fadetoblack06
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I stopped by Hoffers pets in Milwaukee and found a black river puffer. He was cute and brought him home and have him set up in his own tank with a freshwater lobster.
New black river puffer
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It looks like you have a lurker puffer. Seems like a Monetrete Turgidus, same species as my little fellow. Hard to be 100% certain of ID because of the pics. Can you provide side pictures. Post a video when your puff eat that crayfish 
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fadetoblack06
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I'll try to get more pics tomorrow the cray is huge now. They called it a black river puffer did they mislabel it?
Mogurako
Aquarium Advice Addict
Love the puffer, that cray will be lunch though.
They go by many trade/common names. They used to be called brown puffers, but nowadays I've heard many places across the U.S. that call them black river puffers. This species are inactive lurker fish. Mine stays under the same driftwood all day. If you provide a lot of cover, then he will hide in different areas. He will try to hide and try to ambush the cray if he has not already strike at first.
edit: your tank looks very bare. He looks like he has nowhere to hide, so he is just sitting in the corner of the tank. The white spots indicates stress because they are normally black.
edit: your tank looks very bare. He looks like he has nowhere to hide, so he is just sitting in the corner of the tank. The white spots indicates stress because they are normally black.
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fadetoblack06
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I'll add some more cover in the morning for him see if it helps.
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fadetoblack06
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Is this enough cover? Or do you think I need more?
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fadetoblack06
Aquarium Advice FINatic
He already ate one of the crays arms. What do you think the best thing to feed him for a happy life.
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fadetoblack06
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Do they really get to be 8" like everything I've found on them?
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fadetoblack06
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Terrance, puffers doing well. I am interested in a different type if freshwater puffer too. One that is more active than the king kong puffer I have. Any suggestions? I was looking into a Congo but I've read they're not very social.
South American puffers (max 3") are better in group of 4-5 or more with 15g each. They have a problem with overgrown teeth. If they are not kept in a group, then they will start acting funny and unnatural. Nippy and not community safe in the long-run.
Then there are the Avocado puffers (max 3-4"): aggressive and should only be kept alone in 20g min. They also have problems with overgrown teeth. My previous avocado puffer is with my brother. I'll trim in a few months.
Congo puffers are amazing fish, but are not very active. I love the way my former congo buried and changed colors.
The rest of the FW puffer fishes are either lurkers or nocturnal, so you won't see much activity from them.
Both SAPs and Avocado do not look like the typical round puffer. SAPs are more slender and Avocados are flat (a little bit thicker than silver dollars). Both are able to get a round tummy like a typical puffers, but must have teeth trimmed least twice per year. I think it stops people from keeping them. Plus, the Avocado need a solitary tank and the SAPs need too big of a tank. IMHO I like both of them.
Feeding my Avocado (A. Modestus) Puffer - YouTube
Last option is a Fahaka puffer. They get massively big at 18", so tanks with 24" wide and 120+ gallons is required. My guy buries like a congo puffer, active like the SAPs and Avocado, and do not have problems with teeth if given snails and hard-shell crustaceans. Also must be a solitary fish.
Dwarf puffers are too small IMO.
Figure 8 is a great fish because the chicks dig the roundness of their natural appearance. Active like the SAPs and Avocado, and does not have problems with teeth if given snails and hard-shell crustaceans every once in a while. You need a little bit of marine salt though.
Then there are the Avocado puffers (max 3-4"): aggressive and should only be kept alone in 20g min. They also have problems with overgrown teeth. My previous avocado puffer is with my brother. I'll trim in a few months.
Congo puffers are amazing fish, but are not very active. I love the way my former congo buried and changed colors.
The rest of the FW puffer fishes are either lurkers or nocturnal, so you won't see much activity from them.
Both SAPs and Avocado do not look like the typical round puffer. SAPs are more slender and Avocados are flat (a little bit thicker than silver dollars). Both are able to get a round tummy like a typical puffers, but must have teeth trimmed least twice per year. I think it stops people from keeping them. Plus, the Avocado need a solitary tank and the SAPs need too big of a tank. IMHO I like both of them.
Feeding my Avocado (A. Modestus) Puffer - YouTube
Last option is a Fahaka puffer. They get massively big at 18", so tanks with 24" wide and 120+ gallons is required. My guy buries like a congo puffer, active like the SAPs and Avocado, and do not have problems with teeth if given snails and hard-shell crustaceans. Also must be a solitary fish.
Dwarf puffers are too small IMO.
Figure 8 is a great fish because the chicks dig the roundness of their natural appearance. Active like the SAPs and Avocado, and does not have problems with teeth if given snails and hard-shell crustaceans every once in a while. You need a little bit of marine salt though.
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