Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Dwarf, Red Eye, South American & more. Freshwater puffer talk in here.
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lilacamy931
Fahaka Puffer
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My Puffers: 200 litre - waiting for a schoutedeni
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Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by lilacamy931 »

So finally in our own home and have a permanent tank. Would love marine as love dogfaces and porcs but its too complex for us at this time.

Instead I have this beaut set up (below). 200 litre with sand and live plants. External canister filtration.

I would have loved a fahaka but as it can't live permanently in here would have to make a promise to myself to get an even bigger tank if went this route. Not unfeasible but it lead me to looking at other species.

This lead to me falling in love with Tetraodon schoutedeni. I can't tell you why I think because I adore the spotting pattern and proper stubby body. Bonus that there appear to be reports of a lesser aggressive nature. I've put out feelers, one source has come back but now need to contend with myself if can drop a fair chunk of money on one fish. (If I waited until April potentially have a bonus that would pick one up easily enough).

In case the possibility of this falls through either due to not being able to order or money, considering other fresh water options. Wanting a partial community so not looking for lurkers. Understand having kept puffers in the past they can be rogue aggressive blips no matter the species and prepared for that.

So if the above does not happen the only other two options can foresee are:
SAPS or Irrubesco

Thoughts and experiences would be appreciated. Even if its a hold out for that dream puffer its worth it!

SAPS - concerns teeth trimming. For a 200 litre with some fast moving fish with this option at least a trio of them?

Irrubesco not lorterti - these actually seem rather cute and more nocturnal. recommended with fast movers? singletons or pairs?

Having lurked through forum yet so will do so now

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hadla
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by hadla »

Good luck finding irrubescos :/

And saps need constant beak trimming
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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hadla
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by hadla »

Oh nvm lol you knew that
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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lilacamy931
Fahaka Puffer
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My Puffers: 200 litre - waiting for a schoutedeni
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by lilacamy931 »

Are irrubescos really hard to come by? I remember seeing them several times when first kept puffers (long while back) worst then schoutedeni?
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hadla
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by hadla »

Idk, I’ve never really looked for either since I’m more into saltwater now, but my friend has been looking for any of the red eye red tail species for a while without any luck
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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lilacamy931
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by lilacamy931 »

Yeah, I've put lots of feelers out on both Schoutedeni and Irrubesco and will see what comes up.

Someone can get a schoutedeni for £280 which seems steep compared to another LFS price if they can get them. So just needing to mull over
PUFFWHO?
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by PUFFWHO? »

I have a group of shoutedeni

From all the freshwater puffers I’ve owned or had the pleasure of holding onto for a bit these guy are honesty my favourite puffers.

They look similar and act just like lineatus but they can be kept together with very little fighting

You’ll obviously see some chasing but no nipping or damage done

I personally wouldn’t rush it
If you want them it’s worth the wait
I waited a long long time
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Pufferpunk
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Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
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C papuan
Also kept:
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by Pufferpunk »

PUFFWHO?, What are yours eating? Mine ate most anything when they got here but now I can only get them to eat worms.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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lilacamy931
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by lilacamy931 »

@PUFFWHO? thanks for the input - have you any pics on here of them? (Always nosy to see lovely pics of puffs!) I would have to start with one and some community fish and hope can find more later. My hubby is happy to put christmas present towards puff so the schoutedeni might be a true possibility!
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lilacamy931
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My Puffers: 200 litre - waiting for a schoutedeni
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by lilacamy931 »

So looks like I will be getting 1 schoutedeni - will be ordering in the next couple of days!

I could do with some assistance on stocking.

As you can see from pic at top - sand substrate, live plants and mopani wood with external canister, heater and LED lighting.

The mopani wood appears to be going through a cycle with some awful clear slime on it at the moment - hopefully this will clear up soon.

Right now I have in the tank 6 gold tetras and 10 neon tetras for some movement.

Add to that one schoutedeni and what else would be a possibility in this tank? Making the neon tetra shoal bigger perhaps?

I'd love to add a zebra pleco once that tank has been set up for 6 months.

I've already made my peace I might get a schoutedeni that hates its tank mates.
PUFFWHO?
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by PUFFWHO? »

Pufferpunk wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:44 am PUFFWHO?, What are yours eating? Mine ate most anything when they got here but now I can only get them to eat worms.
The bulk of their diet consists of dilly’s/baby nighcrawlers which I’m happy about especially considering I can have them delivered to my door from the farm. Kidding aside they’re a great choice to feed.
They’ll eat frozen krill and blood worms don’t really like offering this too often.
They’re not really thrilled about live crayfish or shrimp and will only eat really small snails which sucks because they’re not too small themselves. I
planned my stock of feeder snails to be roughly pea sized they won’t even look at them.
Luckily Marisa breed like crazy so I’ll be stocked with the right size soon
PUFFWHO?
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by PUFFWHO? »

lilacamy931 wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 11:51 am @PUFFWHO? thanks for the input - have you any pics on here of them? (Always nosy to see lovely pics of puffs!) I would have to start with one and some community fish and hope can find more later. My hubby is happy to put christmas present towards puff so the schoutedeni might be a true possibility!
I have a short clip of them feeding on some krill
https://instagram.com/p/BbI4Hi6nUa7/

They’re still in a QT nothing fancy lol
Well not really qt they were treated for ips before I revived them. They spent over a month at the importers facility before he felt they were ready to be shipped out.
When I received them two of the larger ones were extremely skinny.
So they’re in this 65 gallon because it’s easier for me to hand/tweezer feed them and be sure they’re eating well.

They’ll be moved into their permanent home in a month or so. When I have time to actually accomplish something fully lol
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by Pufferpunk »

Are you concerned at all about dentistry issues?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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lilacamy931
Fahaka Puffer
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:15 am
My Puffers: 200 litre - waiting for a schoutedeni
Location (country): UK
Location: Bournemouth

Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by lilacamy931 »

@PUFFWHO? - oh wow thank you for sharing - they are very cute! Gorgeous markings. I have ordered one today so watch this space! Love to see their permanent tank set up when sort out, they are beautiful.

Not come across nightcrawlers before from what I can see they look similar to earthworms?

So I'm not trying to over shoot on bioload or anything but thinking this:

14-16 neon tetras
6 gold tetras
1 bolivian ram
1 schoutedeni puffer
2-4 zebra plecos.
gkai
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Re: Schoutedeni, SAP or Irrubesco dilemma

Post by gkai »

Strongly interrested in this topic: I am restarting a new (much bigger) tank and planned to house irrubescos (my first choice) or Schoutedeni. I am not able to find any , at least at reasonable prices, while I had not problem finding irrubescos 4,3 and 2 years ago. It seems that last year already no irrubescos were delivered to the 2 places where i found them before....Hopefully this year they will be back, but I suspect some disruption from the indonesian supply chain. Supply chain for schoutedeni has also been disrupted, hence the high price and low availability, while from what I read they were easy to find in the 70s and 80s. Anyway, any sources to get those in Belgium are welcome, my new tank should be ready in January...
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