Feed Me Cockles...

[Buddyboy67]

Just found these pics of a puffer I rehomed last year.....

This fahaku puffer from the nile basin is a lovely larger puffer for any puffer fans not wanting to stretch to the aquarium required for a mbu.
They appreciate a deep sand bed of fine river sand to bury in and have an uncontrollable appetite for cockles and especially snails.

 

[River Dog]

Wow he looks superb. I do like puffers and intend to have a Mbu one day. But he looks pretty special and well looked after.

 

[nmonks]

These fish aren't just an "easier" alternative to the mbu puffer, they're really the only one of the two species viable for home aquaria.

Tetraodon mbu needs an insane amount of space to do well, i.e., live its full lifespan. One recent article first published in TFH put this at around 1000 gallons. That sounds a lot until you actually think about how big these fish can get, well over 50 cm excluding the tail fin. They're very active and put out massive amounts of ammonia. Sadly, most specimens die in captivity within a few years under mysterious circumstances.

I'm glad that several shops, including the whole Maidenhead Aquatics chain, have stopped trading them. They aren't home aquarium fish.

Tetraodon lineatus, though still a big puffer, it at least do-able if you have a tank in the 200-400 gallon size range.

Cheers, Neale

 

[River Dog]

These fish aren't just an "easier" alternative to the mbu puffer, they're really the only one of the two species viable for home aquaria.

Tetraodon mbu needs an insane amount of space to do well, i.e., live its full lifespan. One recent article first published in TFH put this at around 1000 gallons. That sounds a lot until you actually think about how big these fish can get, well over 50 cm excluding the tail fin. They're very active and put out massive amounts of ammonia. Sadly, most specimens die in captivity within a few years under mysterious circumstances.

I'm glad that several shops, including the whole Maidenhead Aquatics chain, have stopped trading them. They aren't home aquarium fish.

Tetraodon lineatus, though still a big puffer, it at least do-able if you have a tank in the 200-400 gallon size range.

Cheers, Neale

Hi Neale, I didn't realise they needed that kind of space, I was considering an 8x2.5x2.5 which obviously isn't nearly 1000G. On a side note though, I know of at least three M/A outlets with Mbu for sale.

 

[nmonks]

Hi Neale, I didn't realise they needed that kind of space, I was considering an 8x2.5x2.5 which obviously isn't nearly 1000G.

Indeed! Whether they really need that much space as been debated, but what seems certain is that even big home aquaria -- 300 to 400 gallons -- just don't work for them.

On a side note though, I know of at least three M/A outlets with Mbu for sale.

MA have a "big fish policy" as well as a ban on dyed fish. I'd assumed the mbu would be subject to that policy. If they're not, I'm jolly surprised, and actually a bit disappointed. While I've nothing against MA or anyone else ordering in a mbu puffer for one of those few aquarists with the space and funds, I don't think they should be ordered in just in the off chance someone stops by and buys one!

Cheers, Neale