Pao baileyi

[Fat Homer]

My old fahaka was a food hog as well... so i’d only feed her every 3-5 days when she was still alive...

Basically she would steal almost every morsel of food, so whenever she had a huge meal, i’d fast her for a few days to make sure she could digest everything...

 

[headbanger_jib]

regarding your MBU, what size was he when you got him and how big of a tank???

Personally i’ve never owned one due to tank size requirements, but i would suspect them to grow about the same speed as a fahaka, which is approx 1-1.5” a month till they reach approx 12”

If your MBU is over 12” though, then that growth rate sounds about right...

My mbu is almost 8" or a little more, got him at 4" or so.

In the initial days I used to feed him small snails that I used to culture, but I guess that wasn't sufficient, only after I introduced crabs and shrimp to his diet did I start seeing a better growth rate, that is like 4 months ago.

The tank is 55gallon with a 20 gallon sump, 36"*18"*18". Filtration volume being at 1500ltr/hr. Weekly 40% water change.

 

[Fat Homer]

My mbu is almost 8" or a little more, got him at 4" or so.

In the initial days I used to feed him small snails that I used to culture, but I guess that wasn't sufficient, only after I introduced crabs and shrimp to his diet did I start seeing a better growth rate, that is like 4 months ago.

The tank is 55gallon with a 20 gallon sump, 36"*18"*18". Filtration volume being at 1500ltr/hr. Weekly 40% water change.

Do you have any plans for an upgrade, coz im guessing you know their potential max size???

Anyway, i only ask coz im wondering if tank size may also be playing a part in him not growing quite as quickly as expected even with an over filtered tank...

 

[headbanger_jib]

Do you have any plans for an upgrade, coz im guessing you know their potential max size???

Anyway, i only ask coz im wondering if tank size may also be playing a part in him not growing quite as quickly as expected even with an over filtered tank...

I feel he is still quite small for the current tank.
My plan is to move him up once he reaches 10-11" to the 120 gallon, he is gonna be a single specimen in the tank. Just like he is now. Bugger ate my lda105 pleco and bit the upper caudal fin off the rousseauxi, attacked even the hoplias malabaricus, three separate instances. Now he is gonna be alone

 

[Fat Homer]

I feel he is still quite small for the current tank.
My plan is to move him up once he reaches 10-11" to the 120 gallon, he is gonna be a single specimen in the tank. Just like he is now. Bugger ate my lda105 pleco and bit the upper caudal fin off the rousseauxi, attacked even the hoplias malabaricus, three separate instances. Now he is gonna be alone

Seems you have one of the more aggressive ones then... i mean i’ve heard of test biting from MBU’s but rarely straight up attacking other tankmates...

Regarding the size though, see how he does with the change of diet, maybe the more nutritious diet will help put some size on your puffer...

 

[OhioCLE]

Yesterday took a few shots of the new guy, after moving him to his tank
If only he would like the driftwood or the rocks to settle down on, instead of the ugly filter .

Your photos are so very clear.
If I may ask, is this session taken with a polarized lens outside of the tank or is this a waterproof cam in the water (GoPro w/ close up lens)? Please point me in a good direction for some help on that.
Glass, lighting, and water make it so difficult to have some photos like that.

 

[headbanger_jib]

Your photos are so very clear.
If I may ask, is this session taken with a polarized lens outside of the tank or is this a waterproof cam in the water (GoPro w/ close up lens)? Please point me in a good direction for some help on that.
Glass, lighting, and water make it so difficult to have some photos like that.

Just a regular lens on a regular camera.

I don't know how to use the GoPro to get anything of this quality.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ic-photo-sessions-from-prep-to-finish.349072/

 

[headbanger_jib]

Well here's an update of the puffer.

Got him stretching his jaw and showing his pincers off.

Will try to add some short shelled foods for him as well and see how it goes.

This species is a lot more active than the suvatti I am keeping, the suvatti was quite active before the winter came though.