SKU: H762
Freshwater Puffer Care Tips
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Freshwater Puffers
Why Keep Them? Puffers are interesting fish that often do best when kept in a specialized aquarium. Pufferfish are a difficult fish to incorporate into a community setting, so most of the time, you are providing a species only tank.
Green Spotted Puffer (Tetraodon nigroviridis) (Grows to 6')
Housing: Provide an aquarium of at least 20 gallons. 30 to 40 gallons is ideal. Provide standard power filtration or even canister filtration as these fish are messy eaters. You can use any aquarium gravel, or a marine based aragonite gravel. Decorate with plastic plants, if you decide to use live plants you may try some anubias, java fern, or moss balls.
Tank Mates: These puffers are aggressive and are ideal candidates for "species only" tank. They can even be aggressive toward their own kind in the form of nipped fins. They seem to be less aggressive when young and more aggressive as adults.
Water Conditions: These fish live in brackish water and should have some salt in the water. We recommend you use Instant Ocean Sea Salt at about 1 tablespoon per gallon. The hydrometer should read 1.005 to 1.015. This is a tropical species, so maintain a temperature of 70-80 degrees.
Feeding: Feed a variety of meaty foods including Bloodworms, Mysis shrimp, frozen squid, krill, and freeze dried shrimp are good choices. They like to eat snails, crunching on some snails periodically will help them keep their teeth properly trimmed. They also enjoy live ghost shrimp, while adults will even eat fiddler crabs. Sometimes, you can get puffers to accept dried foods, most usually pellets. Try offering to them when they are young. We recommend Hikari Carnivore Pellets as well as Hikari Massivore Pellets.
Behavior: They will spend a lot of time near the bottom of the tank. They will quickly come to the surface when you feed them. Pufferfish are a very personable fish, they will learn to recognize your face and they will come out to see you when you approach the tank.
Figure Eight Puffer (Tetraodon biocellatus) (Grows to 3.5")
Same care as Green Spotted Puffer ?
Dwarf Pea Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) (Grows to 1.5")
Housing: Provide and aquarium of at least 20 gallons. In some cases, a 10 gallon can be used. These pufferfish are native to the leaf littered streams in the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. These slow moving streams provide optimal hiding spaces to make this shy species feel safe. So make sure that your tank is heavily planted. The more hiding places you have, the more you will see your fish. These fish are prey animals in the wild, so knowing that they have somewhere to hide, makes them feel safe enough to come out and be active in the aquarium.
Tank Mates: It is essential that you house pea puffers with other pea puffers. In the wild, Pea Puffers are found in large shoals, they do this to for social reasons, and for security reasons. It is recommended that you keep these fish in groups of at least 6. This is so that optimal group dynamics can be reached, if you have a smaller group, you may experience more infighting amongst them.
Water Conditions: Unlike other pufferfish species, this is a true freshwater puffer, they do not require any salt in the water. Maintain a temperature of 75-80F. Provide a power filter that has an adjustable flow as these fish to prefer calmer waters.
Feeding: Provide frozen meaty foods. When they are young, they will most likely enjoy things like frozen Daphnia and Baby Brine Shrimp. As they get larger, start to offer them things like Live Brine Shrimp, Frozen and live Blood Worms, and Mysis Shrimp. As they grow, it is also important that they are offered small feeder snails to help wear down their beak.
Behavior: As stated previously, Pea Puffers are a prey animal, meaning they are preyed upon by larger fish and even by birds in the wild. This leads to their sometimes shy and reclusive personalities. But, when kept in the optimal tank, these fish will adopt fascinating personalities and they will come to recognize who you are.
Dragon Puffer (Pao Palembangensis) (Grows to 8")
Housing: This fish inhabits freshwater, slow moving streams and ponds in Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These fish are ambush predators, meaning they use the dense vegetation as a place to hide, where they wait to pounce on their prey by surprise. So make sure to provide a heavily planted aquarium with plenty of driftwood and rock work. Substrate should be soft and sandy, as they are a wallowing species, meaning they may like to fully burry themselves in the substrate. Making sure the substrate is soft and sandy will ensure they do not injure themselves if they choose to partake in this behavior. Providing epiphyte plants like Abubias and Java Fern is optimal as they will not be dislodged by the puffer pushing through the sandy substrate.
