The Puffer Forum

this is exactly what I'm trying to figure out..

Homer wrote:^ So with that being said, i guess that means if you got an MBU as a youngin' (growing roughly an inch a month for 1st year) you could keep him for roughly a 1.5yr or so before he'd have to be moved out of a 180G and into something bigger?

yea thats about what ive worked to. after 15-18" they grow very very slowly like 3-5" a year maybe

so here's what I'm thinking. He's in a 20 gallon at the LFS right now. I'm going to get my 40 gallon up and running, cycled, ya know.. and toss him in there. I found out today that he's only eating once every 4 days or so. I'd like to get him on a regular feeding schedule that doesn't consist of freeze dried krill.....

Flash Dan.. how long you think I can keep him in that 40 gallon, if I'm changing his water often and have 2 filters on it?

I have the means to pick up a tank from anywhere in the US, I just have to pay for gas -- so the closer to WI, the better.

lilgirlkat wrote:so here's what I'm thinking. He's in a 20 gallon at the LFS right now. I'm going to get my 40 gallon up and running, cycled, ya know.. and toss him in there. I found out today that he's only eating once every 4 days or so. I'd like to get him on a regular feeding schedule that doesn't consist of freeze dried krill.....

Flash Dan.. how long you think I can keep him in that 40 gallon, if I'm changing his water often and have 2 filters on it?

I have the means to pick up a tank from anywhere in the US, I just have to pay for gas -- so the closer to WI, the better.

Hey Lilgirlkat

How quickly did you want to pick up the Mbu?

It may take you a few weeks just to cycle your 40g! if you do go down this route you should transfer the filters and gravel from your 40g to the bigger tank when you get it so it's instantly cycled. I'd aim to get the big tank within a month of putting the Mbu into the 40g, I'm sure the Mbu would be ok in there for longer but if you've got the money and you're going to do it anyway you may aswell get him in there sooner than later.

If you have the money now for a big tank you should try and buy a tank that is already up and running to save you having to cycle it. That way you can get it home, set it up and then test the water over a few days to make sure the filter you got with it is doing it's job (maybe add a small amount of ammonia and see if it's gone after a day or 2). When I got mine I got some fish with it so I didn't need to add the ammonia, maybe you could buy a few guppies and see how they do. Doing it this way you could have the Mbu within a week rather than 3 weeks to a month!

Ps When I got Naboo I fed him once a day and I still do (he's eatting more in one sitting now), I think when their young they prefer more food more often. This will defenatly help fatten him up to. It's not very expensive at this stage to feed a Mbu, Naboo was eatting 1 king prawn over 3 days! I'd cut it into 3 strips and feed him once a day and his belly would be full

"It may take you a few weeks just to cycle your 40g! if you do go down this route you should transfer the filters and gravel from your 40g to the bigger tank when you get it so it's instantly cycled."

I don't think that the filters from the 40g will be holding enough bacteria for the bigger tank. That will definitely jumpstart it, but you would need to keep adding an ammonia source for a bit. At least, I think so.

I've got a few rocks and things that I can add from an already established tank. I'm also contemplating getting Dr. Tim's.. I think that's the stuff for the insta cycle.

They guys at the LFS look at me like I'm nuts. It's really funny. They keep trying to tell me that he'd be fine in a 40 gallon for a year or so. Oi. Sweet guys, but, ya know..

anyway. I'm going to attempt to set up the 40 tonight; i hope that the BF will help me get it going before I have to go to work. I guess we'll see.

Now that I'm done with my water changes on the fresh tanks today, I feel accomplished enough to get some other things done (including setting up that 40 by myself). ha!



oh! I know. I was going to ask.. if I took some plants from an established brackish tank.. at about 1.008 - 1.010, could I drip them to fresh? would that keep my bacteria alive, or will it kill it off, since I'm trying to do it over a span of a day or two vs weeks or months?

LilGreenPuffer wrote:"It may take you a few weeks just to cycle your 40g! if you do go down this route you should transfer the filters and gravel from your 40g to the bigger tank when you get it so it's instantly cycled."

I don't think that the filters from the 40g will be holding enough bacteria for the bigger tank. That will definitely jumpstart it, but you would need to keep adding an ammonia source for a bit. At least, I think so.

