Anyone with information about Tetraodon baileyi.

Karl K

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Feb 10, 2014
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Denmark
I have an empty 29g, and i have been looking at Tetraodon Baileyi, also called Hairy Puffer.
Do these guys have alot of personallity like the larger freshwater puffers? Can they be kept in groups? I have read they cant, but saw a video of what looked like adults, being kept in a group.
I would also like to know about their diet, from what i have read, shellfish, snails, and stuff like that? Can 50% of the diet be dryfood, or does it have to be 100% worms, shellfish, live or frozen foods?
I'm asumming you sometimes have to trim their teeth, or would enough shellfish, and snails keep them down?
 

DMD123

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Oct 23, 2009
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They are a great puffer to have. The 29g should work but use an over-sized filter because of the amount of waste created by their diet. In my set up I use a 40g breeder tank with an AquaClear 110 filter. These guys should be kept alone because of aggression and the fact is a 29g is just enough room for one.

As to diet, mine wont touch pellets so it gets a mix of seafood and earthworms. I do stuff pellets into the food to make sure he gets any missing nutrients. This type of puffer may not eat snails. Dental care does not seem to be an issue with this type of puffer compared to others. I feed mine shrimp in shell and crab so he has to crunch on it but nothing extra has been required.
 

Karl K

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Feb 10, 2014
1,102
3
53
Denmark
They are a great puffer to have. The 29g should work but use an over-sized filter because of the amount of waste created by their diet. In my set up I use a 40g breeder tank with an AquaClear 110 filter. These guys should be kept alone because of aggression and the fact is a 29g is just enough room for one.

As to diet, mine wont touch pellets so it gets a mix of seafood and earthworms. I do stuff pellets into the food to make sure he gets any missing nutrients. This type of puffer may not eat snails. Dental care does not seem to be an issue with this type of puffer compared to others. I feed mine shrimp in shell and crab so he has to crunch on it but nothing extra has been required.
Thank you.
How about substrate. I have sand, but not fine sand, like play sand.
 

DMD123

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Oct 23, 2009
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I use a gravel to mimic a river setting. I have sand in my other tanks but I wanted a different look and I did not want him to bury himself all the time, that one is up to you. They do appreciate a hiding 'cave' and lots of decor like rocks and driftwood and really that is about it. They are easy to care for and very personable puffer to own. The food is pretty simple too, pretty much just seafood from the grocery store. Plus they do not require daily feedings, better to feed every two to three days.

These guys do not get very big 12cm or about 5 inches is right.
 

erythrinus

Piranha
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Aug 13, 2011
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I already know what everyone's going to say but any experiences with pairing or keeping a group of these? There are several documented spawnings including a YouTube video and one of three eating an earthworm. So has anyone tried?
I have two now and they live in a divided 20 with a clear plexiglas barrier. They have seen each other and spend most of the time at the opposite sides of the tank. I'm going to expand the tank and move them with the same setup, then at some point then try with no barrier. I've had 2 brown puffers live together in a 15 long with no aggression and I hope the two I have coexist.
 

Fat Homer

Mmmmm... Doughnuts
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^ problem you may find is that because you can't truly sex the two puffers you dont know if you are even starting with 1F and 1M to start with, so will they ever breed is a question

Second problem is the tank is too small to house two aggressive / semi lurker puffers... They are somewhat opportunistic feeders who will likely attack anything that gets too close to the business end, and if you do end up with a breeding pair, the female may have nowhere to hide when the make starts getting aggressive...

If you have a spare 29G latying around if anything goes wrong you could give it a try, but just know you'll need to watch out that you dont end up with two seriously injured or dead puffers...
 

erythrinus

Piranha
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Aug 13, 2011
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california
Predictably enough one is very aggressive towards the other, including lots of puffing at the divider. The other is unimpressed. I can keep each alone in a separate 20 gallon if I need too but I'm going to leave them together with the clear divider for a few weeks and see how it goes. Both individuals look and act very differently but that could just be personality. Really cool fish.
 

Fat Homer

Mmmmm... Doughnuts
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^ If there is any puffing involved between the two puffers, i doubt the aggression will go away over time, if anything, will probably get worst if they are ever given a chance to go at it...
 

erythrinus

Piranha
MFK Member
Aug 13, 2011
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california
You're probably right though who knows. There's a third at the Lfs. Looks similar to the other two and they're expensive. I don't think I'll risk buying a third though it might give me another chance to pair them.
It's weird - the larger one spends a lot of time checking out the smaller one but with no aggressive body language. The smaller one is not as freaked out now either. Very different personalities...
 
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