Tank Mates: Unlike other species in the Pao genus, the Dragon Puffer can cohabitate with others of its own kind when the conditions are optimal. This means that you provide a minimum of a 40 gallon for one puffer, and add another 20 gallons for every additional puffer. For example, if you'd like to keep a group of 3, an 80 gallon tank would be the recommended size. Due to their large mouths and curiosity, it is not recommended that any other tank mates be added to the tank.
Water Conditions: Temperature should be within the range of 75-82F. This species does not need to have any salt added to their water. Make sure to provide a strong power filter or even a canister filter, as these fish are messy eaters.
Feeding: Provide frozen meaty foods. Sometimes these fish will accept dried foods like pellets. We recommend offering them Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets or Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets. Frozen meaty foods like Mysis Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, Krill, Silversides, and Clams on a half shell may be offered. Watch when offering krill, as this is a fat filled food that does not offer the best nutritional value. Live foods like ghost shrimp can be offered as well. Feeding Clams on a half shell and even live feeder snails is essential to keep the beak worn down on your fish.
Behavior: This species is another that is a bit more reclusive in nature. This is most likely due to them being an ambush predator in the wild. They have also been noted to be nocturnal, most active at night and in the early morning hours. As your fish adjusts to your tank and learns your face, they will warm up to you and become much more outgoing. Do not be discouraged by their behavior being extremely reclusive in their first few weeks in their new home, as this species does take a bit longer than others to adjust. Providing plenty of cover through rock work and plants will help to alleviate any stress and lead to a more outgoing fish.
Amazon Puffer (Assellus Puffer) (Colomesus assellus) (Grows to 5")
Housing: These fish are native to the faster moving rivers in South America. They would like to live in a tank that is heavily planted and covered with rock work. But, they are also very active swimmers, so make sure to provide plenty of open swimming area as well. We recommend scaping the tank with all of the dense taller plants, and rockwork in the back of the tank, leaving the front of the tank open for swimming room.
Tank Mates: This species is sometimes referred to as the "community puffer" due to its rather gentle and friendly nature. Like Pea Puffers, this species is a shoaling species. So keeping these fish in groups of their own kind is essential. Keeping a group of at least 6 is recommended. Providing a tank of at least 55 gallons for the 6 is recommended, though sizing up to a 90 gallon would be optimal. Since they are a more peaceful species, you can put fish other than their own kind in the aquarium with them. Literature recommends smaller, faster moving fish that are kept in large groups. Fish like Rummynose Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, and Otocinclus have been recommended for algae control.
Water Conditions: Temperature should range between 75-82F. Make sure to keep a strong filter as this fish are messy eaters. Unlike some of the other slower moving species, this puffer prefers to have more of a current within the tank that they will even swim against for enjoyment. This can be done by using a Fluval Canister Filter with a Spray Bar attachment. These fish do not require any salt in the water.
Feeding: In the wild, this species diet comprises of almost entirely bugs, things like mayflies, fishflies, and shadflies. But this species will accept some frozen prepared foods like Mysis, Brine, and Blood Worms. Black worms and White Worms are another great option for these fish, Unlike other puffers, this species should NOT be offered Mollusks like Krill and Clams. Try to feed them quality pellet foods as well such as the Hikari Carnivore Pellets.
Behavior: Amazon Puffers are far less reclusive and shy in nature than others. They are known for swimming back and forth the entire length of their tank and always coming up to the glass to greet visitors. They will learn to recognize your face and will swim up to you with more excitement than for others. In order to keep them happy and healthy, it is best to provide them with a group of their own kind, a large tank that has more length than height, and plenty of open swimming space as well as places to hide if wanted. While this species is not a wallowing one, it is still recommended that you provide a soft sandy substrate.
