Dwarf fahaka?!?!

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fishe

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 4, 2012
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Ive heard some rumors about the dwarf fahaka that only gets abouth 6 inches, from a cerain lake, like some sub species. Anyone heard this? Are the just stunted? Would a 30 gallon planted be okay, where could i find one


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Well first off, I don't think there's too many people willing to say "Here is a dwarf Fahaka from Lake Turkana that you can put it in a 30G tank". As you have read in another thread there is no scientific data for it but there are many owners coming forward with these cases only to find about them later. I'm sure that some of them are stunted indeed, but if know what you're looking for you can tell whether or not it's been disfigured or not.

I suggest you look to the puffer forum - search keywords such as "Turkana", "Dwarf Fahaka", etc and you shall see more answers.

The messiness of the Fahaka, dwarf or not, would need more than just 30G. If you have a 30G tank you'd be better off looking for something else other than take your chances on something that potentially needs much bigger.
 
My two never broke 3.5 inches, which is the size They came in at. I'd never keep them In anything less than a 55g at the least cuz of the bioload. If you check my posts you can read about my theories.
 
fishe said:
Ive heard some rumors about the dwarf fahaka that only gets abouth 6 inches, from a cerain lake, like some sub species. Anyone heard this? Are the just stunted? Would a 30 gallon planted be okay, where could i find one


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Click to expand...

Yeah possobilty and makes more sense that they were stunted as baby's


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That's one single Guy and one single post. I read that one too when I was searching for my second fahaka. Like I said before, its either stunted (which I believe since they came in with adult coloration) or the lake turkana theory is true. Keep in mind a theory is just that, an educated GUESS at a POSSIBILITY. I'd hate for you to buy a fahaka then It start growing, and get stunted and sick in your tank that would be too small. I still recommend an abei
 
Yeah, at the moment the smaller fahaka species is all just a theory as no one has really be able to prove whether there really is such a sub species, although anything is possible...

Personally speaking, unless i start seeing a lot of different people buying fahakas from all different sources and suppliers and seeing the same growth (i.e. staying under 6") in larger tanks 125G and up, i'm going to stick with the theory of it most likely being stunted during the time it was caught till the time it was sold in an LFS...
 
I think it's a good possibility that a lot of them are stunted from the holding tanks but I am also simply ignorant in the topic of stunting enough to question it. I have read that puffers are more prone to stunting when trapped in smaller tanks due to a larger role in its hormones but could something like a Fahaka that easily reaches over a foot long in captivity be stunted to a 1/3-1/4 of its size from being in small tanks while they are young?

Say a 3" Fahaka was shoved into a tiny tank such as a 5G (one would think they should be separated but I've seen way too many Fahakas at the LFS in groups, including the one I had purchased) for a lengthy periodbe stunted to the point it would be sort of stuck around that size for life?

I am not asking rhetorical questions out loud to myself but rather genuinely wondering.
 
I think getting one when you have a 180+ is the better option. Then, if it becomes huge, there is enough room. If it doesn't then you can either reduce tank size, try adding tankmates or have a very happy puffer.

As everyone has already stated its just a theory, but where have you ever seen two identical fish from different areas, just one grows smaller? I can't think of any?

The problem I forsee is people will label them as a 'Dwarf' when they aren't and people will put them 30's which will inturn stunt the fish (making it a dwarf - through unnatural causes, obv). So thats why my above theory is what I'd do if I were to purchase a 'Dwarf' Fahaka.
 
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