The Puffer Forum

Hi all,

I'm setting up a new tank to house my growing tinfoil barbs and plec. I really want to add brazilian puffer - colomesus asellus. I understand these are best suited to totally freshwater and are one of the more placid species? The tank will be approx 500 litres and will be home to a 8" Clown Acara, 3 x tinfoil barbs (around 6" at the moment), a common plec (around 8" and growing) and a shoal of indian flying barbs (currently only 3, but this will be increased to around 10). Do you think these fish will be compatible? Also, I only seem to see colomesus asellus in the shops at around 1-2" inches in length. I understand they grow to around 5-6", does anyone know anywhere which sells more mature specimins? A 2" puffer would make an ideal snack for my Acara!!

They only grow to 3" generally. IDK where you got the 5-6", that is incorrect. There is a profile on them in our Pufferpedia & an article on them in our Library.

Thanks, i've read a bit more now and came across the article you mention... I think a c.asellus might me viewed as food rather than a tankmate at only 3"! Is there any other freshwater puffers you could recommend in a 'robust' comunity?

There really isn't... All of the small-middle sized freshwater puffers are generally either too small for that tank or too agressive (either very nippy or lurker species that will attack during the night, and they all have strong jaws and pretty impressive teeth).

Yes, as Myaj stated, the larger FW puffers will actually bite chunks of flesh out of your other fish, no matter how large or aggressive they are. Sneaky lil devils, they are!

MY South American Puffers (or Brazilian as you called) them are fast fish and are about 2.5 inches. Great fish and work well in groups