Fugu Puffer/Orange Saddle Pufferfish: (Tetraodon ocellatus) (Grows to 6") Housing: This fish is found in the coastal areas of China, Japan, and Vietnam. It is more accustomed to open swimming areas than other puffers, but would still like some cover. Provide a larger tank (at least 20 gallons for 1), a sandy substrate, and some rock work. A mixture of live and fake plants may be used, as some salt should be added to the water.
Tank Mates: This species is aggressive, and is best kept as a solitary fish on its own. Sometimes, if added when they are all young, they can get along with others of their own kind. Make sure to provide an additional 20 gallons for each additional puffer you'd like to add.
Water Conditions: In the wild, this fish is found in a range of salinities. They can be found in full freshwater streams, brackish estuaries, and even full marine waters. This being said, it is essential that you ask for information to be given to you on where your puffer was sourced from. Our suppliers will give us that information upon receiving that we would be able to pass to you. If choosing to do live plants, make sure that you are picking species that are more resistant to aquarium salt, these species include Java Fern, Anubias, Watersprite and even Anacharis. If you would like, you could special order Mangroves. As they enjoy the brackish waters the most. They are regularly available with our suppliers.
Feeding: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young.
Behavior: This species is less reclusive than others and adopts a great personality when adjusted to their new tank. They will learn to recognize your face and will come up to the front of the tank to acknowledge you.
Fahaka Puffer (Tetraodon lineatus) (Grows to- 16")
Housing: This is a fairly more aggressive species than some of its other counterparts in the Tetraodon genus. Be sure to provide a large tank, a minimum of a 120 gallon for this large fish. In the wild, they are found within the heavily sheltered areas of almost the entire length of the Nile River. Providing rock work, driftwood, and mixture of live and fake plants is essential. It is recommended that you provide a more heavily planted/sheltered tank for younger puffers and then remove/relocate things to make more open swimming space as the fish grows.
Tank Mates: This species is aggressive, and has been noted to turn on tank mates after living with them peacefully for some time. This includes other puffers, armored catfish like Plecos, and even larger Eels and Gar. Therefore, it is not recommended that Fahaka puffers are kept with any other fish. This species of puffer is not social, and prefers its solitude.
Water Conditions: Provide a large filtration system, possibly a power filter with a canister filter. A sponge filter may be beneficial as well. These fish are messy eaters, so more than once monthly water changes may be necessary to maintain optimal water parameters.
Feeding: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young. At their maximum size, it may be necessary to offer things like larger clams and crabs.
Behavior: This species is less reclusive than others and adopts a great personality when adjusted to their new tank. They will learn to recognize your face and will come up to the front of the tank to acknowledge you. It is recommended that the person who feeds the puffer, also does the tank maintenance. This is because of their easily startled nature, and their ability to display aggression. This species is more likely to bite than others, having someone the fish positively associates with feeding will prevent any stress to the fish, and any danger to the fishkeeper, during the necessary tank maintenance.
Avocado Pufferfish (Auriglobus modestus) (Grows to- 5")
Housing: These fish are found off of the coast of Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. They are known for their beautiful bright green coloration and fun personalities. Provide a large tank, at least 40 gallons for one fish. Add an additional 20 gallons for every other puffer you add. Add rockwork and driftwood and a mixture of live and fake plants to provide hiding places.
Tank Mates: This species if less aggressive than others, but they are not a shoaling species in the wild, so they may prefer to be kept in solitude over being in a group of their own kind. If keeping them in a group, provide a large tank of at least 90 gallons for a group of 3. Provide a lot of hiding places via rock work, driftwood and plants.
Water Conditions: Provide a large filtration system, a power filter and a canister filter are recommended. Monthly water changes of at least 50% may be necessary as they grow and consume more food and therefore more waste.
Feeding: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young. Due to their highly intelligent nature, live ghost shrimp posing as a challenge for them to catch would be welcomed.
