The Puffer Forum

RTR, I was curious what your impression of a good sized MBU tank would be. I have heard varying accounts from 1000g (seemed like an arbitrary number), to 450, to 400. I have an established background in caring for fish (I have many tank years as you said in one of your articles). I have a 375g (96x30x30) on the way now that I plan to build into my wall. As a responsible aquarist, I'm planning out my stock list, and an mbu is towards the top of my list for possibilities. However, I need to make sure that I'm providing a suitable home and stable environment.

The major plan for this tank is to incorporate a drip system for constant water changes - somewhere in the neighborhood of 100% weekly (~3 gph drip).

Soooooo, aside from the idea of Kentucky windage opinions, what is a good sized tank to accommodate an mbu? And if the 375 is too small, it's clearly workable for a fahaka/pustulatus.

From the research I've been doing, those Mbus get about 26"+ (there was one I read about that a guy rescued and I think it was like 28"). And they're really prone to injuring themselves if they don't have enough room to properly turn around in. At 30" wide, your mbu would only have 2" on either side to turn around in- assuming he maxes out at 26" exactly. Tight squeeze. I think 36" would be a bare minimum width. I wanted the Mbu also, and like you I want to provide a suitable home for my fish, so I opted against it.

also see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=56&t=21040&hilit=+810&start=0#p222988

His opinion is written right here in his article about them:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=150

I don't remember what I said earlier, but I would say that a 4' x 4' x 8' tank would be the absolute minimum tank size, a 4x4x10' tank better minimum, but 2x or 3x that an adequate permanent home for T. mbu.

Back when I was playing with the idea of getting another T. mbu, the planned tank was on the order of 4500 gallons. It would have been a Monaco style tank. Like what you plan it would also have been flow-through or partial/refil, with both options automated. The baseline would have been about 10% change per day (so less than you are planning), with the option of potentially doubling the exchange rate if needed. I have had pretty good results with 10% daily partials (exchanges need slightly higher rates), including breeding Oscars - one of the few fish messier than big puffers.

I shelved the whole idea due to the high initial capital investment and non-trivial operating costs, and the potential damage to the house's resale value. Removing the set-up would be almost as expensive as installing it.

An indoor swimming pool for a puffer? That would be a sight! I have read about odder things though..

LOL! A rather small 5-sided swimming pool at that! Plus, very little head space over it. I'll stick with the whirlpool tub for me - it was much more affordable and already installed before I set up the fish room. Personal comfort come first.

I'm planning a marine tank for when I move to a bigger place in about a year or so and I was hoping to get a 250G for a mappa.

I was wondering - how come when both the MBU and Mappa supposedly max out at around 26",
the minimum requirement for MBU is 1000G, and for Mappa it's 250G?

I know bigger is always better but is this based on any specific observations?

The Mappa's entry is incorrect.

The T. mbu info came from me. The mappa info was not mine, I have no experience there. At the time we were gathering info for the Pufferpedia, I think that I was the only one on-site at the time who had reared and kept a full size T. mbu.

But please do remember that those suggestion are for the minimum tank size. For almost all fish, a 50% increase over that would be far better. For most fish, at least 2x the minimum suggestion would be if not the very best, at least approaching that level of comfort.

For me, when I set up a system to support a real pet for about the lifespan of a dog or more, I like to do as much planning and work up front as I can. In that way i can avoid more costly mistakes and rebuilds down the line. Plus, the easier I can make the care, the better I will do it - in other words, for that sort of project, you have to know yourself first and the pet second.

In my 2 years of experience with both T. mappa and T. mbu, the mbu is a great deal more active. The mbu swims around virtually all day, playing in the several currents (canister filter return, two large hydor prop pumps) paying attention and interacting with us (both tanks are in the living room), etc.

My map puffer definitely pays attention to what's going on, but is less active except when begging. Probably half of it's time is spent resting on rocks or sand or slowly looking for things to bite on the rocks (map puffers bite and/or destroy EVERYTHING, from rocks to slower tankmates). It throws a big 'fit' and splashes water everywhere when fed, but after that it goes to it's favorite cave to digest.

LOL! IME, all the big puffers are splashers. It is just a part of their captive repertory and likely a reflection of their limited tank sizes - that can be a lot of very strong fish in a bulky bundle which can move water. I would never be brave enough to house them in living areas on hardwood and/or carpeted floors. My wife would kill me, not the fish. The T.mbu was her favorite of all the fish I have kept, and pretty much the same for me. But i have to respect that they are as messy as any large puppy, or maybe more so. They do not outgrow it either, as the mature they can move even more water.

I know! It's at the point where my map puffer (~8", 6" smaller than my gf's mbu) is scary to feed - he'll jump halfway out of the water like jaws! We have sealed wooden floors though, so nothing a towel can't handle.

Here's hoping I keep my fingertips...

Nice to see you stopping in, Mike!

MMaddox wrote:In my 2 years of experience with both T. mappa and T. mbu, the mbu is a great deal more active. The mbu swims around virtually all day, playing in the several currents (canister filter return, two large hydor prop pumps) paying attention and interacting with us (both tanks are in the living room), etc.

My map puffer definitely pays attention to what's going on, but is less active except when begging. Probably half of it's time is spent resting on rocks or sand or slowly looking for things to bite on the rocks (map puffers bite and/or destroy EVERYTHING, from rocks to slower tankmates). It throws a big 'fit' and splashes water everywhere when fed, but after that it goes to it's favorite cave to digest.

But a mappa surely wouldn't be able to comfortably move around a 250g at full size, correct? And doesn't it need waste dilution?