@RTR - MBU tank size requirement.

[MMaddox]

Saltwater aquariums easier to handle the waste in that freshwater aquariums past a certain bioload point, it seems. Saltwater aquariums form an ecosystem, whereas a freshwater aquarium with a big messy fish is a nitrate nightmare! A Deep sand bed, quality live rock with lots of oysters and other bivalves, macroalgae export, a good skimmer, a good ozonizer, and some water motion keeps my water quality in check nicely, even with big eaters like my mappa, stellatus, and two zebra morays (refugiums are always a possibility, as well). Plumbed into the same system is a shallow aquarium for some coral and a carpet anemone, and the water stays high enough in quality to keep them happy. I perform 50% WC's every month, as well, although I've been known to fall behind (luckily without consequence).

As for your question, it depends on the size of the puffer. We tend to toss around "adult size is X", but that's really not the case. Fish don't have a given adult size - they're like trees: most species grow their entire lives. The rate depends on a variety of factors. My 8" mappa is currently quite happy in his 250 gallon system I think, and will be happier in the 400 I'm upgrading him to. I say this, but he really only has use for the front glass (to beg) and his cave (to hide and digest)! My mappa was growing very quickly for a while (getting lots of Formula 1& 2 + seafoods because I wanted him to get big!) but I've stepped back the feedings to every other day. Now he's fed enough to keep his 'chunk', but not grow a half inch a month!

As for freshwater systems...well, I don't know much about FW. That's the gf's department, she has several FW tanks. Her mbu tank currently has a large canister filter, an Emperor 400 power filter, two big sponge filters driven by the big coralife piston air pump, and two big hydor prop pumps for water motion (meant for reef aquariums). She is actually looking into an outdoor pond installation for him!

Nice to see you too, PP! I have a bright red frogfish, but no bright red puffer! Grr!

[we_tigers]

Very useful info MM, thank you.

[LilGreenPuffer]

As for your question, it depends on the size of the puffer. We tend to toss around "adult size is X", but that's really not the case. Fish don't have a given adult size - they're like trees: most species grow their entire lives. The rate depends on a variety of factors. My 8" mappa is currently quite happy in his 250 gallon system I think, and will be happier in the 400 I'm upgrading him to. I say this, but he really only has use for the front glass (to beg) and his cave (to hide and digest)! My mappa was growing very quickly for a while (getting lots of Formula 1& 2 + seafoods because I wanted him to get big!) but I've stepped back the feedings to every other day. Now he's fed enough to keep his 'chunk', but not grow a half inch a month!

I just can't picture it in my head, but if you see it in front of you, then okay!

[RTR]

It is possible to set FW systems with some functional similarity to SW syems by use of refugia including inusoria growth and in-system consumption, veggie filters, etc. I run some such most of the time but in FW it generally is easier and cheaper just to increase water change volume and frequency. I run the complex FW multi-refugia set-ups because they fascinate me. The difference in water cost is the basis for the high tech support systems used in SW.

[MMaddox]

Sounds neat - have any pics, or care to do a guest writeup/post on our blog (blog.captive-aquatics.com) about them?

[RTR]

Ordinarily I would love to do such, but ATM I am on restricted vision (one eye has had a new lens implant, but is not yet recovered from the three surgeries involved to get the needed corrective eyeglasses lens. Until I am back to binocular vision, I am heavily restricted on time on the computer or reader, and am absolutely forbidden to read/write for any length of time. I am allowed to do 30 to 45 minutes, after which I have to take an equal length break before I can do another 30 min., then that is it for any 24 hour period.

So in effect I am a non-writer (or reader - I listen to audio books a lot) and this is the only web site I visit. If/when I can see again and get released by the physicians and surgeons, I would enjoy that. It is one thing I have not really written up. Believe it or not, it is an old concept in this hobby - I learned about it back in the late 1960s, and did not put it into full practice for myself until the late 70's and 80s.

[Pufferpunk]

this is the only web site I visit

Lucky us!

[RTR]

Well, that is one way to look at it. But it helps keep me sane during the interminable wait for all the internal inflammation to fade.

But I would like to write about specialized FW refugia. The original references are all long out of print. It would be good to get something back in the hobby lit showing that refugia are not purely a SW item. Things that are over 40 years old are just not new and radical techniques.

[LilGreenPuffer]

You should get some books on tape/CD from the library to fill your time.

[J-P]

Well, that is one way to look at it. But it helps keep me sane during the interminable wait for all the internal inflammation to fade.

But I would like to write about specialized FW refugia. The original references are all long out of print. It would be good to get something back in the hobby lit showing that refugia are not purely a SW item. Things that are over 40 years old are just not new and radical techniques.

audio book?
Ahhhh buy you can record your thoughts, play them back and send it off to be transcribed or possibly have the audio archived here

Speech to text?
When my wife first got her PC she couldn't type. I purchased "Dragon simply speaking" for her and it worked 80% (in Japanese there were special characters that he had to go back over and re-do), so that she could send simple e-mail.

I am sure there are dozes of speech to text processors out there.

[RTR]

I download audio books from the Library of Congress - there are some small advantages to being visually handicapped, starting with free audio books and magazines, etc.

I have magnification/color/contrast/etc. programs for the computer, plus programs for reading, and for typing from speech. But there is still a lot of editing involved. Do remember that i a lab rat - an article with fewer than two dozen drafts is just a work in progress, and editing is very careful reading. Things to be read aloud are quite different for me than things to be read visually..

[Primus]

Here are a few links to a couple of forum threads regarding algae filters on freshwater tanks. Some very interesting stuff, for me i think that just doing water changes is and would be a lot easier then maintaining a filter like this. My largest tank is only 180g though, on a much larger system it might be worth while depending how well it works.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... e+scrubber <- this one is up to 100 pages of discussion
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... e+scrubber

[Pufferpunk]

I thought RTR already wrote on veggie filters?
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article69.html

[maryhm]

My friend, Morgan Lidster, of Inland Aquatics in Terre Haute, IN runs these (or at least did several years ago) on many of his retail systems and was a huge proponent of them. He would be an excellent source of information.

[RTR]

I've done more SW than FW algae filters. IME &IMHO the FW form is more trouble than it is worth. SW "algae" filters with macro-algae are much easier and pretty effective, plus you can generate 'pods if you have passive return out of the veggie filter. For FW. I prefer to use vascular plants , which is easiest with emerse plants, but you do not supplement dissolved O2 with emerse plants.

But what was being referred to before is more than just just veggie filters in that it reduces the bacterial counts in the water (semi-closed tanks such as we operate) have many times the water column bacterial loads of wild FW, but 24/7 lighted refugia with Daphnia will lower the total load, and the excess population can be fed into a filter-feeder tank (such as wood/bamboo/Singapore shrimp) which get big and fat and colorful from the live food. Sometimes you get contaminated with Cyclops, but that can be handled. It is interesting work, and also venerable.

Part of the tank room re-do involves reestablishing those setups for even better water quality than I have now. I would most like to have one SW and one FW circulating range, each with full recycling internally. The SW may not get done though - I'm not sure I want to start that slippery slope back up again.