Behavior: This species is friendlier than others and will learn to recognize your face and approach you at the glass. They like to have their places to hide, but they do prefer more open areas as well.
Mbu Pufferfish (Tetraodon Mbu) (Grows to-30")
Housing: Due to its potentially massive maximum size, this fish requires a large tank. A minimum of a 120 gallon aquarium is recommended, while closer to a 210 to 300 gallon is more sufficient. They are found in rivers and lakes all along the Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Cameroon. They tend to hide in more submerged and leaf littered areas and they avoid the open areas of the water ways. You should provide this highly intelligent fish with a very chaotic scape. Lots of rock work, drift wood, and plants should cover the back of the tank. Curving the scape around towards the front of the tank would not be discouraged as this species does not particularly enjoy open areas without cover. Let is be noted that as the fish grows, the scape may have to change with it to provide enough room within the tank.
Tank Mates: Due to their easily startled nature, it is not recommended that the Mbu be housed with any other fish. And due to its large size, it would be difficult to find suitable tank mates. Keeping them as a solitary fish is recommended and they would be the happiest in that.
Water Conditions: Provide a large filtration system, a canister filter is recommended, possibly 2 canisters. Monthly/Weekly water changes will most likely need to be closer to 50% rather than 25% to maintain healthy water parameters.
Feedings: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young. Due to their highly intelligent nature, live ghost shrimp posing as a challenge for them to catch would be welcomed. At their maximum, these fish may need to be offered Fiddler Crabs and Clams.
Behavior: This species is a wallowing species, meaning they enjoy being able to burry themselves almost fully (up to their eyeline) in the substrate. That being said, provide a light, and soft sandy substrate that is a minimum of 6" thick. As the fish grows, you may need to add more sand in order to still provide enough for wallowing. This highly intelligent yet easily startled and reclusive species is a great fish for someone looking to have one interesting centerpiece fish in a large tank. These fish are best kept alone and will exhibit their best possible behaviors when given places to hide, while also enough room to swim and grow.
Why Keep Them? Puffers are interesting fish that often do best when kept in a specialized aquarium. Pufferfish are a difficult fish to incorporate into a community setting, so most of the time, you are providing a species only tank.
Green Spotted Puffer (Tetraodon nigroviridis) (Grows to 6')
Housing: Provide an aquarium of at least 20 gallons. 30 to 40 gallons is ideal. Provide standard power filtration or even canister filtration as these fish are messy eaters. You can use any aquarium gravel, or a marine based aragonite gravel. Decorate with plastic plants, if you decide to use live plants you may try some anubias, java fern, or moss balls.
Tank Mates: These puffers are aggressive and are ideal candidates for "species only" tank. They can even be aggressive toward their own kind in the form of nipped fins. They seem to be less aggressive when young and more aggressive as adults.
Water Conditions: These fish live in brackish water and should have some salt in the water. We recommend you use Instant Ocean Sea Salt at about 1 tablespoon per gallon. The hydrometer should read 1.005 to 1.015. This is a tropical species, so maintain a temperature of 70-80 degrees.
Feeding: Feed a variety of meaty foods including Bloodworms, Mysis shrimp, frozen squid, krill, and freeze dried shrimp are good choices. They like to eat snails, crunching on some snails periodically will help them keep their teeth properly trimmed. They also enjoy live ghost shrimp, while adults will even eat fiddler crabs. Sometimes, you can get puffers to accept dried foods, most usually pellets. Try offering to them when they are young. We recommend Hikari Carnivore Pellets as well as Hikari Massivore Pellets.
Behavior: They will spend a lot of time near the bottom of the tank. They will quickly come to the surface when you feed them. Pufferfish are a very personable fish, they will learn to recognize your face and they will come out to see you when you approach the tank.
Figure Eight Puffer (Tetraodon biocellatus) (Grows to 3.5")
Same care as Green Spotted Puffer ?