Hey LGP

The thing is the filters only have to hold enough bacteria to deal with the Mbu in the tank not the water volume in the tank. If the same Mbu is in the new big tank and is chucking out the same amount of waste it did in the 40g tank then the same filters should still be able to handle the waste out put of the Mbu, Also the waste will be more dilouted (correct me if I'm wrong?!)

If she get's a bigger filter when she buys the new tank she can put that on it to so that the bacteria builds up in it from the smallers filters, so eventually she would be able to remove the smaller filters (they can go back on the 40g and she can get another puffer for that )

True. Yeah, it would probably be fine.

"oh! I know. I was going to ask.. if I took some plants from an established brackish tank.. at about 1.008 - 1.010, could I drip them to fresh? would that keep my bacteria alive, or will it kill it off, since I'm trying to do it over a span of a day or two vs weeks or months?"

It would kill it. The change needs to be .002/week, no more. Your plants would probably also die, unless they're able to live in both FW and BW.

lilgirlkat wrote:I've got a few rocks and things that I can add from an already established tank. I'm also contemplating getting Dr. Tim's.. I think that's the stuff for the insta cycle.

They guys at the LFS look at me like I'm nuts. It's really funny. They keep trying to tell me that he'd be fine in a 40 gallon for a year or so. Oi. Sweet guys, but, ya know..

anyway. I'm going to attempt to set up the 40 tonight; i hope that the BF will help me get it going before I have to go to work. I guess we'll see.

Now that I'm done with my water changes on the fresh tanks today, I feel accomplished enough to get some other things done (including setting up that 40 by myself). ha!

oh! I know. I was going to ask.. if I took some plants from an established brackish tank.. at about 1.008 - 1.010, could I drip them to fresh? would that keep my bacteria alive, or will it kill it off, since I'm trying to do it over a span of a day or two vs weeks or months?

It's exciting setting up a new tank isn't it

Sorry I'm not sure about the plants but have you asked the LFS if they can provide you with some used filter media that you could put into your filter?

puffertt77 wrote:

lilgirlkat wrote:I've got a few rocks and things that I can add from an already established tank. I'm also contemplating getting Dr. Tim's.. I think that's the stuff for the insta cycle.

They guys at the LFS look at me like I'm nuts. It's really funny. They keep trying to tell me that he'd be fine in a 40 gallon for a year or so. Oi. Sweet guys, but, ya know..

anyway. I'm going to attempt to set up the 40 tonight; i hope that the BF will help me get it going before I have to go to work. I guess we'll see.

Now that I'm done with my water changes on the fresh tanks today, I feel accomplished enough to get some other things done (including setting up that 40 by myself). ha!

oh! I know. I was going to ask.. if I took some plants from an established brackish tank.. at about 1.008 - 1.010, could I drip them to fresh? would that keep my bacteria alive, or will it kill it off, since I'm trying to do it over a span of a day or two vs weeks or months?

It's exciting setting up a new tank isn't it

Sorry I'm not sure about the plants but have you asked the LFS if they can provide you with some used filter media that you could put into your filter?

That might be risky, since it would probably be carrying all kinds of nasy diseases and parasites.

I knew the bacteria would die.. lol.. just hopeful that I was wrong! It's amazing how much I've learned since I've found this place.

I'm stoked to set up this new tank.. other than the thought that I have to first find, then set up, then furnish a GINORMOUS tank that will only be good for a year or two. It's kinda daunting..

and -- I doubt I'll be allowed more tanks. I'm already in trouble with the 2 fresh and 1 brackish that I have.. since he's got one brackish, that makes 4.. and I'm adding a 5th.. then I'm going to add a massive tank.. haha. yeah. *sigh*

maybe if he'd let me have a puppy I wouldn't have this problem!!

PUPPY! I love their furry round tummies and little kisses!

lol. yes. me too. and I want one. but I'm not allowed. he says a baby will be enough to handle.. and that we don't need a puppy to go with it.. but I think I can train them both. and they will be buddies. and it will be cute.

He sounds like your dad or something, saying that you're not "allowed."

lmao! I call him 'pops' all the time. He's 6 years older than me, so I get a kick out of it, but he doesn't. It's also a little scary how much he and my pops has in common. They chat like little girls when they get together.. and they're both very stoic.. creepy. must stop thinking about that.

anyway. my landlord said I can't have one anyway.. so it's 2 against one.