2 New Little Fahaka puffers

[Idealconcepts]

Well I just traded my Fangs puffer about 2.5-3 inches for a Fahaka and bought a second Fahaka. I’m somewhat new to puffers; better half has a 30gal dwarf puffer tank that I end up feeding and maintaining, which we have had for about 3 months now. I have other tanks and mainly deal with Cichlids and Arowanas. The Fahakas are both about 1-1.5 inches and I have have them for about 3 days now and fed them 2-3 times with grocery/market shrimp.

My understanding is when they get larger their feeding routine can be around 2-3 times a week, but as young and small as they are how often should I be feeding them and until what size can I reduce the feeding?

Also my understanding is they can tolerate a little bit of aquarium salt, I would like to use salt for a few weeks in their tank while they are quarantined to make sure they do develop ich. This is ok correct?

Last question, regarding snails, I plan on feeding them some type of aquarium snail to help keep their beak in check, how often would they need to eat snails every few days, once a week, etc? Do these snails need to be quarantined as well?

Thanks in advance.

[Agnate]

Don't Fahakas need 125 gallons each? If so, then I can only wish I had tanks that fancy! ^_^

[Mareva]

Yep! Pufferpedia says 120G each since they grow to 18 inches each! The thing is, from what other members are saying they are pretty aggressive... don't know how long they'll tolerate each other!!

[Idealconcepts]

Don't Fahakas need 125 gallons each? If so, then I can only wish I had tanks that fancy! ^_^

Not fancy tanks, just big tanks used tanks.

Yep! Pufferpedia says 120G each since they grow to 18 inches each! The thing is, from what other members are saying they are pretty aggressive... don't know how long they'll tolerate each other!!

They are separated in those floating containers used for fry until I can get they are comfortable eating the foods I want them to eat as well as associating me with eating. They won't be housed together permanently, and if they need to go in the same tank temporarily there will be a divider.

Hopping one of them will not be aggressive and will try to house them with other large cichlids and possible an arowana. I have a 135gal that I am looking to get rid of as soon as I can get a 240gal and have a 180gal one of them could call home. I also have one other larger tank that I am look to replace with a tank twice as big. Tank size should not be a problem. If both are aggressive I have the possibility of dedicating one tank to one of them or sell one or both to a LFS (we have about 6 local ones and about 3 that will take any fish) as well as sell or trade with a fellow fish keeper.

Now back to my questions.

[dragonvet]

just reading up on fahaka,and seen this post.i am in the same position here1 i was hanging out a one of our local fish shops and a guy brought back his fahaka puffer he bought there saying he did not now it would get that big. well the owner told him i was looking for one and now i have two little fahaka's same size 1-1/2 inches.looks like ill have to buy another big tank. well for now these guys are housed in my 55 gal with a divider.but in a bout another month or so ill be moving them into the big 120gal with a divider.i guess eventually one will go in the 150gal and ill either let my jaguar cichlid go back or just buy another tank.these fahaka's are little but they do not back down when it comes to another fish around them. here is an example of ther behaviors. this guy brought the fahaka to me and there was a tiny fish of some sort like a tiney fry.well this fry stayed with this new fahaka for about two weeks and he never botherd it. but i put it on the other side with the slightly smaller one and wham00.he chased it till he sucked him in.i am home most of the day any way so i monitor them and my arrowheads almost evryhour of the day.they are fun to watch expecially when eating red wigglers!update us on the little fahakas from time 2time ill do the same.good luck with those little guys.

[Idealconcepts]

Thanks dragonvet, I'll do an update every once in a while. Any ideas on how often to feed these guys when they are this small and how often they should get snails to keep their beaks in check?

[beachbum]

Feed them once a day until their belly is slightly rounded, but not protruding or swollen. Pretty much keep feeding snails or something that will grind down their teeth.

[Pufferpunk]

You might want to read the story about breeding fahakas stickied in this forum. There is a bit in there on 2 kept with a divider. If they really want at each other, a divider will not stop them!

[yunachin]

Aw...bless their hearts, its like a love story.

[Idealconcepts]

You might want to read the story about breeding fahakas stickied in this forum. There is a bit in there on 2 kept with a divider. If they really want at each other, a divider will not stop them!

Thanks, I will read the sticky. keeping them in the same tank together with a divider is something I prefer not to do but will keep it as option, hopefully as a last option.

Aw...bless their hearts, its like a love story.

Maybe.