Puffer Fish Care Sheet
The Puffer Fish we sell are actually smooth toadfish, Tetractenos hamiltoni – a species of fish in the Tetraodontidae family, found along Australia's eastern and southeast coast, from northern Queensland to South Australia and Tasmania.
In the wild the diet of the pufferfish includes molluscs and small crabs, and it often follows the tide into estuaries in search of food.
The fish has a maximum length of 15 cm.
As with other fish of this family, the flesh is poisonous if eaten due to tetrodotoxin. However, they can be safely handled with no protection (beware of their beak-like teeth)
WATER PARAMETERS
The puffer fish is a brackish water fish. We keep them here at Aquatic Solutions at 15 – 20 ppt salinity. (Please refer to our brackish water care sheet for more detailed information)
Puffer fish require very clear and unpolluted water that if well filtered and highly oxygenated. pH should be kept between 7.5 – 8.5.
DESCRIPTION
Puffers are dark brown to green on the back with a white underside, with spots covering the backside of the fish, giving it an interesting look.
The ideal aquarium will have brackish water with many plants (either real or plastic), rocks with plenty of hiding places, and a sandy bottom composed of aragonite-based sand to maintain PH/Kh.
Puffer can be aggressive to members of its own species and small fish, so care should be taken when choosing tank mates. They can nip fins of slower moving fish if fed inadequately. In the wild, they graze and forage continuously during the day.
FEEDING
Puffer should be fed crustacean foods such as brine shrimp, krill, molluscs, and earthworms. We have great success feeding them frozen bloodworms and feeder yabbies.