Should I?

[vaine111]

I have the chance to trade a 11" Jardini and a 12" Mono Pbass for a 6" Mbu. And I think I am going to do it.
Right now I have:

120gal: 72"x18"x22
Marineland 400 & 530canister(might add another 400 that I have)
5" NGT datnoid
5" Aequidens portalegrensis(port cichlid)
12" Ornate Bichir, 10" Ornate Bichir
2 11" Endlicheri Endlicheri Bichirs
2 8" Palmas Polli Bichirs
2 12" Lapradei Bichirs
6" Delhezi Bichir
6" Albino Senegalis Bichir
5" Royal Pleco
8" Tigrinus catfish

I'll have new bigger tank next tax time. I have been putting extra money aside for a bigger tank. Origionally I was going to get a 280gal from glasscages and use my 75gal to filter it and give my 120gal to a Fahaka I currentlly have in the 75. Might get a bigger tank now.

Should I trade for it and risk it with my current stock I have in my 120gal?
I hear they can go good in a community tank. I have just not heard about as with my stocklist and future plans I had for my main tank.
Has to go in the 120 cause I won't be able to touch my money till next march.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Your tank is fully/over stocked as it is. The bioload of a mbu is astronomical! Please read these stories before considering the prospect of what that fish will need in the near future:
http://www.**************.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
http://www.**************.com/forum/library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

 

[vaine111]

Your tank is fully/over stocked as it is. The bioload of a mbu is astronomical! Please read these stories before considering the prospect of what that fish will need in the near future:
http://www.**************.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150
http://www.**************.com/forum/library/puffers-in-focus/mbuforyou/

Ok, so I read the stories and I came to the conclusion on the first one that you kept one in a tank(75 gallon) and let the puffer grow in there till it couldn't turn around. Which implies to me that I need an appropriate width tank for the puffer to have an ample amount of space to turn around in.
And the second one tells me about what I need and IMO a 1000g tank is a lil much for one, but ok. And of course filtration.
So I came up with this conclusion...

I'll get a
375gallon 96" x 36" x 25" Tall
120g sump/snail tank
I'll have a Marineland 530c packed for extra Bio

150gallon for my Fahaka 72" x 24" x 20" Tall or a 60 x 24 x 25 Tall
75g sump/snail tank
And the other tanks I have will be for suitable food(snails, crayfish).

The Fahaka will have a lifetime home(origionally it was going to be the 120g) and be out of his current 29g and I'll still be able to continue my Polypterus collecting in the 375g. Who knows, maybe I'll revamp my plan and get a 500g.

Right now the Jardini and Pbass have to go. I have had the pbass in a 75g for way too long waiting for my other fish(in 120g) to growout.

Is that not enough?

And trust me this tank is not overstocked IMO, but it will be.

 

[chefjamesscott]

at the request of the op i have cut an paste a discussion we are having on mbu in pm


my response cut and pasted
The mbu puffer was one of my someday fishes on my list of I AM SO GONNA GET THAT ONE DAY !!!

Right now I have him in a 230g with some angels and convicts. Dependant upon when and if he decideds to eat a few or one angelfish, I will actually move him to a 168g tall. I will eventually end up putting him in approx a 300g.

Right now I will be doing a double magnum 350 tied to a uv sterilzer with 2 aqua 110 hob on the 230g.

To some people it seems a little crazy to spend 240 bucks on one fish, but, from what I have studied on them they have tonnes of personality. I also got him because my tanks here in my restaurant are done for the main purpose of being atmospheric in nature and meant to draw people to come into the restaurant as well as for future development as display tanks for a future fish business where I will point to the restaurant as one of our commercial clients who's tanks we maintain. Sort of a business to business support structure as it were.

Now if someone were to offer me the right money in the days to come he just might be for sale. Yet, my initial plans are that he is a for life fish, just like my west african lungfish is not really for sale but it the money was right all my fish are for sale.

In terms of filtration for the final home of tiny, I think a sumped tank with the sump equating to 50% of the tank volume will be the way I go. So a rubber made 150g sump under a 300g tank with a good canister as well for water polishing.

In terms of filter media, I am personally leaning to switching over to chemi pure as it is a solid media that does a good job with a long life. That combined with regular 50% wc done minimum 1/week sometimes 2/week.