nile puffer

[lady_tanksalot]

just seen this on ebay, he's a beauty, never kept puffers and despite what the add says i'm concerned about what he could go with if anything.

what dya think

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...4333740395&rd=1

 

[SirMinion]

The information on that eBay page is only partly correct:

The Nile puffer t.fahaka or t. lineatus is considered the most aggressive freshwater puffer of all, in most cases they must be kept with no tankmates at all- including other nile puffers. Aggresion increases with age.
Most Nile Puffers will attack and kill anyhing that moves in the tank, and in some cases will even try to attack people outside the tank by ramming the glass.

Ours shares a tank with a large common plec, but she is well fed and unusually docile, even so, she has twice taken neat semi-circular chunks out of his fins (now healed)

They get to 18 inches very quickly, (ours has grown six inches in three months), need a large tank (6 feet) with perfect clean freshwater with heavy filtration and regular large water changes, and a daily diet of hearty,shelled foods such as prawns, shrimp, cockles, mussels and snails.

Ours also loves mealworms, mealworm pupae and jumbo bloodworm.

Are you prepared to devote a six foot tank to just one fish? If not, don't get a nile puffer.

 

[lady_tanksalot]

hmmmm thought that might be the case, just couldn't believe the seller was recomending a 3' tank

think i'll give it a miss and go for something a little more friendly

thanks sirminion new you'd come up with the goods

 

[SirMinion]

You are very welcome.

 

[Puffer_freak]

I WANT ONE!

Seeing as all the information has been given I thought I'd just say. But I can't have a tank of that size. But I can still dream, right?

 

[lady_tanksalot]

sure does look like a fish with attitude

just worried now that someone is going to buy him and stick him in a 3' community tank because of the advice the seller is giving. i know he says he'd be better off on his own but he goes on to say that he keeps him with others.

sad i know but i have actually lost sleep over this now

 

[Puffer_freak]

Why don't you ask a question like:

Why are you giving false information - a nile puffer would be better off in a 6foot tankand with absoloutely no tankmates, even the most docile are extremely vicious-?

 

[lady_tanksalot]

good news

this morning i passed on the info that sir minion gave me tot he seller

just had an email saying thanks and he's going to change the info on his advert

might sleep better tonight

 

[appleblossom]

I just had a look at the ad, he now recomends a 5foot tank and says that although he keeps it with other fish, occasionally one disappears

guess thats a fair warning...

 

[lady_tanksalot]

glad to see he also added that it would be better with someone who knows about them

 

[Puffer_freak]

Ah good, but he still didn't say 6ft, guess he wants it to sell...

But at least he changed it! That's the main thing!

 

[Losi]

I thought that selling live stock was not allowed on EBay??

 

[Paul_MTS]

it isn't really and that was really tempting to email the seller asking if it was still up for grabs!!! would need to organise anothert tank sharpish though!