View Full Version : Brazilian Freshwater Puffer aka Colomesus asellus
albert einstein
08-09-2003, 1:14 AM
Ive been keeping dwarf puffers in my community tank for about 3 years now and looking for a different fresh water puffer that i put into my new 55 gallon heavy planted tank. I am looking for anyone who has had experence with these unique puffers.. I would like to know the max i should add into my tank.. Is it possable to keep them with communitiy fish if tank is big enough? Anyone sucessfuly breed these and raise them sucessfuly to adulthood? Tank paramaters etc.
MonoSebaelover
08-09-2003, 7:29 AM
The Bumble bee, Peruvian, South American, (common names go on and on), are one of the friendlier puffs but remember that puffs don't read books on what they are supposed to be like. We once had one brought back to the lfs I used to work at that was meaner than a Green Spot Puff. Generally speaking they are peaceful though. They grow to 4 inches if I remember correctly. I would keep 3 max if that is the route you want to go. Just watch them, they can be kinda nasty to one another. Go with other large, short finned, fast moving fish (ie Danios, Rainbows, schooling Tetras-my favorite are the Rummynose, etc. Don't add anything that is slow moving cause they are sure targets. Be very careful with bottom dwellers like Plecos since they can nip the eyes out if they have a bad day. And they will have bad days. I know it sounds silly but they really do. I have two figure 8 puffs and one has bad days kinda regularily and yesterday I was letting my Anablep nip at my fingers when charging over comes the puffer and he bite me and latched on and when I brought my hand out he was still attached. Nearly flung him three inches back into the water. Nasty sucker. Anyway, back to topic. I have not bred them but have kept them. I found no way to tell male female so yeah. Anyway, hope this helps and good luck with whatever you decide.
http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/sapuffer.shtml
There are no external sex differences known.
Agree w/Monosebaelover's comments. These are among the gentlest puffers, but there is still very large individual variation in temperament among individuals.
cdawson
08-10-2003, 12:59 AM
I've got one in my 50g community amazon planted tank. It's tankmates are 7 neon tetras, 5 blue tetras, 5 red eye tetras, 3 harlequin rasboras, 9 assorted corys, 1 common pleco, 3 amano shrimp, 1 CAE, and 1 farlowella catfish. I've never had a problem with him ever, he's never been like any of my others puffers. As far I know he's perfectly harmless. Other than having to trim his teeth every 6 months (he won't eat snails, in fact he won't eat anything other than cheap bloodworms, and mosquito larvae that gets laid in my tank) he won't touch anything else. They are an all around, pleasure to keep. Although like monosebaelover said, there are always exceptions when you're dealing with puffers.
i've got two (only had them for about 3 months). they share the tank with 8 cories. they both nip fins, but the cories are ok at the moment.
i'm hoping a larger tank will help with the fin nipping.
other than that they are both very active (VERY) and eat well, all the usual puffer foods (snails, frozen bloodworm, shrimp, cockle etc). they have some interesting characteristics and are very tolerant of each other.
no idea about what sex they are or how to tell. one is more aggressive and has more consistent colouring than the other (although both of their colours change throughout the day), but is also slightly larger. they are both around 1inch.
HTH
cdawson
08-14-2003, 1:34 AM
what do you have them in right now?
15 imperial gallon (18 us gallon). too small soon, but i am getting a larger tank when i move house (a few weeks).
there are lots of real plants, some rocks, caves etc and the water is good (amm = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrate = <10) so i'm not too worried in the short term.
cdawson
08-14-2003, 1:53 PM
Yeah I can imagine they'll be nippy while they're in the 15g, try and get them to a tank around the 50g range. I've got mine in a 50g right now, and he's nipped a few pygmy cories to death.
the tank i have my eye on is a 100cm x 50cm x 50cm which is about 50 uk gallons.
i'm planning on putting a few more cories in there and some scooling fish (as many as will be comfortable). And lots of plants / caves / etc.
I had to move two c. aeneus out as they were the centre of attention from the puff's. At the moment they are not too bad with the remaining cories. Or at least they are not doing much damage - i think these cories are more active and don't give the puff's much chance to nip them.
cdawson
08-16-2003, 2:52 PM
I've got about 12 cories in my tank w/ the SA puffer and he's never touched them. I think it was just because the pygmy cories are around the same size as the amano shrimp I've got in the tank.