Help ID my new "Red Eye Puffer" **Video**

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Lynsey

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 15, 2011
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San Diego
This was sold to me as a Red Eye Puffer. I would like to know which species it is so I can provide the best care for it. It is in a 25 gallon freshwater aquaponics tank with crazy good filtration. I just want to make sure this one is fully freshwater. If it is one of the species I think it is, it is fully freshwater. This video was taken about 2hrs after being released into the tank. The guy at the store told me not to get him, since he was hanging out on the bottom and the green spots were swimming all over.....I think this is normal for this species. More of a lurker. He has been coming out and swimming a bit and has already eaten frozen bloodworms and krill after only 2hrs. What do you guys think? Its about 2.5-3" now. I was thinking Tetraodon Leiurus.

[video=youtube_share;vp32N3a0cmE]http://youtu.be/vp32N3a0cmE?list=PLwWbe0StmJXrWYUCCCK1I3clFvog5umm T[/video]
 
You're correct, this species is a nocturnal lurker.
The video is not very clear, so I can't give a proper ID. If it is Tetraodon Leiurus, it will have a very pronounced ocellate near the tail. All I can say is that it's definitely one of the target species. Some photos of the side would help.
 
I'll try to get better pics, but I don't see anything different next to the tail. Just pretty even spots. I think he's still a bit dark from being traumatized. His eyes are sorta cloudy, but seem to be clearing. The LFS had just got them and they looked a bit beat up. Trading with Melafix. He's eating good though.

Are all the targets freshwater? I am really just wanting to make sure he's in the proper water conditions. And I have him in an aquaponics tank, so I am hoping he's not brackish.

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I second he is one of the target species. I never like to say all but I do believe all are fresh water and not brackish. The "target" isn't always obvious one of the dots should be bigger than the others on both sides on the rear half of the body. It's not really on the tail like many new world cichlids have.

The biggest thing with these guys is diet. They need crunchy foods to wear down the teeth. I would set up a 5 gallon tank to breed pond snails. That is what I did with my GSP.
 
I have a ton of baby trumpet snails. Will they eat the babies? He's also eating blood wood's and krill with the shell on. I was gonna get him some frozen clams on the half shell.

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trumpet snails are considered too hard a shelled type snail. Common pond snails or ramshorn would be a better choice.
 
As Oddball said, without the ocellate, it's most likely M. Turgidus.
M. Turgidus is probably the most aggressive species that I've kept; every bit as aggressive as Fahakas in my experience.
These guys are hit and miss with snails; some eat them and some don't. They are not prone to over grown teeth as some other species. Malaysian Trumpet Snails will likely be ignored because of the very hard shell. A diet of fish (frozen/live), crayfish (frozen/live), krill and worms would be ideal. If you are feeding live crayfish, either snip the claws or feed at an appropriate size (about the size of the puffers tail) to avoid damage to the puffer.
I tried introducing some other fish in with my old one, and even fish of equal size or larger may last a few days or weeks, then I would find them in the morning cut in half.
Although some of the target species may make their way into brackish water at times, they can all live a happy life in 100% freshwater.
 
Thanks. I have him in a 25 gallon with 2 bristlenose plecos. I haven't seen him do anything to them, but can take them out if necessary.

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