Typical Tank setup: This is a freshwater puffer and does not … If they can’t expel it, it can kill them. This is compounded by the fact that puffer fish, as a species, are sensitive to poor water quality. The Mbu also tends to have eyes far apart on their head and may need to line themselves up with food before taking a bite. Care isn’t difficult at the condition that you provide the fish with proper tank environment and conditions. This helps keep their oversized teeth also known as a beak trimmed down. Most of the species have those appealing eyes that often remind keepers of a puppy face and indeed they can develop a strong bond with their owner making them a much loved pet that are treated with care and if kept under the proper conditions will lead long and happy lives. While this diet can be a challenge to keep up with, it provides two benefits on your end: One, it trims down the Mbu’s beak, making sure that it stays sharp. Guppies, tetras, and plecos have been known to live happily with more peaceful Mbu puffers, because they stay out of range. The Tetraodon MBU puffer is the largest freshwater species of puffer fish. Mbu Puffer (Tetraodon mbu) Origin: Lake Tanganyika Diet: Carnivore, feeding on mollusks, worms, and frozen foods Adult Size: 24″+ Recommended Tank Size: 300+ gallons Compatibility: Aggressive, should be kept alone. While they are generally aggressive and intolerant, you may find yourself lucky. In this presentation I gave, we talk about how to care for freshwater puffers. They are relatively hardy and undemanding about water … Re: Mbu Puffer fish #8 They're recommending 8 feet long and 3 feet wide but say typically they don't reach 30", just a bit over 24". The Amazon puffer needs to be kept in a tank that is at least 20 gallons. Especially with automated daily water changes. The fish should have the ability to turn around and swim in the tank, so keep in mind that puffer growth rate is very high and the max size is up to 45 cm. Thanks for supporting our site. Scientific name: Tetraodon mbu. Should you desire, plants could also be added to the aquarium, as long as you don’t mind occasional nips at the leaves. Caring for puffer fish is a challenge – even more so when dealing with the … Getting 22+ inches in a home aquarium. If they puff up out of water they can get air trapped. Advanced Aquaria Discussion Forum. Premium Puffers like these are more hardy and more colorful than Puffers from other sources. It is the smallest member of the six African freshwater pufferfish. This provides visual barriers and allows the fish to hide in the weeds if they’d like to. These fish can grow to a massive 24 to 30 inches in length, even when kept in a tank setting. The first question is always what size of an aquarium? Keeping your Mbu well-fed will lower the chances of it suddenly snapping and eating tank mates. Because of their natural habitat, the Mbu does best in alkaline water, slightly above neutral. Prev Post EVENING FERRET ROUTINE // 2019 GUIDE TO DAILY CARE. How to care for FRESHWATER PUFFER FISH – Dwarf Puffer, Pea Puffer, Puffer Fish, Mbu Puffer. Common name: Mbu Puffer, Giant Puffer, Giant Green Puffer Scientific name: Tetraodon Mbu Average Adult Fish Size: 24 inches / 60 cm Place of Origin: Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, Cameroon. With the scientific name Tetraodon Mbu, they’re also called the Giant Puffer, Giant Green Pufferfish, and Congo River Puffer. In other words, look for a longer tank, not a taller one. When shopping for a Mbu, keep an eye out for the amount of space that they are allocated. By Carnat Joel (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 licence). Rather than the total volume of the tank, they recommend that footprint be the number one factor when shopping for a tank. You should also provide caves for the puffers to hang out in. Pufferfish feeds on snails, shellfish, … Please note: this does not affect the price you pay. Be prepared for a food bill that is up to $10 a day when they get large. Tetraodon mbuis no exception to this rule b… Can be trained to accept dead food. Consisting of a mostly shelled food diet, the Mbu should be fed clams, mussels, and snails. Two puffers within the same tank will have very different behaviors and interact with you in their own unique way. They are also the LARGEST of the Freshwater Puffers! Partly because I run a lot of aquariums, but mostly so I can eliminate any heater malfunction from the list of potential killers for a MBU puffer. I liken a puffer puffing up to a human fainting. This happens it seems like once every 6 months or so. Shipping on orders under $59 is charged at a flat rate of $4.99. For those who enjoy a challenge, however, the puffer is an ideal pick. The tank should be heavily plantedor decorated. Feeding: Very predatory. Almost forming a crushed coral like substrate. Needless to say, the Mbu is a daunting fish to raise.