The Puffer Forum

We have decided we do want one of these as the main tank in the living room. There's loads of info on size, diet, etc, and especially tank size when it's an adult. However that is a big tank and as a baby, juvenile he'll look a little lost in it.

What sort of size would be reasonable to start off with for maybe the first 1-3 years? What's the growth rate and at what sort of age would we likely need the full size tank.

We've got the room now but would just rather start smaller if he's not going to need the space for a year or more?

Thanks for any help:)

My initial thoughts were 6 months in a 20 gallon, 12 months in a 50-60 gallon and then into the full size tank after 18 months.

Fast growing largish fish such as Fahakas are relatively easily stunted. To avoid this I personally recommend moving such fish from their QT tank directly into their permanent home.

You can ask owners of mature Fahakas what size their fish reached. Quite a number of years ago I did so and found that no one who responded had fish which matched mine in reaching full mature wild size. Stunting such fish is the rule rather than the exception among hobbyists. In fact, that seems to apply quite broadly to most aquarium fish. My conclusion was then and still is that moving fish up in tank size "as they need it" is all but certain to give stunted fish in captivity. Hobby "guestimates" of needed tank sizes seems undesirable if we want full-sized adult specimens. Stunting fish simply cannot be optimum care for the fish involved.

Aquarium techniques have changed massively since I was young, but moving fish up in tank size "as they need it" appears almost to guarantee undersized adult fish. Simplify your life. Quarantine all newly purchased fish until you are confident they are healthy, then move them once to their permanent home to maximize size, health, and lifespan. Having only QT and permanent home tank certainly simplifies things quite nicely for me.

FWIW, HTH

I have to agree with rtr...
my fahaka is 1.5 years old and approximately 12", he spent his first 2-3 months in a 75 while I saved for the 180 that he moved into at about 4". I saw an average growth of 1"/month until about the 10" point before he slowed down. I would hope there is no stunting involved, from my own experiences with larger fish this growth pattern seems normal, quick growth to 1/2 to 2/3 or maximum size and then a slow down.

these are not slow growing fish by any means, be ready for it right off the bat.

Start off in his forever home, you won't regret it

Ok, thanks, seems to be a general consensus! Get that big tank:)

Not to mention the fact that moving big fish is rarely fun.

Containing a 10" brute of a puffer for a move is the stuff of nightmares

Eventually, my 15 year old fahaka & the 7 other tanks I have, are moving cross-country.

One year ago I put my 1" Fahaka in a 180g tank by herself. I fully planted it a few months earlier so it was a little hard to find her sometimes but it was so awesome to watch her swimming around in all that space. My only regret is as she gets bigger (7" now) the tank is starting to look small. I can't imagine what a 12 - 16 inch fish is going to look like in there, so I am working on getting an 8x3x2 tank. Shush don't tell my wife! I know that the pufferpedia says a 4x2x2 120g is minimum, I don't think I could bear to think about a 12" fish living in there for 20 years. Go big young man, go really big.

Looks like the consensus is go big, so I'm hunting.

I'm picking my puffer up Saturday. Actually found a pair to rescue, that I'm paying more than fish shop price for but both are in a 3' tank together so I'll be getting a big tank for the one I keep and finding a good home for the second one, as I've definitely only got room for 1 big tank in my house.

Biggest issue with the tank is I want it in the living room, and UK houses are just smaller than your giant North American open plan wonders. I'm struggling to even get over a 4' tank in my living room. I could get it in my study or dining room, but I want this fish to be visible when I'm watching telly and not have to go in another room to view it. The other obvious room is my large conservatory, but I'd be very concerned about both algae and more importantly heat on sunny days and can't really see a way round that.

Big fish and small rooms or houses are tricky, to put it mildly.

Also, with big tanks, not all structures offer adequate support. That is another potential hazard. If you even think about a big tank, call in a structural engineer first thing.

RTR wrote:Big fish and small rooms or houses are tricky, to put it mildly.

Also, with big tanks, not all structures offer adequate support. That is another potential hazard. If you even think about a big tank, call in a structural engineer first thing.

It's going on my ground floor, all the floors are solid concrete with either tiles directly on top or carpet on top, so as long as I keep it downstairs I should be fine:)

I have always struggled to fit my desired tanks in to uk houses, only had one perfect house but it was seriously costly. Started a proper fish room recently but plans were halted as quickly as they began. That will have to wait until I move. You are lucky to have concrete floors, I had to reinforce floors previously which is a massive chore

Fitting multiple tanks or fish rooms into pre-existing houses is depressingly risky and/or expensive.