MBU Puffer or Topaz Puffer

[EFCLad]

Hi guys I have set up a new 4 by 2 by 2 tank and was wondering which puffer could I get.

The woman in MA told me that the mbu that I wanted would grow to about 2 foot in body therefore to big for my tank but the Topaz one is quite a nice puffer and not to nasty to other fish. So far I have a pecock eel in there and another fish which i cant spell the name of so will let you know!

1) Is the topaz freshwater
2) Would it be ok in my tank size?
3) Was it true about the mubu puffer?
4) How big do they grow

I am not going to keep any smallish fish so dont worry about that!

 

[andywg]

Mbu do get to 2 feet in length (and that is before the tail) and so would need a tank around 6x3x3. Not just for room but also for the fact they are such messy eaters.

I wouldn't worry about not putting small fish with a puffer. I would worry about putting any fish with a puffer. They can be extremely aggressive and rip things many times their size to shreds. Some people get lucky and can keep other fish with them, but you do so at your own risk.

I'm not too versed on Topaz puffers, but I'm sure Sirminion or Puffer Freak will be along soon with a wealth of information (or else you could do a quick search...)

 

[chris_1127]

if by topaz you mean a t. fluviatilis then its a brackish fish with similar requirements to a green spotted puffer, so wouldnt do too well in a freshwater tank in the long term as it will require high end brackish water as it matures.

 

[SirMinion]

Topaz Puffer is indeed a common name for T fluviatilis (as is Ceylon puffer and green puffer) and here's some reasons why it's a bad idea for your tank:

• T fluviatilis is a brackish fish- that means it needs to live in semi-seawater or it will die.
• It's aggressive and WILL attack your other fish, whatever size they are.
• Although they don't get as big as the two-foot Mbu, they still get to eight inches, and fast

Puffers are not community fish. None of them.

 

[EFCLad]

Nuts, thanks for your help guys.

My search for unsual fish contuines.

 

[Puffer_freak]

Damn, the moment I go on holiday, is the moment when a load of puffer questions come up!

To try and give you an idea of why they shouldn't be kept with other fish, I'll tell you about an aquarium I visited.

In this aquarium, they had a single Green Puffer. This fish was a juvenile but was kept with fish AT LEAST three times the size of it, and with plenty of hiding spaces. This tank was huge, and there was also only one Green Puffer in there, so that it wouldn't fight with others of it's own species, who would occupy the same kind of spaces in the tank, whereas the other fish in there wouldn't. To be honest, I think they were going to move the puffer quite soon anyway, even though it was only about 2".