Puffer or not to Puffer?

[GrantA94]

As far as i know, unless you do an autopsy, the only way to confirm if you have a female is by her laying eggs...

As for are females more placid? Not sure, but an example would be Kev's fahaka on here i think is also a female, but hes said his will tear everything apart that hits the water, but mine on the other hand lives with a rubber lip pleco and a yellow lab cichlid without any real problems.

With that being said, i would guess two things play into this though, 1) being space and decor in the tank & 2) being the nature / personality of said puffer.

Pufferpunk is a good example of this, her fahaka lived with i think a polleni? For some time with no problems, and hers turned on the polleni one day and easentially killed it...

So if you decide to try tankmates like i did (not that i really recommend it), i would try with something cheap you dont mind losing, also add them all in at the same time if possible so they grow up together rather than being introduced when the fish are larger and more aggressive...

Btw, sorry for the wall of text, but thought you'd rather here of peoples personal experiences for more of a better view...


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Okay. Well I don't think I will be performing an autopsy to sex it. However I have the urge to call it a him. I don't feel the need to have any tankmates with him, other than small fish such as tetras. Given that the bio waste will be high already. How do dithers do? Do puffers see them like smaller cichlids do and feel more secure and therefore more active? How do plants do with puffers? I appreciate that it will vary from puffer to puffer. But as a rule?


I really appreciate all your help. You have been extremely useful in aiding my decision.

As it stands now I have him reserved. I will wait and see if I still feel its for me for another week or so before going ahead. The last thing I want to do is rush into this.

 

[kevinfleming21]

As far as i know, unless you do an autopsy, the only way to confirm if you have a female is by her laying eggs...

As for are females more placid? Not sure, but an example would be Kev's fahaka on here i think is also a female, but hes said his will tear everything apart that hits the water, but mine on the other hand lives with a rubber lip pleco and a yellow lab cichlid without any real problems.

With that being said, i would guess two things play into this though, 1) being space and decor in the tank & 2) being the nature / personality of said puffer.

Pufferpunk is a good example of this, her fahaka lived with i think a polleni? For some time with no problems, and hers turned on the polleni one day and easentially killed it...

So if you decide to try tankmates like i did (not that i really recommend it), i would try with something cheap you dont mind losing, also add them all in at the same time if possible so they grow up together rather than being introduced when the fish are larger and more aggressive...

Btw, sorry for the wall of text, but thought you'd rather here of peoples personal experiences for more of a better view...


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Yeah My big girl is a terror. No way would put any fish of size with her. With that being said, she has always been housed solo. If you start young, you might have a chance. She does live with a colony of mosquito fish now though with no issues.

 

[Psylant]

I've been wanting a puffer for so long now, but I'm waiting for a much larger tank. This thread was full of good personal experiences.

Even though I've never owned a puffer, I think you could manage with your 3'x3' tank for a while, Grant. As long as you can lift the puffer out in a big tub, or bucket full of water when you transport it so that it doesn't gulp air. The bigger the puffer gets, the bigger and heavier that container will be though

 

[kevinfleming21]

I think a 3'3'2' would be fine for a fahaka. They are not like arowana and constantly cruising around. Width is really the most important thing when it comes to puffers in my opinion.

 

[Fat Homer]

While i do agree it might be okay to house for life in there, the longer footprint in my opinion gives them a chance to dash around a little in the tank...

Especially after i've seen my girl once run straight into the back panel pretty fast and hard before when she got startled...


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[GrantA94]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will start it out in this tank and see how it goes. After reading old threads and such, I gather they are fine with plants. So they will be getting added to the tank!

Finally, the caudal (tail) fin, does it remain clamped when something is wrong or is it generally not unclamped? I have seen few pictures where the fin is full extended.

 

[Miguel]

Fahakas are mean sob's but one of the most rewarding, owner focused sw fish to have.

Enjoy it, but keep it solo. It deserves being a showpiece in its own right.

 

[GrantA94]

Very excited to get this guy home now! A couple of weeks and he should be here. Providing everything is still right.

A couple of Q's.
Crayfish of anysort are illegal in the UK. So I cannot have any of those. Any other inexpensive treats for him? A friend of mine has a hatchery for ghost shrimp, I know they are fairly small, but would the adults be an okay treat for him?

Which type of snails are best? Ramshorns? I will no doubt be setting up a snail hatchery in order to grow some food. So provided these are good I can get plenty.

How often should I feed foods to keep the teeth trimmed? Every day? Every other day? Are things like defrosted prawns and cockles okay?

What should be the staple of the diet? Please can any fahaka owners post a rough feeding regimw of theirs?

Thanks guys! Really appreciate all the help, really is what MFK is about.

 

[kevinfleming21]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will start it out in this tank and see how it goes. After reading old threads and such, I gather they are fine with plants. So they will be getting added to the tank!

Finally, the caudal (tail) fin, does it remain clamped when something is wrong or is it generally not unclamped? I have seen few pictures where the fin is full extended.

When they become excited or interested they fan their tails out to get attention. Nice display.

 

[kevinfleming21]

Very excited to get this guy home now! A couple of weeks and he should be here. Providing everything is still right.

A couple of Q's.
Crayfish of anysort are illegal in the UK. So I cannot have any of those. Any other inexpensive treats for him? A friend of mine has a hatchery for ghost shrimp, I know they are fairly small, but would the adults be an okay treat for him?

Which type of snails are best? Ramshorns? I will no doubt be setting up a snail hatchery in order to grow some food. So provided these are good I can get plenty.

How often should I feed foods to keep the teeth trimmed? Every day? Every other day? Are things like defrosted prawns and cockles okay?

What should be the staple of the diet? Please can any fahaka owners post a rough feeding regimw of theirs?

Thanks guys! Really appreciate all the help, really is what MFK is about.

I feed shrimp and prawn as a staple, then 2x a week a "crunchy" food to keep teeth in check. For that you can use mussels, clams, snails, anything with a hard shell.