Fahaka puffer

[jsescher25]

Any one have any info on these puffers? my lfs has one and i want to get him but i need to know more about them so any info would be great.

 

[SarahBravo]

SirMinion or LadyMinion are the people to ask. Do a search on here for 'Martha' who is their fahaka (she's a No. 1 doll!!!!) and you can also check out their specialist website here.

HTH

Sarah

 

[smithrc]

Wait for the Minions and Paul_MTS to find this thread

I hope your planning on a big tank

Have a search for "Martha"

EDIT - Beaten too it - i was searching for a thread for a link

 

[andywg]

Fahaka puffers IIRC reach around 15" up to 18" when fully grown.

They are a completely freshwater species.

Usual puffer requirements apply (sand to burrow in, snails and hard food to keep teeth down).

strictly one to a tank and it is not advised to keep anything else with it. the Minions have managed to keep a pleco ("Stuart") with Martha but the Fahaka was commented on by a biologist something like below:

"This fish is so aggressive I cannot fathom how they get close enough to mate"

 

[Paul_MTS]

well andy's basically covered it all.

your going to need excellent filtration, I'll be running a 100litre sump on my tank being turned over by a 3000l/h pump.

minimum is 120 gallons at the dimensoin of 4x2x2 but thats the bare minimum although if they get to there very max size then a 5x2x2 would be alot better.

(i'm starting off at 4x2x2 then will go to 5x2x2 according)

oh and they grow as fast as oscars basically....so no tiny tanks to start them off in.

 

[SirMinion]

Ha ha ha ha. Found this thread, but it seems that every thing has already been said.

Here's a couple of things that I think it's important to add.

1. the amazing rate of grown that Martha acheived. She went from around two inches last August to 12 inches now. That's 10 inches of growth in seven months.
   
   That's a 600% size increase!
2. Puffers require large amounts of food at regular feeding times. They are not a 'feed and forget' fish, they must be seen to take food at mealtimes and appreciate a routine with feeding time and light on/lights off at a regular time.
   
   Because of their large intake there is also a large... erm.. output as well in the form of capsuals of undigested matter which should be removed from the tank as soon as they appear. We use long handled tongs for this purpose.
   
   We always know when Martha's due to do a poop because her vent opens wide and she starts pulling funny faces with her highly flexible and expressive mouth.
3. Filtration on any puffer tank is very very important. Martha's tank has both an internal and external filter that together are rated for a tank three times bigger than the tank they are on.
4. Although this has been mentioned already, this is so important that I though it was worth saying again. Fahaka Puffers cannot be kept together. They will kill each other. No exceptions. Ever.
   In most cases they also cannot be kept with any other fish of any kind. We have been exceptionally lucky in that Martha seems to be very docile and we are able, with close monitoring, to keep a couple of tankmates with her.
   In most cases, Fahakas must be treated with extreme caution, and reports incautious fishkeepers losing a finger to their pet are not unknown. It has even been reported that an adult Fahaka will attempt to attack a person passing by the aquarium with such force that they can break the tank.
5. In short, Fahaka puffers are not a fish to be taken on lightly.

You have been warned.

Here's some links to some older threads about Martha.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=74841
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=56203
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=63353
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=55043
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=55082
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=53334

We have another Fahaka called Cookie, here's his thread illustrating what happens when these magnificent fish are kept by people who don't know how to care for them (in this case, the LFS)

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=63753

 

[jsescher25]

Thank for all the great info on this puffer. i will be getting him as soon as i can get a tank set up i have a 150g tank that is not in use and was planing on useing it to house the puffer. he is already about 8 inches so he has some room to grow i will keep everyone updated on my progress right now my lfs has him on hold for me! oh and for future refrence what types of food do they like? thanks again for all the great info.

 

[SirMinion]

Thank for all the great info on this puffer. i will be getting him as soon as i can get a tank set up i have a 150g tank that is not in use and was planing on useing it to house the puffer. he is already about 8 inches so he has some room to grow i will keep everyone updated on my progress right now my lfs has him on hold for me! oh and for future refrence what types of food do they like? thanks again for all the great info.

150g? Excellent!

In the wild Fahakas' natural food is aquatic crustacians, shellfish and other invertibrates. Some will take fish, but it's not favourite and not very good for them.

We Martha & Cookie on:

• Cooked or raw prawns in the shell
• Cooked peeled prawns
• Cooked or raw mussel in the shell with the shell slightly crushed or shell-less
• Cooked or raw cockle, same as the mussel
• Live river (like ghost) shrimp
• Live jumbo bloodworm
• Live mealworms & mealworm pupae
• Crab claws (from fishmonger)
• Occasional live red crabs

Other things to try are:

• Oyster (are you rich?)
• Scallops (clams)
• Squid
• Live or cooked yabbie (crayfish, crawdad, freshwater lobster-mind the claws!)
• Live crickets
• Live locusts
• Live CLEAN earthworms
• Anything crunchy that wriggles.

Good luck!

 

[astroboy]

damn, your fahakas eat like kings

 

[Discomafia]

Tell me 'bout it...Even I don't have that varied a diet.

 

[Clare]

One slight word of warning, whilst most puffers may seem relatively ungainly at swimmming because they mostly use their tail as a rudder, do not be decieved by the Fahaka.

On the one occasion that our Fahaka was spooked while cleaning his tank, he made it from one side of the tank to the other (5ft) and back again and back to the other side, so fast we could only hear him hit the sides and couldn`t see him swimming clearly.

He is now given much more respect as we clean his tank and given a wide birth. He didn`t seem to damage himself, luckily, but take Sir Minions advice, these are a very specialist fish, and for anyone else thinking of getting one, if the glass is not thick enoguh of the tank, if this wonderful creature hits head on, beak and all, expect the glass to smash!!!
Clare

 

[jsescher25]

*******************************UPDATE******************************
My puffer is gone!!!!!!!!! some one else got him even though i had him on hold!!!!!!! The bastards said that the guy offered twice the amount they were asking for so he paid $100 U.S. for a 8" puffer. i just got back from my LFS i figgured i would go visit him.oh well what can you do? the thing that really sucks is i have the big ass tank cycling right now with nothing to put in it.

 

[Paul_MTS]

god that really sucks.

have it out with the manager there.

at work we had a similiar case where a guy was offering lots and some big fish for a big cat we had for sale which was already reserved for 1 of my contacts. we stood strong about it and the guy that got rejected even complained to our boss for some reason

 

[pica_nuttalli]

oh well what can you do? the thing that really sucks is i have the big ass tank cycling right now with nothing to put in it.

if TTF has taught me anything, its that you never have a giant tank cycling with nothing to put in it!

you could get a school of 180 neons... :ducks and covers:

 

[SirMinion]

you could get a school of 180 neons... :ducks and covers:

ha ha ha ha ha!

Seriously though, that sucks and blows.

If you can find a small Fahaka it would be great in that tank and remember, a well fed fahaka in a big tank can grow one and a half to two inches each month!