The Puffer Forum

What kind of a vet jokes about a pet dying? Very unprofessional.

Also, you mentioned that clove oil stopped the breathing. Does MS-222 not do that with the right dosage?

What should have been used instead of the drill?

A Dremmel drill works well but I would have used a different attachment. MS222 can be used even for tranq for transport. It does not stop the breathing.

RTR wrote:I do consider 1000 gal the bare minimum, and that still will be a high-upkeep tank with alternate-day vacuuming and multiple water partials weekly. Few folks consider the mass of an adult T.mbu. Their mass is shocking. That is a lot of food in and waste out, and not as much room as you would think for exercise.

Could you maintain a small dog in a crate that size 24/7/365? Think about it.

When I first heard that, I thought it was crazy. Then I really tried to picture a three-foot, fat fish, and I did the math for the dimensions of 1,000g... And I decided that if I was ever lucky enough to own a 2-3,000g tank, then I'd consider a mbu.

OMG that video sucks................. I was so scared for that MBU when he didn't start breathing right away.

RTR wrote:I do consider 1000 gal the bare minimum, and that still will be a high-upkeep tank with alternate-day vacuuming and multiple water partials weekly. Few folks consider the mass of an adult T.mbu. Their mass is shocking. That is a lot of food in and waste out, and not as much room as you would think for exercise.

Could you maintain a small dog in a crate that size 24/7/365? Think about it.

Ha! This is a great way of putting it. I actually made a comment in another forum, asking a guy if he'd like to live in a closet for a year... Needless to say, the poster didn't come back.

My t. mbu did not grow as fast as the Fahakas did, but I suspect that was a difference in my care. I really had a hard time keeping up water quality.

Few hobbyists have any real experience with quality care of really big fish. And to be brutally honest, most hobbyists grossly overstock, overfeed or inappropriately feed, and under-maintain their tanks. It took my several decades of running a lot of tanks before I finally got the message myself. But when I finally did, I got the message that the fish do grow to equal or exceed wild size and live almost indefinitely. It is a different world. I hope that more folks discover it - it does give a different meaning to "pet fish". After >50 years, I am still learning, and it is more satisfying than ever.