The Puffer Forum

Hi guys,

I've always wanted to keep monster fish but due to size constraint, i've thought about it and minimised the option to keeping puffers. They are badass monsters but dun grow too big

Just a simple qns, would i be able to house a fahaka / MBU in a 4x2x2 tank? Will it be able to see him throught life? And what about their bioload? Would it be huge!? And also, what kind of habitat would be suitable for it? I know some of these answers could be found somewhere in the forum but oh well, might as well post it here

I would be keeping a small tank of feeder snails as well... hope this would help to cut down on cost

Welcome! You've come to the right place, and it's great that you're asking questions before you buy your fish. Otherwise you'd have had a major oopsie...

I'd start in the PufferPedia. Reading really is the best place to get started. A fahaka will require 120g, I think, and a mbu needs at least 1,000g. A 4x2x2 would definitely not be enough - mbus get to be three feet long! Yep, the bioload would be massive - puffers are very messy eaters! I don't know that they would do too well together, as fahakas can be quite aggressive!

A snail-breeding tank would help cut costs, but you'll need a pretty big one for these guys. Most people feed them clams and mussels and such.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Welcome! You've come to the right place, and it's great that you're asking questions before you buy your fish. Otherwise you'd have had a major oopsie...

I'd start in the PufferPedia. Reading really is the best place to get started. A fahaka will require 120g, I think, and a mbu needs at least 1,000g. A 4x2x2 would definitely not be enough - mbus get to be three feet long! Yep, the bioload would be massive - puffers are very messy eaters! I don't know that they would do too well together, as fahakas can be quite aggressive!

A snail-breeding tank would help cut costs, but you'll need a pretty big one for these guys. Most people feed them clams and mussels and such.

Pardon me but 4x2x2 is roughly 114g no? This is in US' gallon conversion btw.

Yeah i think this forum is pretty informative =D Great to have discovered this place thats dedicated to puffers!

That size is considered 120g.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/calc.php

If you want a larger puffer species i would personnally go with the lineatus, as they do get to a decent size and your tank should hpuse one for life or at least many, many years. Mbu do need a much larger than but to be honest i think that 1K gal isnt that nessiary, yes a large tank but i would have thought that a 300-400 gal would do for a very long time. But thats just my opinion still a very large tank is required.

I would personnally use decor such as smooth rocks and nice pieces of bogwood/driftwood. Just my opinion

Bogwoodbruce wrote:If you want a larger puffer species i would personnally go with the lineatus, as they do get to a decent size and your tank should hpuse one for life or at least many, many years. Mbu do need a much larger than but to be honest i think that 1K gal isnt that nessiary, yes a large tank but i would have thought that a 300-400 gal would do for a very long time. But thats just my opinion still a very large tank is required.

I would personnally use decor such as smooth rocks and nice pieces of bogwood/driftwood. Just my opinion

Nope. Too long in the 300-400 would stunt them, and by then the 1,000g won't help - its lifespan would already be shortened.

zedane wrote:Hi guys,

I've always wanted to keep monster fish but due to size constraint, i've thought about it and minimised the option to keeping puffers. They are badass monsters but dun grow too big

Just a simple qns, would i be able to house a fahaka / MBU in a 4x2x2 tank? Will it be able to see him throught life? And what about their bioload? Would it be huge!? And also, what kind of habitat would be suitable for it? I know some of these answers could be found somewhere in the forum but oh well, might as well post it here

I would be keeping a small tank of feeder snails as well... hope this would help to cut down on cost

If that is the biggest size tank you're going to get then it's perfect for the Fahaka Puffer. A 4x2x2 tank holds 144us gallons (120 uk gallons PP ), so that's 24g over the recommended minimum sized tank. I'd personally get a bigger tank when he gets to 18inches or before as at 18inches he'll be almost half the length of the tank in size, but that's your choice when he gets to that size

Cool!!!!

And may i know what kind of filter do you guys recc? And whether they need those current generator tingy. Sorry but I m seriously new to this...

A 4x2x2 tank holds 144us gallons (120 uk gallons PP )

Incorrect--go to that link I provided.

I personnally would choose to filter that with an external canister filter and price will vary on brand and model etc... I would personnally go for either the Fluval FX5 which would be mega-overfiltered which is what you want, (although these are more expensive than some of the alternatives on the market) im running 5x FX5's and cant rate em highly enough.

Or look into one of the eheim filters.

Pufferpunk wrote:

A 4x2x2 tank holds 144us gallons (120 uk gallons PP )

Incorrect--go to that link I provided.

My mistake PP sorry about that I didn't realise I had used a US website to do the convertion