The Puffer Forum

How big tank would you recommend for a 20 cm colomesus psittacus?

Big. They get to around 30 cm, so I'd be treating them in the same sort of way as one of the smaller Arothron species, and looking at a tank in the 400-900 litre range. Filtration probably needs to be pretty good, as well.

I have no information on their growth rate. Their relatives, the South American freshwater pufferfish, grow slowly but marine puffers generally, like Arothron hispidus can grow very rapidly when cared for and fed well. You'll need to factor this in if you decide to keep a half-grown specimen in a small tank.

I haven't seen them for sale in many years, so you're very lucky if you have some!

Cheers,

Neale

Are you sure that it isn't the C assellus species? Never heard of anyone finding a C psittacus.

At 20 cm, it surely couldn't be C. asellus?

Cheers,

Neale

Duh... didn't read that...

Lets see some pics!

WOw cool pics please !!!!!

I already bought the psittacus.. I have some c. asellus too, but in another tank of course.

The difference between the two is that the SAP has a distinctive black band that rings the base of the caudal fin, and the black bands on the back are much thicker.

I'll try to snap some pictures once I get my camera back.

Does it have a longer snout? Probably much bigger too. Pics please!

Gotta admit, I'd love to see some pictures too.

There's not much written about them in the hobby, except to say they're peaceful and rather big. I'd have to assume they're a lot like C. asellus in temperament, though given their habitat (estuaries) I'm guessing they aren't schooling fish. Ebert says the juveniles at least are peaceful, but I'm slightly cautious about his definition of "peaceful" in some cases.

As I understand it, they move up and down estuaries continually (like Takifugu ocellatus) rather than being juveniles in freshwater and the sea as adults (as with Arothron hispidus). What conditions are you keeping them in? I hope you can keep us posted. Good luck, anyway.

Cheers,

Neale

When I read the good Dr. Ebert's comments on personalities, I constanly mentally insert parenthetical "(for a puffer)" or "(for an intelligent huinter-predator)" or even "(maybe in your tanks...)".

I do wish that the text could have been expanded. I would love to have an idea of what scale some of those "communities" or "groupss" might have been.

Yes she has a longer snout. She looks like the psittacus pictured in the photo gallery, except mine has a big, black scar on her belly. The previous owner told me she ate 5 or 6 wasps that had fallen down in into the tank. She got really ill. He thought she would die. After three weeks she finally acted as a puffer again.

I'll try to post some pictures in a few minutes..

Sometimes, when I wake up, she lies buried under the sand and looks at me, as she's wondering if I'm gonna feed her soon..

It did not..

Guys, I don't know how to post pictures..

When you see the image on you browser, right click and select "View Image"

That will take you to a blank page with your image ONLY. The URL should end in something like .jpg or some image code too. Put that URL between the [IMG] codes.

It seems you've put a site link in htere cuz when I put it in my browser, it took me to my Hotmail, lol.

Yeah, I know!

I'll try again..