Filled to the gills?

[ralphie16]

I would appreciate some input if I am currently overstocked and if not then long can this trio can live in the current tank before I have to move them to a larger tank?

125 gallon tank (6')

all fish are currently ~3"

Diodon holacanthus (porcupine puffer)
Arothron diadematus (panda puffer)
Chaetodon unimaculatus (teardrop bff)

Thank you.

[ralphie16]

forgot to mention that i do not plan on adding more fish to this tank with the possible exception of transferring my Golden Angel (Centropyge aurantius) from another tank to this one.

[leebca]

Thanks for posting, ralphie.

Chaetodon unimaculatus will pretty much have a medium low impact on the bio-load. It's a 'thin fish' that, although eats well, doesn't produce a lot of wastes.

Both the Diodon holacanthus, Arothron diadematus fishes do have an above average impact on the bio-load. Not only that, but they will get up to one foot in length in the home aquarium, without much effort.

The size of the Centropyge aurantius Angel wasn't given, but since it is a Dwarf Angelfish, its bio-load will be medium even as an adult.

The volume of the display tank was provided (thank you) but no other information regarding the system was presented. The features of the marine system (substrate & quantity, a sump, a refugium, volume of water in the system, biological filter, quantity of live rock, skimmer, circulation, etc., etc.) all figure into the equation of how much bio-load the system will support. So for all I know now, your system is over-stocked if it is sub-normal in the biological filtration area.

So I can't answer that question without more information about the system.

If the goal is to keep both Puffers together in one system, then when they get to about 6 inches or more (just because of their size and not taking into account the bio-load the system can handle), they should be moved into a display tank of no less than 240, together with the two other fishes. The assumption here is that the 240 system will have at least a sump, 400+ pounds of live rock or some other suitable biological filtration, skimmer, shallow substrate, and circulation of over 8 turnovers per hour.

[ralphie16]

Thanks for the great info.

Here are the specs:

125 display

35 gallon sump

~150lbs LR

Barebottom

LifeReef Skimmer & Tunze 9010 Skimmer

BioBalls/trickle filter incorporated in sump

Running Phosban and Carbon via 2LF reactor

Water flow in tank include four 2000gph and 2 1200gph powerheads (four hi-flow maxijet mods and two tunzes).

The angel is less then 3".

ammonia=0
nitrite=0
nitrate=consistently below 10
ph=8.16
salinity= 53mS (~1.025)
temp=79F

[ralphie16]

How long does it take to reach the 6" mark for the puffers? I've had them for about 6 months and the porcupine puffer has grown less then 1". I feed well but definately not overfeed because I know how that can impact water quality as well as producing a very large specimen in a short amount of time. So any estimates?

[ralphie16]

Is the limiting factor the bioload or the physical size of the fish that will require a larger tank? Obviously both but which will have the most impact first?

[leebca]

Right now, your aquarium is not overstocked. I don't get to write that very often!

Puffers, like all marine fish, should receive their proper amounts of foods and nutrition. Holding back nutrition is not a means to control their size.

Nourished properly, the small Puffers will grow faster in the beginning. It isn't just length, it is mass (or weight) that matters for the bioload. They bulk up pretty well. As for swimming space, they don't require a lot. A pool of about 5 feet in diameter would be good, or rectangular aquarium of no less than 6 feet -- for one. The container doesn't have to be particularly deep.

They should reach about 6 inches in length with the appropriate mass in 2009 or, a bit over 2 years from now. At that time they should be moved to their final and permanent home.

I think the system you have is pretty above average for biological filtration and will sustain a high bioload. But these Puffers are a slightly different consideration when it comes to bio-load. When the Puffer eats, being the carnivore that it is, the fish produces a rather large quantity of waste 'all of a sudden' for the system to handle. Carnivores produce the most nitrogen wastes of the three kinds of marine fishes. The system to handle such a large surge in waste has to be robust -- overbuilt -- so that enough active bacteria are 'standing by' to do their job quickly. What I'm slowly leading up to is the answer to your bioload vs. swimming space question. It's a tie.