The Puffer Forum

First off glad to be back on the team and having a puffer to care for again. Its been 15 years since I last had one.

I am 90% sure it is a Fangs Puffer Monotrete Cochinchinensis, the store isn't the best lit store though so I was nervous. The other thought was that I am terrible sexing and being able to pinpoint any fish unless its obvious. Is it a male or female. Also I put in some moderately gut loaded ghost shrimp from my main tank should a snack be needed.




I did everything I could to insure no puffing took place. I hope he or she can rest and acclimate to the tank. Water parameters match the store but with less nitrate.

Ph 7.5
Temp 77
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 1 or 2 ppm

If it has a red spot near it's tail, it's a Fang's. Otherwise, it's probably a turgidus.

How big should the red spot be and how close to the tail? It is lights out until the morning on the tank so the puffer can get acclimated. I think I see signs of a red spot near the anal fins in my pictures but my camera is an Exilim great for people bad for fish. I will double check in the morning. Also the belly is 100% white no spots if that helps. I used that to rule out the brown puffer.


Also thank you for the help with IDing the cute little guy. Your article on F8's was great it was this guy or an F8.

You saw my article in FAMA?

The red dot will be on the side of the fish, in front of the tail. See where the large spot is on this one?
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/T_Cochi ... x.jpg.html
It should be red though--I don't know why this one isn't.

Yes I did and I liked it a lot. It is very hard to get any reliable data on Puffers excluding the GSP and Marine Puffers. So I am always pleasantly surprised when there is an article on puffers.

I am looking for the red but the lighting is bad and I won't turn on the tank light yet... it looks to be red though. I see signs of life though so that's making me happy. If it is a Brown Puffer I guess its time for a larger tank

OK today I got a good look and took some pictures.



I see red in the false eye when I look at the puffer. It is hard to capture with my camera but this picture sort of shows it.

Hmmm... I don't see the red. I believe you though.

So I am a little worried, my puffer is constantly hiding and I cannot tell if ghost shrimp have been eaten or just not visible. Give the puffer time to acclimate or buy some black worms and Seacham garlic? How long did your Fangs Puffer take to acclimate and start begging for food? I tested my water parameters the only change was a slight bump in nitrates.

The puffer may be a brown puffer but it looks exactly like the fangs picture from www.thepufferforum.com.net That said I am not about to assume that is the greatest source of info.


Maybe in a while when my puffer comes out more I can obtain some more pictures and get a good look. I just need to focus on my puffers health for now because that's what counts.

the target doesn't seem too prominent... could it be a 'dragon/hump/king kong puffer? (Tetraodon palembangens)

Either way, I don't think you should be too worried about it hiding as fang's (target) puffer are actually 'lurkers' then free swiming hunters. (Despite what the puffer pedia ) says.

I have one at my LFS that i'm dying to 'rescue'... but have no room.

Does the puffer seem to have intrest in food? i.e. follow your feeders/shrimp for a bit before it gives up on chase?

You could try and 'hand' feeding it with gut loaded shrimp or a small feeder on forceps dangleling in from of it.

Actually the problems seems to be no more. I put 10 gut loaded shrimp into the tank. Within seconds, bam, one walked near my puffer and was instantly bit in half and then consumed. So I am sure that my puffer is well fed right now.

The target seems pretty obvious in person right above the anal fins, that said I do not have a camera that lends itself to taking good detailed shots. I see red in the target and the circle behind it near the tail. Although I am not sure if that is the red I should be basing things on. If the target has red in it for turgidus as well then maybe thats what it is. I think my Puffer looks like an exampt double of the puffer picture Pufferpunk linked above.

Any problems on relying on snails and shrimp for the bulk of the puffers diet?

I have to say I don't see the red either. It seems much the same as what is happening with Azza's thread.

the snout seems a bit long.

Don't look like Fang's puffer.

A good point was brought up in the other thread of an ocellus being evident so I guess it is a Fangs. Tugidis doesnt have one and the Ocellus is evident in my picks and Azza's.