Tetraodon
suvattii
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 |
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| Common Names: |
Arrowhead Puffer |
Also Known As: |
Mekong puffer, pig-nose puffer, hog-nose puffer |
| Synonyms: |
Tetrodon suvattii |
Family: |
Tetraodontidae |
| Origin: |
Mekong Basin of Southeast Asia |
Main Ecosystem: |
River |
| Salinity: |
Ecosystem |
Temperament: |
Aggressive |
| PH: |
6.8-7.6 |
Temperature: |
76-84F (24-28C) |
| Maximum Size: |
6 inches (15.2cm) |
Minimum Tank: |
30 Gallons (US) |
| Activity: |
Lurker |
Lifespan: |
10 |
| Gender: |
No sexual dimorphism |
Breeding: |
Unknown |
| Diet: |
They should be fed Krill, shell on shrimp, crab legs, crayfish, live or frozen mussels, live or frozen clams, live crabs, live ghost shrimp. Feeder fish should not be a staple food, and any time they are fed, should first be quarantined to guarantee the health of the fish. |
| Care: |
These fish prefer a sand substrate in which to burrow. It should be as deep as the fish is long to avoid the fish crashing into the bottom of the tank. As with all other puffers, this species should only be introduced into a fully cycled tank as they are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrites. They should be kept alone or with conspecifics. If more than one is going to be kept, the tank should be heavily planted and/or decorated to break line of sight. Because they are very messy eaters, 50% water changes should be done once a week as well as overfiltration to prevent biological overload. |
| Notes: |
It is vital to train this fish to eat dead meaty foods in the place of feeders. This can be accomplished by dangling a piece of food, a shrimp for example, from a string in front of the fish and bouncing it lightly to simulate movement. Once this is accomplished, the fish will readily accept most frozen or dead foods. They will eat very large amounts of food at a time and because of this they should only be fed every other day while small, reduced to every 2-3 days around 2″, later, reduce to every 3-4 days around 3″, and then once a week around 4 inches. |
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