The Puffer Forum

As you all probably know I have a nice planted tank in which I am housing my pet fahaka Master Yoda. A known fact about fahakas is that they tend to disagree with your ideas about plant decoration and especially young fahakas just pull out plants with roots and everything and Yoda even bites the plants in 3 pieces, just so I cant relocate it.

In the past year I have tried buckloads of different plants in his tank and came across a plant he seems to tolerate, the Amazon Sword plant (Echinodorus amazonicus). Since I discovered he liked this plant, as he often hides in it to sneak up on a little distracted Danio, I have not bought anything else then the Sword plant (well and some valesneria here and there). So my tank has been filled with this Amazon Sword plant for months now and my Fahaka has not touched a single one of them.

So just a little suggestion to all you Fahaka owners with planted tanks, the Amazon Sword plant is the way to go!

Echinodorus amazonicus (Amazon Sword plant)

I have lilly pads in my Fahakas tank. I also have java moss, this lettus sword bulb, and mint. My puff loves to nip at the mint.. ((regualar spearmint.)

thanks for the info

We are attempting live plants in our fahaka tank...again. When we first got him he was about 1.5 inches & wouldn't tolerate any live plants. Now he's grown up a bit, he's about 5 inches now, we have wisteria planted. He's left it alone so far. But I'm glad to hear your sword plant is doing well - I really like swords & that was the next plant to go in if he did ok w/ the current plants. I don't know about the rest of you but amazon sword plants are a bit pricey around here so I didn't want to risk it on a first (well more like second...) try!!

The top pic looks more like a rangeri sword http://www.petsolutions.com/Rangeri-Swo ... 51194.aspx

I use Vals in my tanks. Some how my puffers are not attacking them.

Echinodorus amazonicus have something in the that fish dont like to eat. so they wont want to put the in their mouth

My puffer wont tolerate much in his tank, certainly not plants lol, ive tried and failed many many times ..... now the tank is pretty plain, just sand and a couple of bits of wood lol and every time he decides to flap his tail when feeding he re- aquascapes the tank : /

I have a large piece of driftwood covered in java fern, java moss, anubias, and green crypts in mt fahaka tank.

Snag does bite the leaves off the crypt sometimes but the rest he leaves alone.

carlov2004 wrote:My puffer wont tolerate much in his tank, certainly not plants lol, ive tried and failed many many times ..... now the tank is pretty plain, just sand and a couple of bits of wood lol and every time he decides to flap his tail when feeding he re- aquascapes the tank : /

How big is his tank? If large enough, there should be plenty of room to put decor on the sides & still leave lots of open swimming space in the middle.


Fahakas like a cave to hang out in:

I used Crium thainum with my Fahakas and also with the mbu. The plants were established before the fish were moved into those tanks.

Do you have a reference for the supposed toxicity or undesirability of sword plants taste for puffers? That is contrary to my own experience.

I'm gunna try and plant up my tank now, i will post pictures soon.... hope Donnie doesn't destroy the plants again lol

My big puffers did have their own ideas on landscaping. If something was in their way, they destroyed it, but all of them had no objection to at least one corner clump of Crinum - they would rest and/or sleep in the shade of the foliage.

My Fahaka tank has a piece of driftwood in one corner and 2 sponge filters in the opposite corner. He never goes under the wood... he just swims around the open area all day. The only times he "hides" is when I do my weekly water changes. At that time he goes and hides between the 2 sponges.

I take it from the posts keeping a planted tank with a fahaka is really up to the fish. I would like to plant the tank but I dont want to buy the equipment/plants and he just tears it up.