Fahaka Puffer Beginner

[shivam]

Hey guys I want to get a Fahaka Puffer, I've been planning on getting one and doing research on it for a couple months now so I thinks its time to act. Im using a bare 75gallon tank with sand for the first year or so and then it'll be housed in a 125 by itself. I also bought a Fluval 406 for a filter. I live in Louisiana so its very easy for me to get my hands on some crawfish.
Is there anything Im missing for this puffer? Also any care tips and pictures of your own puffer would be great. Im buying the puffer at 5inches for $100, Im not sure if thats a good price or not.

 

[Fat Homer]

Please for the sake of your puffer do not put them in a bare tank!!! They need a lot of stimulas and enjoy searching their tanks, so i would add a lot of driftwood to create caves for him / her, as well as adding some hardy plants like anubias in there...

Sand / pool filter sand makes for a decent substrate, just make sure it has no sharp edges incase your puffer wants to bury itself...

Feeding other than just crays, you can mix in; clams / mussels / shrimps / good quality pellets / snails among other foods...

Not too familiar with that filter myself, but sounds like might be underfiltered for a messy eater that produces a fair amount of waste...

As for price, as i dont live in the US i cant comment if its fair or not...

 

[shivam]

Please for the sake of your puffer do not put them in a bare tank!!! They need a lot of stimulas and enjoy searching their tanks, so i would add a lot of driftwood to create caves for him / her, as well as adding some hardy plants like anubias in there...

Sand / pool filter sand makes for a decent substrate, just make sure it has no sharp edges incase your puffer wants to bury itself...

Feeding other than just crays, you can mix in; clams / mussels / shrimps / good quality pellets / snails among other foods...

Not too familiar with that filter myself, but sounds like might be underfiltered for a messy eater that produces a fair amount of waste...

As for price, as i dont live in the US i cant comment if its fair or not...

really appreciate the comment. Wow I'm glad you told me, I've been seeing vids of people keeping them in bare tanks so i figured it was common practice, Ill defiantly add driftwood, caves etc.

yeah I'm using pool filter sand, about 5-6 inches of it so it can bury in it.

I was planning on feeding it mostly clams and scallops and sometimes crawfish

The filter is advertised to filter 100us gallons so I figured it'll be fine in a 75gallon for a year or so. This isn't a permanent tank for the puffer, just a growout tank so it won't look lost in a massive tank

 

[Fat Homer]

I'm not sure i would go with such a thick substrate personally, since anything over 1" - 2" will need to be stirred at least weekly to release any toxic gas pockets that could build up due to uneaten food and debris trapped between the sand...

Otherwise the plan seems okay so far, just note that when moving your puffer you will need a bucket or something to remove the fish directly from the tank if possible, since you dont want them inhaling air as that could do damage to them if they cant release it...

 

[shivam]

I'm not sure i would go with such a thick substrate personally, since anything over 1" - 2" will need to be stirred at least weekly to release any toxic gas pockets that could build up due to uneaten food and debris trapped between the sand...

Otherwise the plan seems okay so far, just note that when moving your puffer you will need a bucket or something to remove the fish directly from the tank if possible, since you dont want them inhaling air as that could do damage to them if they cant release it...

thanks for the heads up. Now will this type of puffer inflate easily? Would i have to put the aquarium in a low traffic area and approach it slowly?

 

[Fat Homer]

Each puffer tends to have its own personality, so hard to say, but for the most part i wouldnt say they are a skittish fish, infact once they get to know you they can be quite personable...

I mean mine for example out of the 5+ years i've owned her, i've only seen her inflate twice, and both times she was inflated before anyone at home was upand tank lights off....

There has also been a theory that they sometimes puff for no reason, almost like a stretching excerise, but that is just random theory some puffer keepers came up with when noticing their puffers seeminly inflate for no reason...

 

[shivam]

Each puffer tends to have its own personality, so hard to say, but for the most part i wouldnt say they are a skittish fish, infact once they get to know you they can be quite personable...

I mean mine for example out of the 5+ years i've owned her, i've only seen her inflate twice, and both times she was inflated before anyone at home was upand tank lights off....

There has also been a theory that they sometimes puff for no reason, almost like a stretching excerise, but that is just random theory some puffer keepers came up with when noticing their puffers seeminly inflate for no reason...

Ohh ok good to know. I know these guys are crazy aggressive to tank mates, but do you think a pleco larger than it will be fine?

 

[Fat Homer]

Any puffer, although especially with Fahaka puffers, tank mates are a risk, they will either accept them (for how long is a gamble) or kill them at the first chance they get...

My Yellow Lab Chiclid has lived with my fahaka from the beginning with a pleco, i got rid of pleco recently coz of the massive amounts of waste but was rarely picked on by my puffer, the chiclid has had 2 close calls before but so far no real damage...

Eitherway though, realistically speaking it would have only taken one good bite from my puffer and either of those fish would be dead...

So overall, any tank mate with puffers is a risk, and people normally recommend not mixing Fahakas in particular with any tank mates