The Puffer Forum

Lately I have been pondering the idea of trying to breed this aggressive puffer. My plan isn't quite yet full proof and there's a chance i may not even get to it within the next year, but i do know the idea could very likely work if anyone has the time, money etc. to carry it out. First off you must be able to distinguish the difference between a male and a female, so find a female fahaka who has previously laid eggs.(just so happens a good friend of mine knows someone with a female) and I believe mine is a male. My puffer is around 12 inches and I am assuming he hasn't reached sexual maturity yet, but of course i would never know do to the fact I can never "test it out". There still is a chance mine might very well be a female, but he said his fahaka laid eggs(not very often) around anywhere between the 12in-15in range. After distinguishing the differences I feel it would be necessary to introduce the two puffers, Via a 500 gallon Rubbermaid "pond". I feel as though this idea would be carried out if the person had at least 4 fahaka puffers to put in this pond. Now no they won't swim freely, each individual puffer will be divided in a quarantined area of the "pond" made my acrylic dividers with holes big enough for eggs to disperse. Also, you will need to have some kind of current produced to push the eggs to the other side of a divider if a female does lay them. I feel if you use acrylic dividers the fish will be able to see each other and somehow relate if they want to be spawning partners. But, each divider should be covered in a plant like algae, preferably a type of moss if the eggs do get laid. Now this plan seems like a great idea but it would take a valiant effort and much of your time. This is something i plan on trying someday. Right now, I am currently studying environmental sciences at the University of Michigan and plan on doing my masters degree in Aquatics. I hope throughout the years I will gain more insight on this "idea" and carry it out whether it fails or succeeds. Please if you have any other ideas don't hesitate to share them or critique my idea!

What plans are there to keep the male & female from killing each other, wither during breeding or just living next to each other? These are very powerful fish that can easily pull down an acrylic divider & can certainly jump over one.

Well obviously the water wouldn't reach above the divider and there would be a sufficient space from the water to the top of the divider also... the dividers would be permanently adhered to the "pond" making it almost.... almost impossible to breakthrough.

You'll need to cover it though. These things can jump strongly enough to get over a divider, even on a tank with a glass lid! You'll probably need a secure lid which is weighed or clamped down.

I don't think you realize the determination of a fahaka to get to another fahaka to kill it.

Oh i do plenty.. I've had multiple fahaka puffers in my tanks at home. ranging from 4 inches to 15... I've observed there aggression and determination for "blood" lol. As for now it's all in the works. I am well aware of all the negatives that could happen in this. I mean it would be cool to spawn them, but i know its going to be quite difficult and time consuming.

Good luck with this & take lots of notes!

I searched around & found this for you:
http://www.aqualog.de/news/web68/68-13-14e.pdf

Also see: viewtopic.php?f=40&t=158

Good luck.

Hope it works out, would be great to have a non wild source

I really liked those articles... like i said, this could take a while but it's something i really want to do in the future :]

A post-puberty fish can theoretically breed, but theory does not always align with practice. Fish breeding relies strongly on pheromones and good preconditioning of the male and female fish.

Your puffer is still small. What is it's age and what size tank is it in now? Have you had since it was small (and hopefully young).

A solid divider will not do the job you want. There must be currents in both directions to get the fish into the mood. Sight alone IME promotes aggression, period. That is not what you want. The odds are good that plants are heavily involved in the spawning process, as egg attachment sites at the edges of the spawning site. Just getting plants established which can withstand a Fahaka or two swimming violently around is no short-term project.

Hi! This is great to hear. I have a bachelors in biology and a masters in biological oceanography. I too plan to help in the quest to have captive bred giant puffers. I currently have 2 Fahakas of unknown genders both yet to reach their full size.

I found a paper written by Dmitry Murarov and published Aquarium fish international.

This paper was hard to get and I had to use my university access to obtain it without a fee.

It is a great guide to breeding and housing these huge fish!

From what I read the key is SPACE space SPACE!!!
He houses his Fahakas in a school of 8!!
His tank size is 240 and his remark is that they all bear the scars from each other though all are full grown and well matched. He would rather see them housed separately. This situation is for spawning purposes.
These guys constantly spawn and he simply syphons the fry out.
They do not pick mates.
They often go on a hunger strike before breeding and a force hunger strike can trigger breeding behavior.
This paper is a must read for anyone planning to breed these fish!!!!!

My suggestion for breeding these guys is for ever giant puffer in the tank, he or she needs 120 gal. So 3 Fahakas =360 gals.
Also more than 3 is best so that no One fahaka takes a constant beating.

Good luck and keep the safety of the breeding fish always in the front of your minds!
We should thank these creatures for the joy they bring us.

I may be able to send this paper via email if anyone would like it.
This article is really great and this guy is repeatedly successful!

Alex wrote: He houses his Fahakas in a school of 8!!
His tank size is 240 and his remark is that they all bear the scars from each other though all are full grown and well matched. He would rather see them housed separately. This situation is for spawning purposes.
These guys constantly spawn and he simply syphons the fry out.
They do not pick mates.
They often go on a hunger strike before breeding and a force hunger strike can trigger breeding behavior.
This paper is a must read for anyone planning to breed these fish!!!!!

i find this very hard to believe

A bit of skepticism is a good thing, but a closed mind gets you nowhere.

Any reports of captive breeding need to be investigated. Only replication of results proves the original thesis - unfortunately, in hobby writing this rarely provides enough information (data) to enable others to do a valid replication.