Oh! Fahaka!

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twentyleagues

twentyleagues

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Apr 5, 2017
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Flint town!
So I stopped at a lfs and they had 2 fahaka babies. Unable to choose between the two I took them both. I know they get aggressive and usually don't do well with each other and other fish. So far these two follow each other around the tank and sleep next to each other at night. I have noticed a slight bit of aggressive behavior during feeding from them both not directed at the other but more at the food source but still "stealing" the food away from each other. I worry later the rest of the stories will be true also. I may choose which ever one is more personable and take the other back. I'll be out the money but it'll be for the best of all involved. I'm going to be watching and trying to decide.
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No pics or vid updates yet. They are doing great their personalities are definitely showing one is super outgoing the other kind of shy. So my guess if I need to make a choice between the two will be the more out going one for a wet pet by himself. If I want to try and keep other fish with it the more shy one. They are still hanging out together most of the time in the day, they bed down next to each other at night about 1/2" apart. The food thing is still a thing too....
They will eat most stuff I put in, brine, black worms(these are favorite) blood worms, snails, the one will kind of munch bug bites pellets bit not actually chew it up or swallow it. When they eat snails they attack kind of like pea puffers eating snails they wait and watch until the snail is out moving and grab the foot and pull it out of the shell. They don't crunch up the shell. I've heard that they don't have the "beak" when young but instead still have separate teeth which will eventually fuse together to form the "beak" I don't know if that is true or not. Wouldn't it be cool if I could get one on pellets......
 
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As you already know its most likely just a matter of time before they will probably start having a go at each other although how long till that happens is anyones guess???

Personally i dont think i’ve ever heard of anyone successfully keeping two semi / full adult sized fahakas together without one or both eventually passing away due to aggression...

Although i’ve often wondered if 2 females were brought up together if it would work or not, not that i would advise anyone try it or that you could sex them at a young age...

As for the pellets, now would be a good time to start pellet training them too, coz they seem to be more inclined to try new foods at a young age...
 
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Fat Homer said:
As you already know its most likely just a matter of time before they will probably start having a go at each other although how long till that happens is anyones guess???

Personally i dont think i’ve ever heard of anyone successfully keeping two semi / full adult sized fahakas together without one or both eventually passing away due to aggression...

Although i’ve often wondered if 2 females were brought up together if it would work or not, not that i would advise anyone try it or that you could sex them at a young age...

As for the pellets, now would be a good time to start pellet training them too, coz they seem to be more inclined to try new foods at a young age...
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It's a pipe dream to keep both.

The one will keep trying a pellet a few times then gives up. I may try a carnivore pellet tonight broken up in like 3 pieces.
 
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Im guessing due to their size it might be hard for them atm, but when i first pellet trained my old puffer i used the smaller NLS sinking pellets along with the smaller Hikari Carnivore pellets which seemed to help...
 
Fat Homer said:
Im guessing due to their size it might be hard for them atm, but when i first pellet trained my old puffer i used the smaller NLS sinking pellets along with the smaller Hikari Carnivore pellets which seemed to help...
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The bug bites are small and they can mouth them. Wondering if the carnivore being softer will be a better way to start.
 
twentyleagues said:
The bug bites are small and they can mouth them. Wondering if the carnivore being softer will be a better way to start.
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yeah, possibly? Coz i remember my puffer initially had problems with the 5mm? NLS due to how hard they were but dont recall having problems with the small carnivore except they made a bit more of a mess coz they break down quite quickly...
 
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You dont have to worry about teeth so much at this stage, but if you cant use a quality pellet then you're defeating the purpose of getting one pellet trained. Youd be much better served imo crushing small snails, using nightcrawlers, & soaking seafood medley in vitachem.

If you value both I'd separate sooner than later. Your talking about fish that slide through flesh like butter. If they start going after one another they're going to inflict serious damage. I'd keep the most unique one. Either one will be super personable with some size and it would be better if it wasnt scarred up. Just my 2c

Heres some quick info on beaks

www.nhm.ac.uk

Pufferfish beak originates from stem cell tweak

Read news from the Museum that sheds light on how the pufferfish's beak forms.
www.nhm.ac.uk www.nhm.ac.uk
 
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