The Hypocrite thread mbu

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
If you actually bothered to read RTR's many other articles, you'd respect his opinion as I do, too.

http://www.**************.com/forum/library/author/rtr/
 
I know exactly who RTR is, and I have read the vast majority of his articles on puffers, maybe even all of them. I didn't say that I had no respect for the man personally, or his vast experience with puffers.
But the reality is his personal experience with mbu is very limited, obviously, or he would have known that a 180 gallon tank wasn't going to cut it long term. So after he one day wakes he realizes that the answer is not a 180 gallon tank, but a 1,000 gallon tank, that is now echoed as puffer gospel for all times? Think about it.

To take a single isolated incident, of a mbu kept in a tank that was obviously going to be FAR too small once that fish began to mature, hardly equates to any type of hard data as to the min size of tank required to keep a mbu thriving in captivity long term. Both RTR & Stuart Morse clearly didn't understand this species long term requirements, but that doesn't mean that everyone & anyone else that attempts to keep a mbu in captivity is going to follow their lead, anymore than it requires 1,000 gallon system in order to fulfill this species needs.

Yes mbu puffers need a big ass tank, no one is arguing that point, but to pigeonhole this fish into 1,000 gallon minimum tank size is ridiculous.
 
Wow there's been some posting since I was gone. Had to relook at the title to make sure I was in the same thread LOL.

Glad to see someone else step up with some very excellent read, thanks RD.

Nice looking MBU MasterB, i'll try to get some pictures of mine later my camera battery is recharging.

Pufferpunks article she likes to keep linking too how old is the article. Viggie filter Daphnia filter shrimp filters what is that!. I could dig up sad stories on just about any fish.
People need to use common sense. Its not hard to tell when a fish is in a cramped tank. Not just MBU puffers a lot of big fish. I've got fish that can potentially get even bigger then my MBU. But I am happy to say all my fish will be getting a new bigger 1200g home this summer. Not just for my puffer had plans for this before I had him.
I hope more people will get into MBU. Buy em small enjoy them and increase there tanks when needed. But you surely don't need a 1000g just to keep a 4" MBU.:)

Here's a vid when I first got him. A skinny 11"
http://www.youtube.com/user/vqfive#p/u/32/rJsZG3TJhiA
This vid taken in Oct last year when I had him with my dovii fry. The tanks is 100g. I had him in here when I thought he was biting my bichirs but discovered he wasn't the culprit.
http://www.youtube.com/user/vqfive#p/u/15/jWD8APUbHz0
 
kevinfleming21;5022072; said:
mey masterB, how long did it take for your Mbu to reach this size? Mine is only about 6 inch ATM.
Click to expand...

wish I could tell yea, he grew about an inch since I had him. I guess if we wana find out we need to start with KNH, then BigRich and then me because we all had him. :)
 
I once saw an article in a fish magazine where some fish farmers took a bunch of fry trout put them into a plastic tube. Can't remember the diameter of the tube or how many exactly. But constant freshwater was run through it and food was fed through the tube. All the trout still grew to there adult size. They were all so crammed in this tube like a can of sardines with no where to move but they all continued to grow even with such a tiny space. They did this to prove that over crowding does not stunt growth if clean water is kept and food always available.
 
Tried to get some still shots but she won't sit still and other fish want to get into the picture. Just loaded an update vid on my MBU. The tank is 24" wide you can see when she sits on the bottom there's about 3-4" before her tail hits the opposite side of the tank. You see some scars on her belly. I got her this way must of gotten some serious injury early in her life. I bought her from another member here at 11" for $150.00, cannot remember members name. But it was purchased by him from another member here when she was 10". I tracked back and found she was owned by Dookie. Offered for sale first at 8" then sold later at 10" to the member I purchased her from. She going to be with me hopefully for a long long time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z90WWVRUpw8
 
great looking mbu bud, how big is your tank?
i have a 5ft by 2ft by 18inch 90 gallon with a few cichlids, 2 black diamonds, 1 firemouth, 1 rainbow,2 cribs, 1 oscar and a red tail black shark. all the cichlids are 3-5inches.
just wondering if you think a mbu would be ok in this setup, cheers

meant to say, i used to have turts so the filtration is three times the tank size.
 
MasterB;5021959; said:
Excuse my camera skills and scratches on the acrylic, it soon will be buffed out. He got a little fired up when I put the light on. :)
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Thanks for the pictures.

One thing I give my puffers is Malaysian trumpet snails. They breed in the gravel and provide a constant food source and teeth trimming.

I am also using a very light multi media substrate that my small mbu can blow and then look in the little hole it created for a snail. It is in a community tank and it is interesting that the denisoni barbs in with it rush to the holes and look for small particles of food. I assume it might be newborn snails that they eat because the newborns would have very soft shells.

The snails can be a curse in some tanks so watch that they don't transfer to tanks you don't want them in.
 
RD.;5022183; said:
I know exactly who RTR is, and I have read the vast majority of his articles on puffers, maybe even all of them. I didn't say that I had no respect for the man personally, or his vast experience with puffers.
But the reality is his personal experience with mbu is very limited, obviously, or he would have known that a 180 gallon tank wasn't going to cut it long term. So after he one day wakes he realizes that the answer is not a 180 gallon tank, but a 1,000 gallon tank, that is now echoed as puffer gospel for all times? Think about it.

To take a single isolated incident, of a mbu kept in a tank that was obviously going to be FAR too small once that fish began to mature, hardly equates to any type of hard data as to the min size of tank required to keep a mbu thriving in captivity long term. Both RTR & Stuart Morse clearly didn't understand this species long term requirements, but that doesn't mean that everyone & anyone else that attempts to keep a mbu in captivity is going to follow their lead, anymore than it requires 1,000 gallon system in order to fulfill this species needs.

Yes mbu puffers need a big ass tank, no one is arguing that point, but to pigeonhole this fish into 1,000 gallon minimum tank size is ridiculous.
Click to expand...

I agreewith you RD. Honestly the "minimum" tank requirement for most fish is "tribal knowledge" handed down from a few respected indeviduals and the torch carried from there, for the most part.

Lets all keep in mind the one thing each member in this thread shares is the love of these fish and the proper care for them.
 
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