Fahaka Puffer Care Guide

[TheReefer]

This is a fish I have kept for a fair amount of time before and something I would like to make a care guide about, so here it goes

Name: Tetraodon Lineatus
Endemic To: The Nile River, rivers in Chad, Niger, Gambia, and Volta, as well as Lake Turkana and the Senegal and Geba rivers
Size: Upwards of 18 inches (45.7 cm)
Tank Size: Atleast 90 gallons (340.7 liters), though 200+ gallons is best (757 liters)
Water Parameters: 75–81 °F (24–29 °C) , a pH of 7.0-8.0
Diet: Hard shelled foods. If your puffer is particularly large, I have found frozen clams work best as a staple diet. I freeze them and snap the shell off to make clams on a half shell. Other appropriate foods include snails, crayfish, crabs, and raw, shelled food prawn.
Tank Set Up: The tank should be large and have a strong filter (a turnover rate of 6-10 times is best, so a 200 gallon tank should have a pump that turns over 1200-2000 gallons per hour or 4542 -7570 liters) because these fish are so messy. The Tank should have plenty of rocks, driftwood, caves, plants, and hiding spots for the puffer. A substrate is not necessary to keep these fish.
Temperament: Aggressive
Tankmates: Tankmates can vary, but generally speaking none, though some have had success keeping smaller fish fish them like barbs, tetras, rasboras, and danios
Breeding: Very little is known about breeding them, though hobbyists have reported success in breeding them.
Sources: https://meethepet.com/fahaka-pufferfish-tetraodon-lineatus/
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/Puffers/FahakaPuffer.php
https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/databank/nile-puffer-fahaka-puffer-

 

[Fat Homer]

Just a few things i’d personally change (but thats just me)...

Tank size: absolute min i would say is 120G, although that even lacks a bit due to the shorter length compared to a 200G tank especially when they dart from end to end...

Max Size: 16-18” seems to be the average max size but rarely over that (from what i have seen) and even that seems to be rarer these days, so not sure if its due to how they are being kept or the fish themselves...

Substrate: i agree its not 100% necessary but they can benefit from having it as the reflection off the bottom can sometimes stress puffers out...

Finally PH, im sure they can also deal with PH as low as 6 quite comfortably, but wouldnt go much lower than that if possible...

Otherwise, the rest if the info looks good...

 

[PYRU]

Just a few things i’d personally change (but thats just me)...

Tank size: absolute min i would say is 120G, although that even lacks a bit due to the shorter length compared to a 200G tank especially when they dart from end to end...

Max Size: 16-18” seems to be the average max size but rarely over that (from what i have seen) and even that seems to be rarer these days, so not sure if its due to how they are being kept or the fish themselves...

Substrate: i agree its not 100% necessary but they can benefit from having it as the reflection off the bottom can sometimes stress puffers out...

Finally PH, im sure they can also deal with PH as low as 6 quite comfortably, but wouldnt go much lower than that if possible...

Otherwise, the rest if the info looks good...

I second this. A 90 is too small. You want atleast a 2ft wide 120 min but you're going to be up to your neck in water changes with a big fahaka. Really should be looking at a 180 gallon.

Substrate wise fahaka like to partially bury so I'd say sand would be ideal for more natural behaviour.

 

[TheReefer]

Just a few things i’d personally change (but thats just me)...

Tank size: absolute min i would say is 120G, although that even lacks a bit due to the shorter length compared to a 200G tank especially when they dart from end to end...

Max Size: 16-18” seems to be the average max size but rarely over that (from what i have seen) and even that seems to be rarer these days, so not sure if its due to how they are being kept or the fish themselves...

Substrate: i agree its not 100% necessary but they can benefit from having it as the reflection off the bottom can sometimes stress puffers out...

Finally PH, im sure they can also deal with PH as low as 6 quite comfortably, but wouldnt go much lower than that if possible...

Otherwise, the rest if the info looks good...

I've found 90 works out, but I definitely don't recommend it long term, secondly, the largest I've heard of was 18 inches, everything else I agree with though

 

[TheReefer]

I second this. A 90 is too small. You want atleast a 2ft wide 120 min but you're going to be up to your neck in water changes with a big fahaka. Really should be looking at a 180 gallon.

Substrate wise fahaka like to partially bury so I'd say sand would be ideal for more natural behaviour.

agreed you should be looking at a far larger tank, but a 90 could work, the fish would be able to still turn around and move, though barely.

 

[Fat Homer]

I've found 90 works out, but I definitely don't recommend it long term, secondly, the largest I've heard of was 18 inches, everything else I agree with though

There was a member here before that had one that got to i think 19” but it is a very rare thing to see...

 

[PYRU]

agreed you should be looking at a far larger tank, but a 90 could work, the fish would be able to still turn around and move, though barely.

I don't know anyone with a grown fahaka that would agree with this. The minimum recommendation for a jaguar cichlid is 125 which grows to the same length, but is a lot more maneuverable able to turn around more easily.

A 2' wide tank has always been then the go to for a reason. All the failed attempts in an 18" wide tank. I'm not trying to belittle you. It's just bad to recommend that small of a tank for a fish of this size. It will fail in a few years.

 

[TheReefer]

I don't know anyone with a grown fahaka that would agree with this. The minimum recommendation for a jaguar cichlid is 125 which grows to the same length, but is a lot more maneuverable able to turn around more easily.

A 2' wide tank has always been then the go to for a reason. All the failed attempts in an 18" wide tank. I'm not trying to belittle you. It's just bad to recommend that small of a tank for a fish of this size. It will fail in a few years.

I suppose it depends on the size of the puffer. But yeah I'm not condoning that tank size, just saying you could get away with it