Dwarf Pea Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) (Grows to 1.5")
Housing: Provide and aquarium of at least 20 gallons. In some cases, a 10 gallon can be used. These pufferfish are native to the leaf littered streams in the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. These slow moving streams provide optimal hiding spaces to make this shy species feel safe. So make sure that your tank is heavily planted. The more hiding places you have, the more you will see your fish. These fish are prey animals in the wild, so knowing that they have somewhere to hide, makes them feel safe enough to come out and be active in the aquarium.
Tank Mates: It is essential that you house pea puffers with other pea puffers. In the wild, Pea Puffers are found in large shoals, they do this to for social reasons, and for security reasons. It is recommended that you keep these fish in groups of at least 6. This is so that optimal group dynamics can be reached, if you have a smaller group, you may experience more infighting amongst them.
Water Conditions: Unlike other pufferfish species, this is a true freshwater puffer, they do not require any salt in the water. Maintain a temperature of 75-80F. Provide a power filter that has an adjustable flow as these fish to prefer calmer waters.
Feeding: Provide frozen meaty foods. When they are young, they will most likely enjoy things like frozen Daphnia and Baby Brine Shrimp. As they get larger, start to offer them things like Live Brine Shrimp, Frozen and live Blood Worms, and Mysis Shrimp. As they grow, it is also important that they are offered small feeder snails to help wear down their beak.
Behavior: As stated previously, Pea Puffers are a prey animal, meaning they are preyed upon by larger fish and even by birds in the wild. This leads to their sometimes shy and reclusive personalities. But, when kept in the optimal tank, these fish will adopt fascinating personalities and they will come to recognize who you are.
Dragon Puffer (Pao Palembangensis) (Grows to 8")
Housing: This fish inhabits freshwater, slow moving streams and ponds in Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These fish are ambush predators, meaning they use the dense vegetation as a place to hide, where they wait to pounce on their prey by surprise. So make sure to provide a heavily planted aquarium with plenty of driftwood and rock work. Substrate should be soft and sandy, as they are a wallowing species, meaning they may like to fully burry themselves in the substrate. Making sure the substrate is soft and sandy will ensure they do not injure themselves if they choose to partake in this behavior. Providing epiphyte plants like Abubias and Java Fern is optimal as they will not be dislodged by the puffer pushing through the sandy substrate.
Tank Mates: Unlike other species in the Pao genus, the Dragon Puffer can cohabitate with others of its own kind when the conditions are optimal. This means that you provide a minimum of a 40 gallon for one puffer, and add another 20 gallons for every additional puffer. For example, if you'd like to keep a group of 3, an 80 gallon tank would be the recommended size. Due to their large mouths and curiosity, it is not recommended that any other tank mates be added to the tank.
Water Conditions: Temperature should be within the range of 75-82F. This species does not need to have any salt added to their water. Make sure to provide a strong power filter or even a canister filter, as these fish are messy eaters.
Feeding: Provide frozen meaty foods. Sometimes these fish will accept dried foods like pellets. We recommend offering them Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets or Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets. Frozen meaty foods like Mysis Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, Krill, Silversides, and Clams on a half shell may be offered. Watch when offering krill, as this is a fat filled food that does not offer the best nutritional value. Live foods like ghost shrimp can be offered as well. Feeding Clams on a half shell and even live feeder snails is essential to keep the beak worn down on your fish.
Behavior: This species is another that is a bit more reclusive in nature. This is most likely due to them being an ambush predator in the wild. They have also been noted to be nocturnal, most active at night and in the early morning hours. As your fish adjusts to your tank and learns your face, they will warm up to you and become much more outgoing. Do not be discouraged by their behavior being extremely reclusive in their first few weeks in their new home, as this species does take a bit longer than others to adjust. Providing plenty of cover through rock work and plants will help to alleviate any stress and lead to a more outgoing fish.
Amazon Puffer (Assellus Puffer) (Colomesus assellus) (Grows to 5")
Housing: These fish are native to the faster moving rivers in South America. They would like to live in a tank that is heavily planted and covered with rock work. But, they are also very active swimmers, so make sure to provide plenty of open swimming area as well. We recommend scaping the tank with all of the dense taller plants, and rockwork in the back of the tank, leaving the front of the tank open for swimming room.
