problem and your fish is ok.

 

[knobhill]

Thanks Clay.

 

[geronimo69]

Asking for evidence or something other than "because I said so" isn't a crime, and nor should it be shunned. The fact that you took offense to my comment and are attempting to bait me into argument only reinforces my point above.

As far as your fahaka, congrats. That's great appreciable growth, but doesn't prove the case one way or the other, even if you did EXPERIENCE it. I guess you're assuming that because I ask a question, I don't have experience with puffers or with fish in general?

I'm not assuming anything. I do think you don't have experience with large puffers, but who knows. As far as baiting you into an argument, it is not what I'm trying to do. You asked why MBU's require a large tank and people have given you many many reasons. You don't like the reasons. It's simple. It doesn't matter to me if you want to house and stunt a fish, cause I'll never see it or meet you in my life. My puffers will always have nice big tanks to live out their 15-10 years in comfort.

To the OP, I apologize for the derailment.

 

[aidenb]

The reason mbu's require such a large tank compared to some fish of comparable size is because:
1) they are very active, patrolling their tank all day.
2) Mbu Puffers produce such a huge amount of waste that they need that huge volume of water plus a ton of filtration and lots of water changes to keep water parameters under control.

 

[Pufferpunk]

The reason mbu's require such a large tank compared to some fish of comparable size is because:
1) they are very active, patrolling their tank all day.
2) Mbu Puffers produce such a huge amount of waste that they need that huge volume of water plus a ton of filtration and lots of water changes to keep water parameters under control.

How many times does this need to be said? If you read RTR's article, it's all stated in there.

 

[aidenb]

i'm aware it is said in the articles many times, I have read the majority of the ones on your website but some of the people in this thread do not seem to want to read them and keep asking the same question so I figured i'd just post it.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Thanks!

 

[Mikecelicag]

I have a 6" mbu that I have had from 2 inches and he is definetely not a tank patroller. He spends most of his day in one corner of the tank. The parameters are fine, everyone else is swimming fine, he eats well and all but has never been very active.... Any thoughts?