Live-bearing aquarium fish, frequently just called livebearers, are fish that hold the eggs inside the…
Amazon Puffer (Colomesus asellus)
Although occassionally found in brackish waters, the Amazon Puffer is a true freshwater species, and is best kept in freshwater. As with other puffers, these fish are best avoided by beginners since they have some unusual requirements and may not mix well with all community fishes. The Amazon Puffer is however, a relatively easy to keep species. Soft to medium water is preferred, but not essential, and since the fish like to dig around, a sandy substrate is best. The fish can nip so they are best not kept with delicate, slow, or long finned species. The teeth of these puffers will grow rapidly, and the aquarium should contain shells or soft rocks which the fish can grind their teeth down with. Feeding regular shelled foods such as cockle will help as the teeth can be worn down during feeding. If the teeth continue to grow they will need to be trimmed, for which you should seek expert advice. Amazon Puffers can be kept either singly or in groups and are relatively peaceful – where nipping or aggression is shown, it is normally accidental, but delicate tankmates should be avoided. If kept in a community aquarium, plenty of variety in decor (i.e. open spaces, crowded areas, vegetated areas, caves, wood etc..) will help to reduce any compatability problems. As with other puffers, these fish can be prone to skin based problems, such as whitespot. A similar fish, Colomesus psittacus, can grow up to 25cm. Due to some unpredictability with mixing, Amazon Puffers are excluded from the Compatibility Checker.
This fish is excluded from the Compatibility Checker as it is unsuitable for community aquariums or may require expert care.
Amazon Puffer Facts
Behaviour : Peaceful, may nip
Typical size : 12cm
Max size : 14cm
Tank Area : All
Min Tank Size : 75cm
Temp Min : 22℃ Max : 28℃
Feeding : Sinking foods, live or frozen foods, meaty foods (e.g. cockle, mussel) shelled foods
pH Range : 5.5-8.5
Hardness : vs,s,m,h
Family Tetraodontidae (Pufferfishes) | Synonyms Chelichthys asellus | Other names South American Puffer, South American Freshwater Puffer, Freshwater Puffer, Colomesus Puffer, | Origin South America | Breeding Egg scatterer | Natural Water Conditions pH 5.5, soft to medium | Natural Habitat Rivers, streams, and estuarys, flowing water with sandy bottoms. Usually freshwater, often coastal.