Tank Mates: This species is sometimes referred to as the "community puffer" due to its rather gentle and friendly nature. Like Pea Puffers, this species is a shoaling species. So keeping these fish in groups of their own kind is essential. Keeping a group of at least 6 is recommended. Providing a tank of at least 55 gallons for the 6 is recommended, though sizing up to a 90 gallon would be optimal. Since they are a more peaceful species, you can put fish other than their own kind in the aquarium with them. Literature recommends smaller, faster moving fish that are kept in large groups. Fish like Rummynose Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, and Otocinclus have been recommended for algae control.
Water Conditions: Temperature should range between 75-82F. Make sure to keep a strong filter as this fish are messy eaters. Unlike some of the other slower moving species, this puffer prefers to have more of a current within the tank that they will even swim against for enjoyment. This can be done by using a Fluval Canister Filter with a Spray Bar attachment. These fish do not require any salt in the water.
Feeding: In the wild, this species diet comprises of almost entirely bugs, things like mayflies, fishflies, and shadflies. But this species will accept some frozen prepared foods like Mysis, Brine, and Blood Worms. Black worms and White Worms are another great option for these fish, Unlike other puffers, this species should NOT be offered Mollusks like Krill and Clams. Try to feed them quality pellet foods as well such as the Hikari Carnivore Pellets.
Behavior: Amazon Puffers are far less reclusive and shy in nature than others. They are known for swimming back and forth the entire length of their tank and always coming up to the glass to greet visitors. They will learn to recognize your face and will swim up to you with more excitement than for others. In order to keep them happy and healthy, it is best to provide them with a group of their own kind, a large tank that has more length than height, and plenty of open swimming space as well as places to hide if wanted. While this species is not a wallowing one, it is still recommended that you provide a soft sandy substrate.
Fugu Puffer/Orange Saddle Pufferfish: (Tetraodon ocellatus) (Grows to 6") Housing: This fish is found in the coastal areas of China, Japan, and Vietnam. It is more accustomed to open swimming areas than other puffers, but would still like some cover. Provide a larger tank (at least 20 gallons for 1), a sandy substrate, and some rock work. A mixture of live and fake plants may be used, as some salt should be added to the water.
Tank Mates: This species is aggressive, and is best kept as a solitary fish on its own. Sometimes, if added when they are all young, they can get along with others of their own kind. Make sure to provide an additional 20 gallons for each additional puffer you'd like to add.
Water Conditions: In the wild, this fish is found in a range of salinities. They can be found in full freshwater streams, brackish estuaries, and even full marine waters. This being said, it is essential that you ask for information to be given to you on where your puffer was sourced from. Our suppliers will give us that information upon receiving that we would be able to pass to you. If choosing to do live plants, make sure that you are picking species that are more resistant to aquarium salt, these species include Java Fern, Anubias, Watersprite and even Anacharis. If you would like, you could special order Mangroves. As they enjoy the brackish waters the most. They are regularly available with our suppliers.
Feeding: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young.
Behavior: This species is less reclusive than others and adopts a great personality when adjusted to their new tank. They will learn to recognize your face and will come up to the front of the tank to acknowledge you.
Fahaka Puffer (Tetraodon lineatus) (Grows to- 16")
Housing: This is a fairly more aggressive species than some of its other counterparts in the Tetraodon genus. Be sure to provide a large tank, a minimum of a 120 gallon for this large fish. In the wild, they are found within the heavily sheltered areas of almost the entire length of the Nile River. Providing rock work, driftwood, and mixture of live and fake plants is essential. It is recommended that you provide a more heavily planted/sheltered tank for younger puffers and then remove/relocate things to make more open swimming space as the fish grows.
Tank Mates: This species is aggressive, and has been noted to turn on tank mates after living with them peacefully for some time. This includes other puffers, armored catfish like Plecos, and even larger Eels and Gar. Therefore, it is not recommended that Fahaka puffers are kept with any other fish. This species of puffer is not social, and prefers its solitude.
Water Conditions: Provide a large filtration system, possibly a power filter with a canister filter. A sponge filter may be beneficial as well. These fish are messy eaters, so more than once monthly water changes may be necessary to maintain optimal water parameters.
Feeding: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young. At their maximum size, it may be necessary to offer things like larger clams and crabs.
Behavior: This species is less reclusive than others and adopts a great personality when adjusted to their new tank. They will learn to recognize your face and will come up to the front of the tank to acknowledge you. It is recommended that the person who feeds the puffer, also does the tank maintenance. This is because of their easily startled nature, and their ability to display aggression. This species is more likely to bite than others, having someone the fish positively associates with feeding will prevent any stress to the fish, and any danger to the fishkeeper, during the necessary tank maintenance.
Avocado Pufferfish (Auriglobus modestus) (Grows to- 5")
Housing: These fish are found off of the coast of Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. They are known for their beautiful bright green coloration and fun personalities. Provide a large tank, at least 40 gallons for one fish. Add an additional 20 gallons for every other puffer you add. Add rockwork and driftwood and a mixture of live and fake plants to provide hiding places.
Tank Mates: This species if less aggressive than others, but they are not a shoaling species in the wild, so they may prefer to be kept in solitude over being in a group of their own kind. If keeping them in a group, provide a large tank of at least 90 gallons for a group of 3. Provide a lot of hiding places via rock work, driftwood and plants.
Water Conditions: Provide a large filtration system, a power filter and a canister filter are recommended. Monthly water changes of at least 50% may be necessary as they grow and consume more food and therefore more waste.
Feeding: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young. Due to their highly intelligent nature, live ghost shrimp posing as a challenge for them to catch would be welcomed.
Behavior: This species is friendlier than others and will learn to recognize your face and approach you at the glass. They like to have their places to hide, but they do prefer more open areas as well.
Mbu Pufferfish (Tetraodon Mbu) (Grows to-30")
Housing: Due to its potentially massive maximum size, this fish requires a large tank. A minimum of a 120 gallon aquarium is recommended, while closer to a 210 to 300 gallon is more sufficient. They are found in rivers and lakes all along the Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Cameroon. They tend to hide in more submerged and leaf littered areas and they avoid the open areas of the water ways. You should provide this highly intelligent fish with a very chaotic scape. Lots of rock work, drift wood, and plants should cover the back of the tank. Curving the scape around towards the front of the tank would not be discouraged as this species does not particularly enjoy open areas without cover. Let is be noted that as the fish grows, the scape may have to change with it to provide enough room within the tank.
Tank Mates: Due to their easily startled nature, it is not recommended that the Mbu be housed with any other fish. And due to its large size, it would be difficult to find suitable tank mates. Keeping them as a solitary fish is recommended and they would be the happiest in that.
Water Conditions: Provide a large filtration system, a canister filter is recommended, possibly 2 canisters. Monthly/Weekly water changes will most likely need to be closer to 50% rather than 25% to maintain healthy water parameters.
Feedings: Feed a diet consisting of frozen meaty foods and some live food. Frozen Brine, Mysis and Krill can be offered. May accept some pellet foods, attempt feeding Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Sinking Massivore Pellets when they are young. Due to their highly intelligent nature, live ghost shrimp posing as a challenge for them to catch would be welcomed. At their maximum, these fish may need to be offered Fiddler Crabs and Clams.
Behavior: This species is a wallowing species, meaning they enjoy being able to burry themselves almost fully (up to their eyeline) in the substrate. That being said, provide a light, and soft sandy substrate that is a minimum of 6" thick. As the fish grows, you may need to add more sand in order to still provide enough for wallowing. This highly intelligent yet easily startled and reclusive species is a great fish for someone looking to have one interesting centerpiece fish in a large tank. These fish are best kept alone and will exhibit their best possible behaviors when given places to hide, while also enough room to swim and grow.
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